At the beginning of this year, Origin Workspace was still only a concept. We had the building and the plans, but we also had a lot of hard work ahead of ourselves to make those plans a reality. So, it’s fantastic to be ending 2019 on a high by unveiling our new Phase 2 space.
This is a huge achievement, but looking back on the year as a whole, there are so many other highlights to celebrate too. Here’s a round-up of some of the best bits of our first year in business.
Phase 1 of Origin Workspace opened in May, and within only a month of opening we had confirmation that we had created something very special when it reached full capacity. A big part of this is down to our flexible membership options, where you can choose between lounge, hot desk, dedicated desks and private offices.
We’ve shaped Origin Workspace in a critical response to the requirement for high spec office space in Bristol. We’re proud to set the bar high with a professional work environment that’s now home to over 270 members working across 73 of Bristol’s most exciting businesses.
Opening Phase 2 means that our £9m renovation is now complete and we have an additional 22,000 sq. ft, more than doubling our floorspace and heading into the new year with 200 extra desks. Spaces are already going fast, with 50% of our new Phase 2 workspace already full.
We’re excited to welcome a host of new organisations, but it’s also brilliant to see a number of Origin Workspace’s existing members, including Cook Corporate, EACG and Qoda, taking larger office spaces in the new building. Our vision for Origin Workspace has always been about helping businesses grow, so it’s so satisfying to offer this kind of flexibility so that businesses can accommodate their growing teams.
Now complete, Origin Workspace has two roof terraces with capacity for over 450 members, a state-of-the-art gym and fitness events that slot into the working day, and many meeting rooms and break-out areas for collaboration.
What better way to celebrate our new opening than with a huge Christmas party! After so much hard work to get Phase 2 finished, we all needed a big celebration with friends and colleagues.
It was a great opportunity to socialise and to see so many new friendships that have formed at Origin Workspace. Using the new space for the party was also a great test-run for the new space –it provided the perfect backdrop for a big event like this, and we’re excited to see how it will be used for different events and celebrations in the coming year.
Not long after we opened Phase 1, Social Media Week came to Bristol, giving us the perfect opportunity to test the wide range of events spaces on offer here at Origin Workspace.
As one of the sponsors, we hosted many talks and seminars for businesses, social media and marketing professionals. Not only that, but our stylish lounge area provided the ideal location for the closing party, creating a real buzz in our presentation space.
Part of our mission is to help people connect and collaborate, so lots of thought and care goes in to developing an inspiring events programme for members and non-members.
From business brainstorms to networking sessions, and keynote speeches to industry events, there are too many to mention here, but the sheer variety of events we host reflects how flexible and adaptable our workspace is.
One standout event was the IPA’s annual evening event for Bristol, South West and Wales. Tom Kay, Founder of B Corp business, Finisterre, was the evening’s guest speaker, giving a fascinating talk on how he has built a successful sustainable clothing business. The event was attended by over 40 people, enjoying an evening of food, drinks and music in our stylish lounge space.
Not only are we home to many of Bristol’s best businesses, we are also nurturing the next wave of talented entrepreneurs through our Startup programme. So far, we have mentored two cohorts – 12 people in all – through our programme to help accelerate promising new businesses.
It’s been wonderful to see these 12 entrepreneurs grow and develop – not only through the support they get from their dedicated facilitator, but also through the wider benefits they get from coworking alongside a wide range of established businesses.
We’re excited to start recruiting for our third cohort, with applications now open to start in early 2020.
If you would like to join our growing community, speak to our Business Manager, Caroline – [email protected] – to book a showround today.
Out of hours
Please note Origin Workspace is now closed if you have an out of hours emergency please continue to call us and you will be diverted to a duty manager. If your enquiry is not urgent, please complete the form on the Contact Us page.
Lounge members,
day pass users & visitors:
Mon-Fri: 8am to 6pm
Office, dedicated desk,
& hot desk members:
Mon-Fri: 6am – 9:45pm
Sat: 9am – 5:45pm
Sun: 9am – 4:45pm
