A different kind of co-working: SHIFT Centre opens its doors to flexible workspace options

The recently opened SHIFT Centre for Social Transformation is inviting the broader Concordia community to pull up a chair. The large, well-lit downtown space on the main floor of the J.W. McConnell (LB) Building is now available for co-working.

Members of community organizations and community-engaged faculty, students and staff at Concordia will find a diversity of well-equipped workstations and small rooms for individual or collaborative work sessions available for use on Tuesdays from noon to 6 p.m., and on Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The co-working space is perfect for collaborative, community-engaged projects focussed on social transformation. Community members are invited to drop in and get comfortable at one of 14 hot desks equipped with USB and laptop charging ports.

They can also grab a cup of coffee or tea in the kitchen and enjoy the open space area. Seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis, while work rooms can be booked in advance by emailing shift.calendar@concordia.ca.

The co-working days at the SHIFT Centre are intended to spark both planned and spontaneous collaborations and to build and strengthen connections between Concordians and the broader Montreal community.

‘Beautiful and accessible, with great lighting’

“We have been thrilled to see that the space has been a catalyst for both intentional and non-intentional collaborations,” says Susan Edey, interim senior director of community engagement and social impact at Concordia. “Coming together in the physical space is an opportunity to nurture and deepen the connections between Concordians and the community.”

Also home to the Office of Community Engagement (OCE), the Saputo Foundation-funded SHIFT Centre is a vibrant and welcoming space to network, collaborate, share skills, connect with peers and tackle societal challenges within and beyond Concordia.

“The space is so beautiful and accessible, with great lighting, lots of seating choices and a variety of rooms for co-working,” notes Duha Elmardi, a graduate student in the Human Systems Intervention program and an active member of various community-based student initiatives on campus. Elmardi is a regular at the co-working days, where she and fellow students recently held a meeting with a SHIFT-funded community organization as part of a graduate project.

“On top of that, the staff is so welcoming,” she adds. “After the isolation of the pandemic, it feels so nice to get work done and meet in person. I have been recommending this place to everyone I know at Concordia.”


The SHIFT Centre is open for co-working on Tuesdays from noon to 6 p.m. and on Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Check out the SHIFT Centre for Social Transformation co-working web page for more info.