From The Straits Times    |

komyuniti

Photo: Komyuniti

 

The second wave of co-working spaces is even more useful, practical and curated. Need childcare services, lounges for presentations or 3-D printers for your mini projects?

All sorted.

Here’s a list of amazing co-working spaces that’ll meet your every need: 

1. Spaces 

Photo: Spaces

WHAT: A co-working space with an international membership.

WHO: Travelling workaholics. Or working travelholics.

WHY: Do a one-time sign-up for access to co-working spaces in 44 countries. Members can also access the company’s Business Clubs for private meetings or little get-togethers. And Spaces knows you can’t work hungry: It collaborates with popular F&B places so there’s always a legit cafe selling great coffee within the compound – Spaces at Robinsons has Sarnies on board. Its latest launch at 111 Somerset covers 3,200 sq m; operations will commence in mid-2019.

HOW IT’S USEFUL: Dani van Houten, 48, doesn’t let different time zones affect her productivity. As an investor based in Singapore who also owns several Airbnb homes in the Netherlands, she’s constantly travelling to and fro. Because her membership allows her to access any co-working Spaces, she always has a comfortable working environment in Singapore and the Netherlands.

“Sometimes, when my homes are all rented out back in Amsterdam, I head to Spaces in the daytime to get my work done because I don’t want to disturb my guests. And in Singapore, working at Spaces is comfortable and familiar. You get similar coffee and a quiet space with one membership,” she explains. Dani adds that the coffee served at Sarnies here matches the brew she gets back home – always a plus.

Levels 3 & 13, 111 Somerset, 111 Somerset Road. Reserved co-working spaces are $578 monthly; private offices are from $938 a month.

 

2. Trehaus

Photo: Twitter / @TrehausCoWork

WHAT: A co-working space with childcare.

WHO: Busy mums and dads with no babysitters.

WHY: Hot desks and private offices are de rigueur in co-working spaces, but here, the in-house childcare centre is a boon for working parents. The Kids Atelier, on the same floor as the work zone, provides lounges, reading and play areas for children. Infants and toddlers have separate areas.

The childcare facilitators, handpicked by co-owner Elizabeth Wu, are all trained in early childhood studies.

The ratio of one facilitator to a maximum of six kids means your child gets attentive interaction while you give your work the attention it needs. Bonus: If it’s been a rough day, just go over and get a hug from your kid.

HOW IT’S USEFUL: Ah, the working woes of a boss mum: Dilek Akca Haskan, 37, vice-president of Asia Pacific at Talmix – a recruitment service for tech firms – says that Trehaus has been a lifesaver. Having her son near her and still being able to get her work done is a plus.

Her son, Henry Alp, has been a student of the Kids Atelier for slightly over two years. The teachers keep tabs on Henry’s development, and Haskan can check in with them regularly.

“The mixed-age group and social environment because of the presence of Trehaus staff and parents helped him to be the social and confident kid he is today. We got to experience all his firsts together, from crawling and walking to starting to talk and being a chatterbox,” she says.

#03-01 Claymore Connect, 442 Orchard Road. Your membership, $800-$1,600 ma month, allows your child up to seven days of childcare classes a month while you use the co-working space.

 

3. The General Room 

Photo: The General Room 

WHAT: A multipurpose co-working space

WHO: Networkers and event hosts.

WHY: They take “multipurpose” seriously here. This co-working space occupies only half a floor and has hot desks, a cafe and meeting rooms that can be transformed into event spaces. The decor is luxurious – warm-light chandeliers, pull-chain table lamps and sturdy leather sofas – so you get that cigar-room vibe. It also has private offices for small teams.

If you book the main room for an event, the staff here can turn it into one heck of a soiree space (projectors and roll-down screens included). And the meeting rooms are divided by partitions that can slide open to hold more guests.

HOW IT’S USEFUL: Nothing is better than hosting a fun office party when your business is doing well. For financial planner Lim Yu Xing, 33, The General Room’s convertible aspect has contributed to client relationships. Compared with a traditional office, The General Room’s luxe interior makes a great party venue. And it has a bar that serves drinks in the evenings.

Having just invited future clients to a party to start off the financial year, Yu Xing is optimistic that she will continue hosting similar gatherings: “It’s new and it doubles as a great event space. I’ve held a mini office party here for my colleagues. We are a small group of independent financial planners, so having a nice space to invite future clients to is great.”

#07-07, 111 Somerset, 111 Somerset Road. Day passes are $60; weekly passes are $250. Private room rates range from $1,000-$4,000 a month. Event spaces are charged in four-hour blocks from $1,000-$1,500, depending on the size of the space.

 

4. Mox 

Photo: Mox 

WHAT: A co-working space with workshop and retail spaces.

WHO: Product designers, artists and creatives who really love their work.

WHY: Don’t let stale offices dry out your innovative mind. Mox has a space for every creative. If you’re a product developer working on a new project, Mox has a 3-D printer for your prototypes; use the photography studio once your products are ready. If you’re an artist, display  your work at the Banksy Gallery at level one, or book the Geppetto Workshop Room at level two to teach a class.

Even if you’re not a professional, you can sign up for workshops (curated by the guys at Mox).

HOW IT’S USEFUL: Jason Loo, 29, of Tinkermind – a company that hosts 3-D printing classes and services – says that he can’t do without the Makers’ Room at Mox. Its 3-D printing facilities, which can’t be found at other co-working spaces, have allowed Tinkermind to bring many of its creative ideas to life.

“The co-making facilities at Mox are easy to book, and the staff are really helpful in making sure that we are able to efficiently access the spaces we need,” he adds.

Katong Point, 451 Joo Chiat Road. Day passes are $180 for 10 days or $30 a day; desk rentals range from $300-$400 a month. A private office is $500 a month.

 

5. Komyuniti 

Photo: Komyuniti

WHAT: A co-working bar.

WHO: Freelancers who like bars.

WHY: It’s pretty straightforward at Komyuniti – you get plugs, personal desks, and Wi-Fi. The bar is open to the public from 6.30- 10.30am for breakfast, and noon to midnight for lunch and dinner. Caveat: As long as you’ve ordered from the bar, you’re welcome to set up your laptop for a long day of work. The bar is open all afternoon, so you’re sorted for midday martinis.

Its signature cocktail, the Kompliment, is a highly recommended, refreshing infusion of butterfly-pea flower gin and violet liqueur. After all, that “no alcohol at work” credo is not really a thing anymore.

HOW IT’S USEFUL: It’s great to have a friendly bartender refilling your glass as you work on your project late into the night. Aaron Lewis, 43, a businessman from New York who travels to Singapore once every two months, is an “unofficial resident” of Komyuniti.

To him, having a working space literally a few floors down from his hotel room is a workaholic’s dream come true: “Because of Komyuniti, I keep coming back to Yotel. You get the option of a hotel, and if your room distracts you too much in the wee hours, you can go down to the bar for a drink and get work done.”

Level 10, Yotel, 366 Orchard Road. Order a minimum of one drink.

 

This story was first published on Her World’s June 2019 issue.

ALSO READ: THE 4 COOLEST COWORKING SPACES FOR WORK AND PLAY

 

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