Co-working spaces in Singapore have been on the rise in recent years and the latest can be found in a dedicated, free-standing 8-storey building on 75 High Street, in the heart of the Central Business District.

The Co’s central philosophy is to serve as a place for collaboration by bringing like-minded professionals together to become part of a community.

“The Co was created to bring together people who share the same philosophy of collaboration and flexibility in an affordable space,” says Michelle Woo, General Manager of The Co. “We realise business needs are changing. Our workspaces should similarly evolve.”

The ground floor and basement of The Co were designed by Ministry of Design, who were brought in to rethink the concept of the office reception and meeting spaces.

“The Magnet Bar/reception was created to be a hub of activity, where our community manager could more actively interact with members and their guests, and where more informal and serendipitous encounters could happen,” explains Justin Chen, Director of Arcc Holdings, which founded this project, adding, “The basement is a mix of open and private coves, providing a quieter escape from the more social spaces.”

The third floor is a collaborative open plan space designed by M Moser, and serves as the main venue for the regular networking events, workshops and conferences that The Co plans to organise for its members.

“We wanted it to be a flexible space that could change according to the requirements of the community. It also had to reflect the spirit of our concept, which was to provide an open platform for our members to evolve the space,” says Chen, adding that a fine balance had to be made between fixed and mobile elements to make room for the multiple functions that the floor was meant to accommodate.

Members who use the shared desks and those who occupy the private suites all share the same common spaces, which Chen explains, helps to create more opportunities for interaction.

The Co also contains a variety of meeting spaces to cater to the different ways people work, from quiet spaces for reflection to booths for informal discussions and the busier pantry/lounge area for mingling over drinks and snacks.

And because space alone is not necessarily enough to promote collaboration, The Co also has ’community managers’ to help facilitate introductions.

The Co facts and figures:

– 26,000sqft
– 202 office workstations
– 50 co-working desks
– 3 floors of breakout spaces and event spaces
– 2 meeting rooms1 conference room
– Awards received: Singapore Design Awards (Gold), IAI Best Enterprise Space Design, and Perspective Awards Excellence in Commercial Spaces.

The Co
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