Flexible office development aims to balance life and work
A NEW live/work hub will open in the Canton area of Cardiff next month.
The office space forms part of the commercial element to the £5.5m W2 mixed-use development project from property development company LoftCo.
Located directly opposite St David’s Hospital, it has seen the building’s original commercial space transformed into new retail space and office units.
It has also seen a two-storey vertical extension – housing 44 one- and two-bedroom apartments, with some affording views across the city.
And some of the apartments have been sold to entrepreneurs who will use the building’s 24/7 office space – hence its live/work tag.
Building on the residential phase of the development earlier this year – which saw over half of the building’s apartments sold in the first month they went to market – the office units are also expected to attract high demand.
Some 70% of the scheme’s apartments have now been sold.
From next month, 40 office units will be available to rent at the scheme located on Wellington Street. Ranging in size from 115 sq ft to 460 sq ft, they will benefit from high-speed Wi-Fi access, smart TVs and modern break-out spaces.
The interior design also utilises part of the building’s former use as a snooker hall. This has seen the old snooker tables being turned into stylish slate-topped boardroom tables and desks. The offices will also feature street art and concrete floors.
Space can be rented on a daily basis starting at £35 and for a week at £100. Space will be also be available for rent by the hour.
Mark Andrews, director of LoftCo, said: “W2 typifies our ongoing mis- sion to find and develop innovative solutions that deliver desirable live/ work spaces within sought-after urban locations.
“We feel there is a real gap in the market for contemporary and stylish office units that are designed with modern-day work requirements in mind. We hope that W2 will provide a solution to this need, offering flexible and affordable rental terms for businesses of all shapes and sizes.”
Gary Carver, director of business space at Savills’ Cardiff office, who are assisting LoftCo with the marketing of W2, said: “There is currently good levels of demand for smaller flexible offices at present, particular- ly from companies in the creative and TMT sectors.
“We believe W2 will be an attractive proposition to these and other companies looking for contemporary office space.”