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Last updated post 11h31 - 05/12/2025

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Shared office spaces are becoming a popular trend chosen by many small and medium-sized enterprises to optimize operating costs. The following article will provide detailed instructions on how to effectively design a shared office, helping businesses maximize budget savings.

What is a Shared Office?

A shared office is a workspace designed for multiple businesses to use, maximizing functionality and saving operating costs. Unlike the traditional office model, this common workspace allows businesses to share facilities, utilities, and operating expenses, thereby optimizing the investment budget.

The shared office trend is developing strongly in the Vietnamese market, especially in major cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. According to a VTV report, the demand for renting shared offices has increased by 30% annually since the COVID-19 pandemic, reflecting a shift in how businesses approach workspaces.

Shared offices allow businesses to share facilities

Classification of Shared Office Models

The shared office model includes diverse forms, meeting the different needs of businesses:

Type	Characteristics	Suitable for
Hot desk	– Flexible seating – Lowest cost – Open space	Freelancers, Early-stage Startups
Dedicated desk	– Fixed seating – Personal locker – Stable workspace	Small teams, Medium enterprises
Private office	– Separate room – Fully equipped – High security	Developed businesses

>> See more: The most common types of offices today

Characteristics and Needs of Target Businesses

Small and medium-sized enterprises need office solutions that meet the following criteria:

Optimal and flexible costs
Scalability according to needs
Professional facilities
Networking environment

Startups and freelancers prioritize workspaces with high flexibility and reasonable costs. Meanwhile, remote teams require a hybrid solution that effectively combines online and offline work.

Cost Benefits of Shared Office Space

Shared office space brings many financial benefits:

Save 30-50% on premises rental costs
Reduce 40-60% of initial setup costs
Optimize 25-35% of monthly operating costs

This model allows businesses to flexibly adjust space according to actual needs, avoiding resource waste and optimizing the budget.

Shared office space is the optimal cost solution for businesses

Guide to Cost-Effective Shared Office Design

Basic Design Principles

Shared office design is based on three core principles to ensure usage efficiency and cost optimization. Optimal space is created through the application of modular design principles, allowing flexible layout changes according to actual needs.

Optimizing Space Utilization:

Usage density: 70-80% of net area
Multi-functional space: 40-50% of total area
Circulation area: 20-25% of area
Area/person ratio: 4-6m²

Flexible, Multi-functional Design:

Smart mobile partitions
Foldable furniture
Modular electrical and plumbing systems
Raised technical flooring

Design Factor	Minimum Standard	Optimal Standard
Ceiling height	2.7m	3.0m
Aisle width	1.2m	1.5m
Workspace distance	1.0m	1.2m
Area/workstation	4m²	6m²

The basic design principle of a shared office is mobile partitions

Dividing Necessary Functional Areas

Functional zoning follows the principle of optimizing movement flow. The common working area is positioned where natural light is best, while meeting rooms are placed in areas that ensure privacy.

Common Working Area:

Hot desk zone:
Area: 30-35% of total area
Density: 1 person/4m²
Equipment: Flexible single desks and chairs
Dedicated desk area:
Area: 25-30% of total area
Density: 1 person/5m²
Equipment: Fixed desks, personal lockers

Meeting Rooms and Collaboration Spaces:

Large meeting room: 15-20 people
Medium meeting room: 6-8 people
Small meeting booths: 2-4 people
Open brainstorming area

Frequently Asked Questions about Shared Office Space

What is the setup cost for a 100m² shared office?

The average setup cost for a 100m² shared office ranges from 800 million to 1.2 billion VND, including space renovation, furniture, and technical systems. ROI is typically achieved after 24-36 months with a utilization rate of 75% or more.

What are the standards for the HVAC system in a shared office?

The HVAC system needs to ensure an air exchange rate of 8-10 times/hour and maintain CO2 below 800ppm. VRV/VRF inverter with COP >4.0 is the optimal choice for energy efficiency.

What is the required phone booth area ratio in a shared office?

Phone booths should occupy 5-7% of the total area with a density of 1 booth/15-20 users. Each booth has a minimum area of 2.5m² and is equipped with soundproofing reaching NIC 35.

What special requirements need attention when designing a server room for a shared office?

The server room needs to be designed with a cooling density of 4-5kW/rack and N+1 redundancy for the cooling system. Two-layer access control with biometric authentication and 24/7 camera surveillance ensures security for the data infrastructure.

What type of sound system should be chosen for the common workspace?

The background sound masking system is set at 42-45dB with a frequency from 100-5000Hz to create optimal white noise. Zone-based sound masking technology allows for separate adjustments for each functional area.

Through this article, Co-IDB has provided a comprehensive view of cost-optimized shared office design, from basic principles to future trends. Businesses can refer to this to build an efficient, cost-saving, and market-trend-aligned workspace.

Shared office space aligns with market trends

> See more: What is the right definition of an ideal office

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Publication date 05/12/2025

Co-IDB Company

CO-IDB is an office furniture company following the Design & Build model. With project management capacity, its own production workshop and specialized technical team, CO-IDB is committed to providing optimal working space - right quality - on schedule.