The downside of retrofitting and reusing buildings is that renovated buildings are, in most cases, still not as energy efficient as new buildings.
I love that so much.’ GWS offers a range of different studios from 150 square foot units for 1 to 2 people and runs all the way to 10,000 square foot units for 100+ employees.Minchin says, ‘Businesses can grow in the space.
Lots of people do upsize - that’s what the building is designed for,’ she adds, ’there’s also quite a lot of demand for the smaller atrium-facing spaces too as they are good shop fronts.People like that because everyone who comes into the building will see you.’.In a space with so many vibrant creative businesses, I wonder about collaboration opportunities.
‘Yes, we encourage people to come to the socials to network and mingle.We throw two big parties per year in the atrium or the courtyard,’ says Kristi, ‘or sometimes we’ll just book a table in the local pub or our cafe.’ And it’s not just socials and yoga on offer, the management team are also looking to offer business help and guidance to the residents, ‘We’ve got a free talk coming up next week by a business coach, which will be great for the startups.
We’re also actively trying to encourage skill sharing.’.
Great Western Studios really is the epitome of what a modern workspace should deliver to its occupants, from its light-filled, five-storey central atrium and chic industrial design, all the way through to its sense of community and focus on the wellness of the hard-working people within.It takes a few days to do what used to take months..
This approach – harnessing wide-ranging data, applying it creatively, iterating rapidly – can be applied in any number of other contexts, and we are currently working on several initiatives that need rapid implementation in the post-COVID world.Watch this space.. It’s all about agility; the ability to plan and respond to changing circumstances in complex situations.
But agility can’t simply be reactive.We have to design it into our built environment.