Leading flexible workspace specialist x+why have opened their first West London site at Chiswick Works, W4. The site will offer forward thinking, flexible and sustainable workspace facilities for businesses wanting a West London base as well as meeting the local demand for hybrid-working and enabling people to work ‘close to home’ on days when they do not travel into the office.
The Chiswick Works space will also be x+why’s first site targeted at remote workers offering the escape, community, fun, and focus that working from home can lack. The 30,000 sq foot space will be a mix of co-working, dedicated desks and small offices, and there will be several enterprise suite spaces, suited to larger companies – ideally located in Chiswick Park, home to some of the world’s leading companies.
Everything about Chiswick Works is impressive and in line with x+why’s recent B Corp certification – from the triple height reception with floor to ceiling glazing bringing a huge amount of natural light, to the dramatic mezzanine, and inspiring Mission Room with amphitheatre style seating. The building has a BREEAM ‘Very Good’ rating and there is a full fresh air handling system to all spaces. The fit out and furnishing of the space includes sustainable materials such as cork floors and Baux acoustic panels, as well as locally and environmentally sourced furniture and a biophilic design. The site’s industrial heritage is reflected in its contemporary design features, and the passing tube and train tracks provide the perfect, fun distraction through the floor to ceiling windows on the first floor.
Rupert Dean, CEO and co-founder of x+why, comments “Chiswick Works is ideally located as our first West London outpost, an area that has long been considered a valuable base for creative and innovative entrepreneurs. The region was home to the UK’s first ever shared workspace at Barley Mow in 1976, encouraging a plethora of individuals from designers and architects to jewellers and craftspeople. That eclectic mix of creative types remains as strong in West London today as ever, with 41 new start-ups said to be operational per square km across the region. Furthermore, the pandemic has driven an increase in demand for hybrid-working with locals looking for a place to work close to home on days when they are not going into the office.”
As with all their spaces, x+why’s member benefits not only include lightning-fast internet and facilities such as showers, changing rooms, bike racks, kitchens and an honesty bar they extend to a cultural programme of purpose related events and workshops including the exclusive Why B Programme. The programme forms part of x+why’s mission to change the way the world works for good by supporting a community of purpose driven companies to advance people and the planet as well as making a profit. This mission gained certification as a B Corporation last month, joining a growing group of companies reinventing business by pursuing purpose as well as profit
Phil Nevin, co-founder at COO of x+why, explains: “All our spaces are designed and operated as industry-leading green workspaces, with every element designed in collaboration with purpose-driven brands. The spaces are not just for charities or not-for-profits, they are aimed at any person or business who is committed to a more impactful and positive way of working.
“Becoming a B Corporation was fundamental to x+why, and we are thrilled to have now certified. For us, this is the beginning, not the end, of the journey, and we are excited to use our certification as a powerful tool to create a forward-thinking, equitable and sustainable business that hopefully inspires others to also use business as a force for good.”
