OSiT in Associated Press

With Covid-19 prompting businesses to think twice before committing to traditional long-term office leases, flexible workspace is increasingly attractive for businesses and their employees.

In a recent feature for Associated Press, OSiT CEO Giles Fuchs and Designer Sam Kopsch discuss the growing appeal of serviced offices, the inspiration behind OSiT's Blackfriars, Mayfair and Monument centres and the importance of the office for people's wellbeing. With an exciting insight into the design of each centre, Giles and Sam outline how, as lockdown eases, flexible workspace can play a crucial role in catering to businesses’ changing needs, providing HQ-standard facilities and an inspiring place to work.

Sam touches on how the theme of ‘happiness’ was implemented across the Blackfriars’ site – from discovering what triggers happiness via a survey, to weaving this feedback into the design elements of the public spaces and meeting rooms. The result was a riot of imagination: a Lego room, a mermaid, a train set … and for the office areas the use of five ‘happy’ colours.

When coming up with the design concept, Sam and the OSiT team wanted the space to be inspirational, but also to make people smile. Enforced working from home, often from a make-shift office at the kitchen table, people appreciate the many benefits of a properly designed work space.

Giles highlights that on average only 61% of space in OSiT centres is dedicated to offices – the remainder houses gyms, nail bars, restaurants, bars and even accommodation. All these extra amenities are another reason why flexible office space is proving popular, especially as leases come to an end and businesses are reluctant to tie themselves to another five or 10 year lease on their office space.

Watch the interview here.