Tired of working from home and not having the opportunity to interact with staff? Serviced offices are the perfect solution to your problem!

Serviced offices have been increasing in popularity ever since hybrid working became the new norm. A serviced office is a furnished and fully equipped; usually pay-as-you-use, office space which is in a building managed by an operator. Operators will rent out single serviced offices or whole floors to their clients, giving them access to private, ready-to-use office spaces on flexible terms. This type of premise attracts those who want to work individually as well as team members who know the importance of in-person collaboration within their company. Serviced offices are beneficial to all staff; especially those who have been working remotely abroad for a company. Those who do not work in the main office can access a serviced office to collaborate virtually with other staff members.

The first such serviced office centre in the UK, Impact Hub, was founded in 2005. The purpose of establishing the coworking space was to discover new ways to work, meet, learn and connect. By creating a space which is dedicated to social innovation, Impact Hub has been successful in providing a coworking space to support the users. The success and popularity of Impact Hub led to the initiation of the Impact Hub Association which comprises of over 100 coworking hubs worldwide with 17,000+ users. Located at London’s Angel Station, the original hub space was 300sqm and located on the top floor of a warehouse in Islington. However, Impact Hub Islington has new premises and houses three event spaces in a converted Victorian school building: 

 

The 120m2 ground floor Workshop has a capacity of 25 people (seated) or 25 (standing). The wheelchair accessible space can be configured to suit the occupant’s preferred layout.

 

The 21m2 Boardroom has a 10-person occupancy. Located on the first floor, the space includes a large meeting table with chairs and tea/coffee making facilities.

  

The 120m2 Flexspace located on the top floor includes breakout rooms and a kitchen. The space has a private entrance and has a capacity of 70 people (seated) or 120 (standing).

WeWork is a global company that operate serviced offices in Grade A-listed buildings and offer multiple memberships for staff, each membership differs slightly depending on how frequently the staff will occupy the premises. WeWork On Demand is a pay-as-you-go membership for 1 person which will give them access to any office during standard working hours. The WeWork All Access Membership is a monthly subscription that permits members to access any office 24/7. WeWork All Access Membership for Teams is aimed at groups of 10+ people. The Teams membership is similar to All Access as members have 24/7 access to offices and pay a monthly subscription. All memberships operate under a booking system which requires members to pre-book hot desks, conference rooms and private office spaces and note the duration of their slot.

There are multiple types of WeWork premises which are available for staff to access depending on the country that they are based:

 

The Standard Office is a fully furnished private office space for between 1 and 20 staff. However, the interior has no extra facilities such as a reception desk, conference room or executive office. Users are required to sign up for a monthly subscription which will allow them 24/7 access to the office depending on the type of membership. Users can invite guests to occupy the space, however this is only permitted during office hours.

 

The Office Suite is a fully furnished private office space for between 20 and 100 staff. The space offers optional facilities identical to those unavailable in the Standard Office - reception desk, conference room or executive office. Users that are interested in the Office Suite have the option of signing up for a monthly or annual subscription. In terms of guests’ access, staff who utilise the Office Suite must follow the set guidelines of the Standard Office whereby they are restricted to permitting the guests to occupy the space during office hours. WeWork provide recommended layouts to suit the needs of the users and take full advantage of the available premise space.

 

The Full Floor Office is a fully furnished office space on a private floor which is recommended for 100+ staff. Users are required to sign up for an annual subscription to gain access to the premises and guests are permitted to access the office space during working hours. The Full Floor Office provides all extra facilities including the reception desk, conference room and executive office, matching the Office Suite optional facilities. The occupants can choose the floor layout from a variety of designs supplied by WeWork as well as brand and design the interior based on the teams working methods, design styles and business needs.

Workbar was founded in 2009. The success of the company and high demand for serviced offices resulted in the creation and opening of coworking spaces in 9 locations. Similar to Impact Hub, Workbar launched the Workplace Mobility Program. The program encourages employers to purchase All-access Passes for employees which provides them with the option to work in any Workbar at any time. Workbar offices offer a range of spaces for employees to meet, learn, socialise and collaborate which encourages them to focus on their work whilst experiencing and enjoying a new working environment. Flexible memberships allow users to choose the space(s) to suit their specific needs and work style:

 

Small Private Offices – teams of 1-5
Medium Private offices – teams of 6-13
Large Private Offices – teams of 14+

 

Serviced offices experience challenges as well as benefits. However, every individual area in a serviced office requires different types of furniture to function as intended. Eve Waldron Design have valuable experience working with clients to design their office interiors. Check out our furniture website using the link below and if you are a client needing assistance to select office furniture then get in touch, we are here to help!

 

 By Elsie Hill