The BOOQED team has worked with some amazing coworking spaces over the years, so we wanted to share a bit more about what makes them so special! First up in our host feature series is WanderLoft, the coworking space created to support professionals from the hospitality and creative industry.
Great news too: You can now book a free hot desk at Wanderloft through the BOOQED app starting on October 31st until November 3rd!
Hong Kong-based coworking brand WanderLoft opened its first location in Kwun Tong in December last year with the mission to offer a dynamic community and beautiful space for creative professionals to thrive in. Having hailed from the hospitality and design industry themselves, WanderLoft’s founders knew what challenges budding and seasoned designed faced – the lack of access to space and equipment, the shortage of opportunities, talent and support for them to be successful.
To them, a successful coworking environment required having a variety of resources to support their members, high-quality communal facilities, a clean, quiet environment, and a dynamic community. It was also important to have a balance between providing private offices and communal workspaces so members can enjoy a truly flexible working experience.
Thus, the idea for WanderLoft was born – a design-oriented coworking space where all facets of the design business can come together to work and collaborate.
The fully-equipped facilities comprised of communal and private desks, offices, events and meeting spaces with 24/7 access, high-speed Wi-Fi, printers, phone booths, free coffee and materials library are just the tip of the iceberg! They even have a unique material and resource library on-site, including catalogues and materials for designers, which is constantly updated through partnerships with members and vendors.
When it came to designing their 6,000 square foot space on the 22nd floor of an office building in Kwun Tong, WanderLoft collaborated with various artists and designers to incorporate its brand into the details of the interior and create a bright, airy environment conducive to creative productivity.
And they did exactly that.
The space offers lots of natural light to highlight the various pieces of colourful furniture and contemporary art dotted around, and the beautiful interior creates a relaxed atmosphere that fosters creativity and productivity. They’d really put a lot of thought into the materials and spaces used from the moment you walk in.
What truly sets WanderLoft apart is its focus on community and its pioneering approach to supporting its members from the AEC and interior design sector. Being the first creative-oriented coworking space in Hong Kong, WanderLoft wanted to build a community from different facets of the design industry so they can come together to share resources, ideas, and opportunities to flourish.
WanderLoft partners with design initiatives and foundations from around the world by bringing its members regular events on design-related topics to enable them to network, learn, and be inspired.
Opening a new coworking space without the added pressure of a global health pandemic is challenging enough but having launched at the height of Covid-19, Wanderloft offers a unique perspective on working through the crisis. With their unique offering, they were able to attract tenants and have since worked hard to stay open during the pandemic by maintaining the space to be at a high standard.
However, their real secret to success was diversifying their community to welcome members from different industries and working with local partners such as BOOQED to promote casual spaces and attract a wider range of customers.
Although Covid-19 has prevented the space from executing a host of ideas, Wanderloft is already planning a variety of design-focused events aimed at fostering professional development (once social distancing restrictions ease), continuing to build a strong sense of community amongst its members, and promoting their casual spaces and hot desks to creatives in Hong Kong.
If you want to see what Hong Kong’s first designer-oriented coworking space has to offer, download BOOQED (available on both Android and iOS) to instantly get a hot desk or meeting room by the hour, day or month. There are a bunch of other amazing coworking spaces on the app for you to choose from. PS: use the code HK50 during checkout for 50% off your first booking!
