Mommy Work - The Israeli coworking space that offers onsite daycare with scheduled diaper changes and playtime. Located in the small tech bubble of Ra’anana, not far from Tel Aviv, Mommy Work is a coworking space for parents of young children which offers onsite daycare and a tightly scheduled work-play agenda—diaper change is at 9:45 and 12:15, according to the website. It is the first parent-oriented coworking venture to open in Israel, a country where the startup employee is king, coworking spaces shoot up like weeds in an unkempt backyard, and the average fertility rate is near twice the OECD average of 1.7 births per woman, according to OECD data.
Opened in February of 2018, the Mommy Work office spans 200 square meters and is divided into a child-free open-space working zone, a daycare, and a salon where parents and children can hang together. Mommy Work welcomes parents of children aged 3-months to 3 years. In Israel, mandatory public education is provided to all children aged three and older.
Despite what the name suggests, the Mommy Work website addresses both male and female parents. “Career or parenting? Why choose when you can have both?” the site boasts, echoing that familiar adage, that women—err, parents—can truly have it all.
Homegrown coworking real estate companies such as Mindspace, Mixer, Be All, and Labs are experiencing something of a boom, sprouting new locations in Israel and abroad.
The coworking real estate “guru” Adam Neumann, co-founder and CEO of market leader WeWork, hails from Israel where he spent some of his formative years in a kibbutz. WeWork currently operates 234 locations in 22 countries, 10 of which are in Israel.
Of the 30 current paying members of Mommy Work approximately 80% are women. Like other coworking spaces, Mommy Work offers well-designed open workspaces, conference rooms, a stocked kitchen and other office amenities. Unlike other office spaces where startup employees work around the clock, Mommy Work is open from 8 am to 5 pm. It's a statement: time to go home, the work day does not need to go on forever.
Parent-oriented coworking spaces have opened in recent years wherever coworking spaces have become bon ton, but these are typically local, single-location operations. While it was reported last year that WeWork is launching a private elementary school, WeGrow, in New York City, the market-leader does not offer daycare services at its locations.
Materialization
The research and development phase of the MommyWork project, was focused on defining a new world, one that doesn't really exist:One that is both respectful of parents, allowing them a comfortable and efficient work environment, while also creating the required atmosphere to form a supportive community of parents.
This 'new world' had to take into account the constantlyevolving needs of children between the ages of 3 months and three years: the need for cuddling during the first months of their lives and a convenient diaper corner, but also elements that will challenge young inquisitive minds as they grow up and develop.
Planning for these seemingly contradictive needs of such a diverse spectrum of stakeholders required three definitive areas. The first is a joint space that allows for work to be done alongside the child, on a barstool, with a baby-carrier, gently rocking a crib or a low table that allows for a working on a low laptop-tablepositioned next to a child playing or eating ona children's table.
The second area is dedicated to parents requiring a 'sterile' parents-only working-environment, with well-equipped workstations, ergonomic chairs and a lot of light. This area includes an internal meeting room for group discussions or even more sound-insulated work.
The third area is childrencentric, constantly cared for by childminders, loosely divided into a sleep-zone, lounging area a reading corner and a place encouraging crafts and play.
Since most of the MommyWorkbranches will be located in the heart of urban office buildings, it was important to create a warm inviting feeling, creating a home within an office, without the loud color slate of 'kindergarten vibes' – keeping in mind that the main goal is to get some work done. The color palette chosen was one that brings to mind growth and tranquility, aiming for a space that symbolizes joy but doesn't seem overcrowded or chaotic. The defining thought behind the design was an alignment of all the details to make sure that a big smile spreads on the faces of both parent and child when they arrive at this special place – to each his own comfortable corner.
