Under the hashtag #BeanOutsider, L.L. Bean has created what the company representatives call the world’s first outdoor coworking spaces in New York City with the goal of helping people enjoy the outdoors, even while they’re earning a living. The pop-up space opened in New York City’s Madison Square Park on June 21, featuring individual workspaces, conference areas, cycling desks and “outdoor team-building activities,” the company announced.
The company’s Freeport campus already includes outdoor courtyard and patio space for individual use and meetings, and the modular spaces built for this campaign were tested in Freeport in June, L.L. Bean spokesman Eric C. Smith said. Some of the modular spaces will settle permanently at the company’s Freeport headquarters after this summer, but the exact locations have not yet been determined.
According to the company, 87 percent of indoor workers say they enjoy the outdoors, but 75 percent rarely or never take time to work outside. So L.L. Bean partnered with coworking company Industrious to create the space, which is open to the public from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and includes wifi, power and collaborative workspaces.
“So many of us love spending time outdoors and appreciate the benefits, yet for many people outdoor time is only spent away from work and on weekends,” L.L. Bean president and chief executive officer Steve Smith said in a release. “We hope that the ‘Be an Outsider at Work’ initiative will inspire employees to be creative in finding new ways to incorporate outdoor time in their day. We also hope that by demonstrating the benefits, employers will be supportive of this idea.”
According to the company, workers believe tangible benefits to working outside include improved mood, reduced stress levels, relaxation, increased health and wellness, as well as increased happiness. Workspaces can be reserved at www.BeAnOutsiderAtWork.com or at the park. The outdoor coworking space will travel to Boston July 10-12, Philadelphia July 17-19, and Madison, Wisconsin, July 24-26.
By Beth Brogan