From small office to whole floor: How Yugo has grown within Origin Workspace

Starting with a small office and now taking up half of an entire floor, Yugo is just one example of how businesses have successfully grown within the Origin space.

Yugo is the “first global student housing provider”, created to enhance students’ experiences throughout university and college life and beyond.

Based in Denver, Colorado, the business now has almost 100 student living spaces in the UK, US, Ireland, Spain, Germany and Australia.

We recently spoke to Abby Bentley, Global Brand and Marketing Director at Yugo, about her experiences in Origin and why Yugo chose Origin as its home in Bristol.

Yugo’s journey within Origin

Yugo’s journey with Origin began when their partner business GSA had a small office within the space. After officially launching in January last year, Yugo has taken advantage of the flexibility of the space from day one.

Following the pandemic, they realised that the business landscape had completely changed – and for the better. The growth of hybrid working brought many benefits, such as a greater talent pool and less requirement for vast office space. It also works much better for their employees, too.

“I personally think that you get far more out of individuals than you ever would do before,” comments Abby.

“Our employees can now be together as a team, but also flex to suit their style of working. Everybody is different, and there’s no one size fits all.”

In less than 12 months, Yugo has grown their Bristol team to almost 80 staff and they now take up half of a floor at Origin Workspace.

There new pad has floor to ceiling windows looking across south Bristol. They have their own kitchen, three dedicated meeting rooms just for the team and 60+ members coming into the space

Global business and Origin Workspace is now the European hub

The recently invited all the senior members of staff to a gathering/European conference senior leaders came together to connect at at Origin Workspace utilising the incredible event space

Add roof terrace image

The “buzz” of the Origin space

So, why did Yugo opt for a coworking space rather than finding their own office space? One of the main reasons was because the team simply loves the buzz of our space.

In Origin, Yugo can enjoy the benefits of working in a quiet office for ‘focus’ time, but also take advantage of other areas when they need inspiration.

As Abby explains, this helps to break up the working day and keep motivation high.

“If you want to break out and have a more creative session with a team, you can sit downstairs. You feel the hubbub and buzz of everybody else there – it’s actually quite inspiring to be able to sit amongst that and hear others,” she says.

“I think that just to be able to change your environment within a day is something that’s hugely beneficial to the way that your day flows.”

Popular perks for employees

At Origin, we know that your workplace needs to be more than just desk space. Our membership packages also incorporate our state-of-the-art gym, meeting rooms, wellness sessions and networking events, all under one roof.

Abby highlights that Origin’s amenities are a huge perk for employees. It also makes recruiting and retaining staff that much easier, as potential recruits now look for much more from their employers.

“[Origin is] a huge selling point, not only for the look and feel. All the amenities that are here are definitely a perk – particularly the gym, which is really popular with our team members,” Abby says.

“It’s not just something offered, it’s something that’s encouraged. You feel like you’re a part of a wider community.”

In addition to the gym, Abby points to Origin’s extra meeting rooms as a big benefit of the space. As a global business, Yugo has visitors coming into the offices multiple times a year – but not enough to justify a raft of full-time meeting rooms.

“It’s very easy for us to flex up when we need meeting spaces. There might be a couple of weeks a year where we end up taking over the office between us, but it’s lovely that we don’t always have to have that space on standby. It’s something that when we need it, we have the flexibility to use it,” Abby adds.

A small community within a larger community

Building relationships with other businesses is an objective for many, and Abby finds that Origin really helps facilitate these connections.

She particularly commends Origin’s Connect Card and how having partnerships with local businesses is a huge benefit.

“It’s great, all of the different local partnerships that Origin has as well as local businesses, I think it’s really important. It makes you feel like you’re part of a community, which is very lovely. We’re a small community within a larger community.”

A great energy from the moment you walk in

Feeling proud of your workspace is important for any business; you need to feel motivated to start your day from the moment you arrive at the office.

Abby comments how Origin makes their team feel at ease from the minute they arrive, to when they leave for the day.

“The second you’re here, you’re in this lovely environment with the team that work here.”

“From the moment you walk into Origin you feel inspired to start your day. Everything that you need is here, and you’re with a great bunch of people that always have good energy around them,” says Abby.

Feeling at home at Origin

After a busy few years and a huge amount of growth, Yugo shows no sign of slowing down. As they enter the next exciting phase of the business, Abby is delighted to call Origin their home.

“I certainly believe Yugo has a home here in Origin. I think it’s the first time, particularly now that we’ve got our space here, to feel like it’s our home.”

Are you looking for new office space? We offer various options to accommodate your company’s needs. Book a tour today to see our space and see if Origin Workspace can be a new home for your business.

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