Over Co-working? Try ‘Private Productivity’

Alcove allows remote and self-employed workers to book thoughtfully designed private pods. This summer, it will open a second location in partnership with a large hotel chain.

Alcove, 462 7th Ave. Illustration by Tim Le

As the way we work evolves, one Brooklyn business is betting on a concept its founder calls “private productivity.”

Helen Knight, a former engagement manager at McKinsey, needed a quiet, reliable space where she could get work done. She had her Brooklyn apartment, of course, but working from home in a small space, with a partner and newborn baby, was often distracting.

“All of my meetings were confidential client meetings, so really, I was trapped in my house,” Knight said. “I didn’t want to risk leaving to work at a cafe or even going to our office, which was fully open-plan, and risk not being able to have a private space where I could take my calls.”

She thought that if she felt this way, maybe others did, too. She conducted market research, which proved her theory: Others did, in fact, share a desire for a private space outside of their homes. They wanted to be able to reserve space on-demand without the responsibility and overhead that comes with leasing an office or becoming a member of a large co-working network. Beyond these basic requirements, Knight knew the space needed to provide “a compelling experience” and couldn’t “just be a warehouse full of boxes,” she said.