The company aims to use the space to help its clients achieve digital maturity.

EY’s wavespace center in Wong Chuk Hang, located at the heart of the startup ecosystem, functions more like an innovation lab, where clients can explore blockchain solutions and service offerings, or co-develop business models and opportunities through the centre’s design studio, showcases, workshops, labs and incubators, and pop-up centers.

Each of their 20 wavespace centers across the globe focuses on one or more digital capabilities, like internet on things and artificial intelligence.

For that purpose, the Wong Chuk Hang wavespace is equipped with Microsoft Surface Hubs that allows clients to connect with EY talents across the globe to collaborate on projects.

“Instead of using PowerPoint or email, Microsoft Surface Hubs allows for more efficient teamwork, diminishing physical boundaries,” EY Asia-Pacific Head of Design Iñaki Amate told Hong Kong Business.

In terms of framework and methodology, the space draws inspiration from the wavespace center in Union Square, New York. The physical design on the other hand, is based on the lessons EY gained from designing similar environments.

EY incorporated a design team, who then got rid of traditional paper and printers and designed the space to be modular to accommodate work ranging from large workshops to breakdown sessions. For that purpose, all furniture came equipped with wheels.

“Keeping the wavespace brand, whilst keeping the EY identity and offering a space to go beyond was a great design challenge,” Amate said.

A Mexican chopper motorbike equipped with a Chinese engine can also be found in the space. The vehicle comes with a demo that tells whether the rider is getting tired and how old they look like.

Beyond aesthetic efforts designed to foster novel ideas, the wavespace has a keen focus on financial services and technology, media, and telecom (TMT) sectors, but it is welcome to businesses of any sector. They have particularly worked with an undisclosed automotive firm on reinventing their business, a beverage company on leveraging blockchain technology, and a financial services organization with preparing and adapting with their vision and purpose.

“Through wavespace, we hope to contribute to the cross-pollination of ideas and transfer of knowledge to drive the capability development of talents in digital, creative and experience design – skills that are becoming highly relevant in the thriving digital economy in Hong Kong and across Asia-Pacific,” Amate said.

EY has expressed plans to open more wavespace centers in China, after it opened its first flagship China center in Shanghai World Financial Center in 2018. 

Spanning 22,700 sqft, the workspace offers 60 private offices and 270 workstations.

International Workplace Group (IWG)’s latest Spaces offering is a 12-floor coworking tower located at 200 Hennessy Road that provides a calming environment in a bustling commercial district surrounded by restaurants, bars and stores.

Coworking membership starts with a 24-month contract priced $3,980 a month, but interested tenants can consider renting a one-person office space for $5,648 monthly.

The 22,700 square feet wide workspace offers nearly 60 private offices and 270 workstations on top of flexible hot-desking memberships. It also provides functional amenities like two meeting rooms, a two-storey business club with semi-private meeting booths and communal tables. Tenants can stop by the outdoor balcony for a whiff of fresh air.

Like other Spaces locations, Spaces Hennessy Road incorporates a contemporary European design aesthetic rooted in minimalism to provide a “defined yet refreshing look.” Upon entry, one will be greeted with curated background music designed to facilitate focus and concentration amongst workers.

Its community team would provide professional knowledge to tenants to help enhance their business. They have also been holding monthly drinking sessions where tenants can connect with each other and relax. IWG has expressed plans to host a wider variety of activities at Hennessy Road in the future.

“IWG believes that business success is underpinned by the effectiveness and happiness of its people. To achieve this, the group delivers easy-to-use real estate solutions, with a full suite of support services to enable people to focus on their core business and enjoy a great day at work,” IWG Hong Kong area director Nancy Yip told Hong Kong Business.

“Spaces is all about its inspiring community of entrepreneurs. Within the local Spaces locations, a vibrant and energetic tenant community furnishes work life and create opportunities for its tenants,” Yip said.

Since entering Hong Kong in July 2018, Spaces has opened in five locations including Causeway Bay, Kwun Tong, Wong Chuk Hang, Sheung Wan and Wan Chai. IWG has also expressed plans to expand to 30 cities across Asia Pacific, including eight new cities by 2019.

Located at the heart of Hong Kong Island, the 25,800 sqft space aims to serve the thriving fintech community.

Financial services provider TNG Fintech Group has opened an expansive space at North Point designed to support fintech businesses seeking the necessary assistance to unlock their next stage of growth. Spanning over 25,800 sqft, Wall Street Factory aims to serve as an interactive platform for entrepreneurs, startups and institutions disrupting the billion-dollar financial services industry.

With twelve signature conference rooms and three main event spaces named Arena, Wall Street Corner and Sandbox that can accommodate up to 300 individuals each, Wall Street Factory offers one-stop solutions to companies from business incorporation, office space, bank account opening, working visa application, operation support, business referral, fundraising to capital market advisory in addition to networking, innovation and resource sharing solutions.

Upon entry into the space, visitors are ushered into a reception area featuring the iconic Wall Street bull. Corridors are designed in minimalist tones designed to extract the highest productivity and employee engagement. Beyond necessary work conventions, the Wall Street Factory also comes with a gym, game corner and a time-out cafe designed to provide employees a reprieve from their work.

Since its opening on 15 July, Wall Street Factory has forged collaborations with blockchain, AI, big data and proptech companies. The space also aims to serve as a central connector to investors, regulators, financial institutions, business partners, potential customers and media resources.

“This year, with the combination of Wall Street Factory, TNG is hoping to develop Hong Kong’s FinTech Community into a regional financial powerhouse, help startups grow to rising-stars to unicorns, and then to public listings in major stock exchange,” Alex Kong, founder and chairman of TNG Fintech Group told Hong Kong Business.

Giving back
As one of Asia’s largest fintech groups, TNG offers a wide array of services including e-payments, remittance, global cash withdrawal and settlement and wealth management. Its e-wallet offering has accumulated over 650,000 users since its launch four years ago, according to Kong. In 2016, the company formed a Global E-Wallet Alliance (GEA) in Hong Kong and 12 other countries including China, Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, India and Sri Lanka.

“We believe the milestones achieved will facilitate TNG’s further steps to provide financial inclusion to the unbanked populations around the world,” said Kong.

“We believe everyone in the world deserves a better life including the ability to access basic financial services,” said Kong. “The launch of Wall Street Factory perfectly matches TNG’s commitment to elevating lives of billions with financial empowerment and financial services.

A pristine view of Victoria Harbour can be viewed at its top floor.

Located just a block away from the Hong Kong Business headquarters, at 181 Des Veoux Road lies Spaces, a new, sleek co-working space. Spaces Sunhouse is the fourth and largest location spanning 77,000 sq ft over 20 storeys. 

Spaces Sun House offers a pristine view of the Victoria Harbour on its top floor. The office also houses a 7,000 sq ft “Business Club” designed for hot-desking, informal meetings and interaction amongst members whilst the second floor is dedicated to meeting rooms. The third through nineteenth floors provide private offices to accommodate teams on flexible terms of one to 24 months.

“Central and Sheung Wan have always been core business districts,” said Nancy Yip, Area Director with IWG.

The latest opening in Central adds to Spaces portfolio in Hong Kong which already counts locations in Kowloon East, Causeway Bay and Wong Chuk Hang. It also has a fifth hub set to
open in Wan Chai in Q1 2019.

It features a spectacular view of Victoria Harbour.

With an unrivalled 180-degree panoramic view of Victoria Harbour that revolves around a cruise sailing concept, ATLASPACE at Harbour City definitely made a splash in its debut in Hong Kong's crowded office market.

Featuring a gross floor area of 50,000 sq ft, ATLASPACE can accommodate up to 30 employees of small companies and large enterprises. It also has a break-out area, lounge bar, quiet room called Magic Hub and six multi-funcitional conference rooms equipped with comprehensive IT communication facilities designed to foster a unique office experience. 

"With the opening of the Hong Kong Section of the Guangzhou-Shenzen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link at the West Kowloon Station and support from our workplaces in key cities across China, our current and potential members will find it more convenient and accessible to build and expand their business across the border and to the overseas market," Chen Sze Long, CEO of ATLAS said in a statement. 

ATLAS' portfolio spans 22 projects across the Mainland and Hong Kong including Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hangzhou, Shanghai, Beijing and Xi'an.

ATLASPACE is located at the 16th floor, Sun Life Tower, The Gateway, Harbour City. 

The eXellerator houses a usability testing lab to try out emerging technologies.

Standard Chartered’s 10,000 sqft new office space in Kwun Tong serves as a representation of everything the bank stands for: excellence, innovation, and a focus on customer welfare. Aptly named the eXellerator, the new office provides a collaboration space for its units.

Built in conjunction with US-based co-working operator WeWork, the exellerator features an open coworking and hot desk space, 5 dedicated project rooms and two training rooms.

But more than that, Standard Chartered understands that banks need to be relentlessly innovate in order to stay ahead ofo the game and have thus created a usability testing lab within the eXellerator, allowing staff to test solutions in real-time.

"The eXellerator is a collaboration space where business units come together to solve current business issues," said Carol Hung, chief information officer at Standard Chartered Hong Kong. "The eXellerator is at the forefront of driving innovation and an agile culture in the bank." 

Additionally, the bank extends invitations to promising fintech startups who can conduct Proof of Concepts with the bank. Key areas it is keen on developing include AI, cyber security and banking made easy.  

“Whilst banking may be complex, Standard Chartered’s goal is to empower innovation in multiple parts of the bank, simplify processes and digitise the client experience whilst providing the human touch,” Hung added. 

Their Bonham Strand and New Steet hubs combine the best of hospitality and design.

After opening its first two hubs in Hong Kong in 2017, premium office space firm naked Hub is looking to further expand its portfolio in the Asia Pacific this year. Its goal: to add more than 40 new Hubs by the end of 2018.

With naked Hub’s emphasis not only on aesthetics and design but also hospitality, it is not difficult to see why clients have been flocking to its first venture in Hong Kong. Deborah Nagrash, naked Hub’s general manager, said naked Hub offers a unique visual identity and language in its Sheung Wan and Sai Ying Pun locations.

Its Bonham Strand Hub boasts traditional Tea House elements whilst blending in contemporary office design solutions. Its New Street Hub is home to a street-level outdoor terrace, coffee bar and multifunction rooms. It also features the naked Gallery where clients and community members can appreciate art from local up-and-coming artists. The company is eyeing expansion as it plans to open 10 more hubs in Hong Kong over the next two years. 

Check out this swanky co-working space in the heart of Hong Kong’s business district.

Upon entering the BLOOM co-working space on Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, one notices a refreshingly open floor plan free from the usual trappings of a traditional office. There is no reception or meeting rooms in the busy hub for creatives, entrepreneurs and freelancers. The BLOOM team makes an effort to do away with stuffy formality so its workspace is more conducive to creative collaboration and community building.

“The first thing you’ll see when you walk into BLOOM is that you won’t be stopped by a reception desk,” said Chapman Leung, co-founder of BLOOM coworking space.

He said BLOOM is attached to Jumpstart Business Centre’s existing location, which enables the coworking space to bend the rules of a corporate office setup.

The result is a coworking space that is closer to a café or a restaurant, complete with a logo that fits the vibe of a coffee chain than a corporation.

“We think open-plan working style combined with nice décor can help both creativity and productivity. BLOOM features different areas so members can move around during the day,” said Leung.

The BLOOM coworking space operates by an open-plan arrangement where the diverse clientele shares not only a set of tables and chairs, but also an events calendar.

"BLOOM is not just a space. It is also a community," said Leung. "We have social events every week to let our members know each other as well as having a bit of fun while working."

BLOOM also hosts at least one business event per month to help startups and other businesses gain insights and connect with investors.

Recounting the time when the space was being constructed, Leung said quick completion was one of his team’s biggest challenges given the high rents in Hong Kong. He said the project team put in a lot of overtime at night and on weekends so it could be finished quickly, and he was grateful that they responded well to the pressure of making sudden changes to the design plan.

Aside from being pleased by how the coworking space turned out, the co-founder also liked the convenient location of BLOOM’s office address that makes stepping outside a treat for members.

“BLOOM is located on Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui. The single strip of road that pretty much defines business, retail, and dining for the Kowloon side. The building, Silvercord, has directly connected to Harbour City via a covered footbridge,” said Leung. “So you can image how convenient it is to dine, shop and work.”
 

They transformed the new office into a home-like workspace.

Expat relocation solutions start-up Dwellworks HK recently moved into their new office at The Hennessy in Wanchai

Paul Lucas, vice president of Dwellworks HK notes that the first two things he checked were the windows and the ambient sunlight.

“When we walked into this high-floor office space at The Hennessy for the first time, my first thought was ‘where’s the view?’ It took a while to see its potential, as the pre-existing layout was cellular with lots of small office cubicles blocking the windows,” he says.

Working with One Space interior architects and managing director Greg Pearce, the new office transformed into a home-like workspace that for Lucas will inspire employees and embody the ideals of the brand.

“Our business is helping newly arrived expats find and create a home so that they feel comfortable and happy in Hong Kong, and I wanted to reflect that sense of being ‘at home’ in our new space,” said Lucas.

Sharing his inspiration for the new office space, Lucas said he envisioned a cosy workspace where the start-up’s nearly two dozen employees would enjoy spending time in. Of course, this would be on top of the usual office must-haves like having collaboration areas, good public transport access, and close proximity to financial services clients in Central.

Paul says to achieve the homey feel whilst maintaining an air of professionalism, One Space proposed introducing warm colors and the use of feature pendant lights. There was also an effort to establish a spacious, open-plan set-up that facilitates interaction and informal communication amongst the Dwellworks team.

Of course, like a true home, the office needed to have as much natural light as possible, which had an extra benefit of delighting visiting clients that were also on the hunt for their perfect home in the bustling city.

“Our hot-desking area is right by the open kitchen in the heart of the office, so team members who aren’t resident at this location feel very welcome. For our clients too, it’s much more a feeling of walking into someone’s home and the atmosphere is very cordial.” 

Members become part of a collaborative community.

Campfire Collaborative Spaces are industry-focussed workspaces equipped with tools and services to enable members to grow. Campfire, which believes an office is much more than just a place to work from, provides the following: flexible and multifunctional creative spacing for professionals in any industry; community formed by connecting workers across office locations; and benefits including discounted deals.

"Besides having convenient locations and sleek furnishings, what sets Campfire apart is that its centres are industry-focussed," says co-founder and director Wang Tse. Campfire’s first space in Kennedy Town is based around the tech vertical and startups, whilst the second location in Wong Chuk Hang is geared towards high fashion and houses upcoming labels.

"This approach will also be applied to the next three centres, which are opening by July this year," says Tse. "In a crowded co-working arena, Campfire’s offering is well received by tenants and investors alike. Being industry-focussed, our centres stand out in allowing for more relevant networking opportunities, events, and collaborations."

The business was co-founded by Tse, Albert Fung, and Brian Fung, who all saw the potential of co-working in urban cities like Hong Kong. After 10 years in private wealth, Albert linked up with Tse and Brian, both serial real estate entrepreneurs, to utilise their natural synergy in coming up with a co-working business that investors can get behind.

Tse shares that they have recently finished their first seed round of funding, securing US$6m in investments from various experienced angel investors from the real estate industry. "Given the capital-intensive nature of the business, Campfire is looking at raising more money in order to launch more differentiated industry-focussed centres to help more businesses in Hong Kong and Asia scale rapidly," he says.
 

It has office spaces in Sheung Wan and Causeway Bay.

Playground.work (stylised “playground.work”) is a coworking space in Hong Kong that provides a “lifestyle coworking community” to its members.

With spaces in Sheung Wan and Causeway Bay, playground.work’s goal is to create a “happy working” culture, which it calls as “Work Life 3.0.”

“Work Life 3.0 means that in the new working generation, there is trust between employers and employees so that everyone can work and enjoy life at their own pace anytime, anywhere,” says Winnie Chung, CMO of playground.work.

“playground.work is dedicated to provide the hardwares and softwares to satisfy the needs of the new generation and facilitate the delivery of ‘Work is Fun.’”

Chung says membership for playground.work’s Sheung Wan centre is open to all. It has 8 private offices, about 30 hot desks, as well as high-tech meeting and conference facilities. There are plans to add 2 more private offices in 1Q2017. Meanwhile, the centre in Causeway Bay houses around 20 hot desks and membership is by invitation only.

Playground.work’s coworking space in Sheung Wan is composed of different activity based zones: dedicated private offices, hot desks, meeting rooms, casual meeting areas, phone booths and various meeting/office equipment for work, plus a cafe with onsite barista, a bouldering wall, table soccer, game arcade and even a shower for pleasure and leisure.

“Our cafe@playground.work is an all-time favourite for members,” says Chung. “With the onsite barista, the cafe is capable of offering a range of handcrafted coffee. We also offer snacks and a selection of beverages to accommodate different tastes.”

Another highlight, says Chung, is the colourful bouldering wall that stands right at the forefront of their hot desk open area. Trained boulders can show off their skills on the wall anytime while at the same time bouldering classes will be arranged for both members and non-members to experience this fun-filled activity.

The spacious open area can also be converted into a versatile event space that is suitable for a wide range of private or business events such as workshops, training classes, seminars, concerts, business conferences and press conferences, among others. “Our members are always invited to join the fun of the events taking place in playground.work,” says Chung.

The biggest obstacle in developing the spaces was the time involved in sourcing the right equipment, furniture and people that best fit playground.work’s intended vibes, ambience and quality service delivery, says Chung.

Chung says that playground.work is currently running a promotion where existing members of coworking spaces and business centres can enjoy up to HK$20,000 spending credits upon successful membership enrollment.
 

Its space is more than just desks and chairs.

Ooosh For Startups, which is founded by entrepreneurial enthusiasts, describes itself as a coworking space in Hong Kong that connects business and tech talents. Ooosh notes as well that it nurtures startups "to grow from 0 to 1, giving them more than just desks and chairs."
“We have managed to build a workspace that is cozy enough for people to mingle, but also practical enough for raising productivity,” says Jeffrey Cheng, co-founder, Ooosh For Startups.

According to Cheng, Ooosh For Startups was designed for coworking purposes, with an emphasis on the balance between space, accessibility & privacy. They took a minimalistic yet practical approach on design direction, with the space featuring inspirational decorations to motivate entrepreneurs in Ooosh For Startups' space.

Ooosh For Startups is a 7600sq.ft coworking space located in the heart of Lai Chi Kok – an up and coming startup district in Hong Kong that is removed from the hustle bustle (and sky high rents) of Central, but not yet in the wilderness that is HK Science Park, says Cheng.

Ooosh For Startups' design was led by Ison Cheng, Managing Director of i&i Interior Design, who has over 19 years of expertise in interior design and has worked on numerous exquisite projects across commercial spaces, residential flats & retail premises.

According to Cheng, the biggest obstacle in the development of Ooosh For Startups were related to soundproofing and noise levels. To overcome these obstacles, Ooosh For Startups developed soundproof walls, greenery partitions in their open space, and noise cancelling partitions in meeting rooms. They also encourage common courtesy when making phone calls in their open space.

It's conducive to collaboration -- and boasts a nice view.

Deloitte Hong Kong's spaces have undergone a major change, and which aim to encourage further collaboration -- and hopefully a nice harbour view greatly helps things, too.

Deloitte Hong Kong has just renewed their lease for another 10 years after returning one and half floors to their landlord in Pacific Place (Admiralty), which has reduced their overall office space by 15%. This leaves them with six floors of office space at One Pacific Place and one full floor and two half floors at Cityplaza Four (Tai Koo). Deloitte AP and Deloitte Consulting also have offices in One Pacific Place. Specifically, Deloitte Hong Kong has 35/F to 40/F, and two units on 8/F at One Pacific Place in Admiralty; and in Cityplaza Four in Taikoo they have the entire 6/F and half-levels on both 14/F and 16/F.

However, what's more important is the change being done to the spaces. "Most significant is Deloitte Hong Kong's adoption of the Activity Based Workplace concept which we call the "New Generation Workplace" (NGW)," says Derek Lai, Southern Region Managing Partner, Deloitte China.

The office has adopted an open plan and translucent design to allow more natural light into the office. The partner's offices are now at the core to allow the majority of staff to enjoy the extraordinary harbour view and a more collaborative workplace.

The NGW included various features to suit all types of work carried out at Deloitte such as work cafés on each floor for collaboration among colleagues, focus booths for concentration work, quiet rooms with enhanced acoustic treatment for phone calls and confidentiality needs. Meanwhile, there are meeting rooms in different sizes with media tables and big display screens for team discussions. There are also the sit/stand tables to help staff to stay more active and healthy at work.

Open communication
"The purpose of the NGW is to promote the mobility and collaboration of our staff, supported by advanced technology booking systems for better workplace management and space utilization," says Lai. "The central café atrium on level 35 features a 500" LED media wall and has the capacity to accommodate events of up to 400 guests, helped by more flexible and configurable settings. Finally, full high speed Wi-Fi coverage throughout the office allows staff to work anywhere in the office without limitation."

The project team for the change consisted of professionals including a project manager, an interior designer, E&M consultants, a professional construction team and national vendors. They all reported to the Real Estate team and regional management team at Deloitte, chaired by Lai. 

To overcome the obstacles related to the change, Deloitte Hong Kong needed to have detailed planning and staff relocation plans. People were informed of changes through internal communication and all vendors were briefed to comply with the company's 'house rules' and to confine all noisy work to non-office hours.

"The office remodelling project is part of our talent retention effort to provide an office environment that caters to the needs of the new generation employees. This is in alignment with the global trend of establishing an activity-based office environment," shares Lai.
 

The new office space has showers for those who bike to work.

In its pursuit to cater to the new work-life integrated generation, Garage Collective turned an old warehouse in Sai Ying Pun into an enjoyable workspace. Inside the 8,000 sq. ft. property are 14 private offices, 21 private desks, and 30 hot desks. Yet it still has room for pop-up shop facilities, an in-house vegetarian restaurant, and an impressive event space.

“The space is 4 connecting warehouse-converted-shops, so we have a very long stripe of facade as well as a unique structure from an old warehouse – loading bay, mezzanine floor, and a loft floor,” explains Elaine Tsung, founder of Garage Society. Being an old warehouse, the ground floor comes with a 6m high ceiling and interesting features like an exposed brick wall and an old roller gate. A mural by artist Zoie of Zlism gave the space a creative twist.

The Garage Collective workspace at 158A Connaught Road West was a team effort by designers from Studio Adjective, contractors from Kow & Ball, and the local build project team led by Brother Wai.