IWG, the flexible office space provider, with brands including Spaces and Regus, announced five new centres across Australia to meet the growing demand for hybrid work solutions.
Four new spaces have opened, with Spaces Collingwood in Melbourne, Spaces Jubilee Place and Spaces 80 Ann Street in Brisbane, and Spaces Parramatta Square in Sydney having launched earlier this year. The remaining centre will launch this month in North Sydney.
What is the market offering of IWG?
Globally, IWG opened 287 new centres between 2020-2021 and added two million new clients in 2021 alone. Hybrid working – where employees divide their working hours between their company headquarters, their home, and a local flexible workspace – helps maximise productivity, while creating a more sustainable way of working for people and the planet.
Research shows that the adoption of hybrid work, and utilisation of flexible office space can significantly improve a business’s bottom line. Companies now saving on fixed overhead costs like rent, heating, and support staff, adding up to an average of $14,300 per employee.
“It’s a unique time for Australia’s workforce with unemployment rates at an all-time low. In the current candidate market, returning to pre-pandemic working arrangements is not viable for competitive business anymore,” said Damien Sheehan, Country Head for IWG in Australia.
“We’re seeing a shift to flexible working with more firms adopting the hybrid work model. Hybrid working has been, and will continue to be, front of mind for Australia’s workforce.”
“We have over 60 centres across Australia, including the newly launched Spaces offices in Collingwood, Brisbane and Parramatta, adding to our mix of popular city fringe and suburban locations. These centres will provide workspace solutions, in service offering and location, extending our footprint into areas where demand for flexible office space is increasing.”
What are the latest additions in Australia by IWG?
The business growth in Australia is part of IWG’s plans to expand its global network by more than 1,000 new locations over the coming year, as demand for hybrid work accelerates.
Melbourne
Melbourne’s Spaces Collingwood, which opened in November 2021, is located on Ground Level at 71 Gipps Street, Collingwood, surrounded by accessible transport links like the Collingwood Train Station and Hoddle St/Victoria St tram stop. The flexible office space features various amenities such as a ground floor business club and open-air rooftop.
Brisbane
In Brisbane, Spaces Jubilee Place which opened in April 2022, at 470 St Pauls Terrace, Fortitude Valley, is a strikingly modern building with an exoskeleton frame, designed around the heritage-listed 19th century Jubilee Hotel. The flexible office space features five storeys of both private and collaborative areas, a private patio, and a rooftop terrace.
Spaces Ann Street is a new 60,000sqm building development at 80 Ann Street, Brisbane City, that opened in June 2022. Located in the centre of the city’s Central Business District, this workspace has exclusive green terraces and balconies, and offers 500 bicycle spaces for the climate-conscious commuter. It also boasts an on-site café, restaurant, and juice bar.
“Our latest Brisbane locations support growing hybrid workforces across Southeast Queensland with Spaces Jubilee Place and Spaces Ann Street providing 700 and 1,000 workstations respectively for IWG customers,” Damien Sheehan further commented.
Sydney
Recently opened on the first of June, Spaces Parramatta Square located at 8 Parramatta Square sits in the heart of Sydney’s ‘second CBD’. The centre features state-of-the-art meeting rooms and a shared outdoor patio, which can all be booked flexibly and on demand.
“Spaces Parramatta Square on the 49th and 50th floor offers the highest level of flexible workspace amenity ever seen in Sydney’s West. Our Parramatta expansion not only meets the demand for greater flexible working options for residents in Sydney’s west, but it also supports the NSW gov’t’s plan to transform the area into the city’s ‘next CBD’” said Sheehan.
Another Sydney edition set to open its doors in July is Spaces North Sydney at 1 Denison Street. This designer workspace located in one of Sydney’s tallest buildings features private or shared offices for hire, and on-site facilities like wellness studios and a networking café.
“In Australia, and globally, we’re increasingly focused on building our offering outside city centres, catering to the demand for flexible workspace solutions in the heart of local communities. We know that being able to work in a space that’s near home is a key priority for Aussies, and the addition of our Parramatta site will meet that demand.” said Sheehan.
IWG data found that 60% of Aussie workers prefer to work in an office space in their own or neighbouring suburb. Similarly, 59% of Australian workers surveyed, who have the option to work remotely, said that working in an office environment is more beneficial for their mental health than working remotely as they feel more connected, safe and supported by others.
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