In the 21st century, mankind stepped up to the podium with its greatest achievement to date: cafés with wifi.
Since then, offices full of desk dividers and fluorescent lighting in white walled offices have lost their appeal, and the topic of ‘co-working’ has been hot on the lips of any freelancer, self-starter, artist, or Blair, that sales rep on Level 4 who’s only shown up to work like three times in the past year.
We’ve come a long way from asking baffled baristas for the wifi password. Get ready to see sneaker-clad creatives crouched over Macbooks, because these are the Brisbane co-working spaces that’ll have you excited for the 9 to 5.
Lightspace
Fortitude Valley
Fair warning: that ‘open-air inspiration nook’ in your garage is about to lose some of its shine. Leaps and bounds from its bustling warehouse origin, Lightspace is a sanctum of vaulted eight-metre-high ceilings and natural light. While the venue reps some serious wedding and function space cred, the entire upstairs has been outfitted as an open plan co-working space. Settle in with an espresso, sweeping city views and reveries of the private tiki bar on the deck: your lightbulb moment won’t be far away.
WeWork
Brisbane CBD And Bowen Hills
If you’re answering business calls in your trackies and your body composition is almost entirely Blend 43, it’s time to take a long hard look at yourself and your home office habits, and perhaps book in for walk through of WeWork. The international co-working icon just cranked its doors open in Sydney and Melbourne as well as Brisbane, and local start-ups are clamoring for space in the new Queen and Edward Street locations. And in case you haven’t heard of them, we’re here to tell you that the WePerks are massive. We’re talking an inner-city workspace with your very own barista-manned coffee bar, laid back lounges, and craft beer on tap. Get amongst it.
The Cove
Newstead
Weirdly-cheerful baristas aside, we’ve all dreaded a Monday morning or ten. Somehow, though, those post-weekend blues dissolve as soon as you step into The Cove. Dressed to the nines in Nordic-inspired décor, this dashing little number has breathed new life into the Brisbane co-working scene. Business concierge, underground parking, on-site IT technicians—The Cove’s got it all, and then some.
Newstead Studios
Newstead
Brisbane boasts its fair share of refurbed warehouses, but not many have scrubbed up quite like Newstead Studios. The boutique beauty is a popular spot with photographers (holy natural lighting, Batman), but there’s space aplenty for meetings, desk time, or any business lunches on the cards. And if you’re the lunching at your desk type, Newstead Studios is also home to the ineffably addictive Sunroom. Just try not to drop any croissant crumbs on your keyboard.
WOTSO
Chermside And Fortitude Valley
Wifi as fast as the speed of light? Oh WOTSO, you have our hearts. A combination of soft seating spaces, phone booths and desks, this coworking space provides for an engaging yet practical place to knuckle down in. The driving force behind WOTSO is their dozen odd sites across Australia and one (with more to come) international location. This gives you perks like hot desking in other locations when you become a WOTSO member and they live with the belief that building the space you need is far more important that permanency. 24/7 access is given in exchange for monthly membership and you’ll also have access to meeting rooms, printing facilities and social events with fellow office space sharers.
River City Labs
Fortitude Valley
Uncork your bottled creativity and toss it into the cauldron of bubbling energy that is River City Labs. It doesn’t take long to see what the fuss is about, there’s all the facilities you could ever want, need or wish for at this co-working hub. Drop-in desks, available for the day, earn you access to wifi, printing and shared facilities, or stick around and pay by the month. From private team meetings to the biggest pitch of your career, River City has the space—and the face—to make those moments count.
Prospect Studios
Fortitude Valley
After a quick jaunt around the premises, the only prospect left unspoken at Prospect Studios will be whether they’ll let you move your whole bedroom in (it’s a no-go, we asked). This is the CEO of co-working spaces, so strike while the coffee’s hot. A monthly 9 to 5 access membership will only run you $300, and sets you up with cosy nooks, break-out spaces, an indoor garden atrium and competitive foosball table. Sound too good to be true? Just. You. Wait. Prospect is also one of Brisbane’s only pooch-friendly co-working spaces. GUYS.
Entrepreneur Haus
South Brisbane
Entrepreneur Haus has one mission: to enable entrepreneurs to entrepreneur. Say that ten times fast. The warehouse space they offer up has been fitted with all the latest technologies and comforts to bring forth that spark of creativity. Whether you’re part of a startup or running solo, Entrepreneur Haus has mentors available to give you help and advice. The site has a garden you can chill in and with a cafe just around the corner, it’s the no-brainer morning seating and brainstorming choice. Located in South Brisbane with short walks to cafes and bars and its own parking as well as nearby public transport options, Entrepreneur Haus is ready to welcome the next generation of business-starters.
Mobo Co.
South Bank
Towering over Southbank, Mobo Co. is the coworking space you’ve been dreaming of. Meeting booths, conferencing areas, coworking spaces and private work pods are all available for you to set up in and create. The space has been designed for comfort and solitude, surrounded by greenery. Mobo also offers office suites for larger teams and with 24/7 access, there’s no limits to what can be achieved. The building also has a rooftop pool and bar as well as a restaurant in Lina Rooftop, so, really, there’s no reason to leave.
Hub Anzac Square
Brisbane CBD
With five levels of modern workspaces to choose from, you won’t want to stop working at the Hub Anzac Square. Located above the Central Railway Station, this flexible workspace is open 24/7 for members and comes equipped with all your working needs: barista-made coffee, high-speed internet, conference rooms and an outdoor terrace space. Oh, and you can bring your dog, so you can work without having to worry about coming home to a couch cushion mauling. There is also a fitness studio when you need a break and a kitchen, so you never have to leave.
Salt Space
New Farm
Built for the freelance professional, Salt Space has created a space for cultivating creativity and productivity. Salt start with their hot desk option for those that need to get out of their house (or head). They have dedicated desks for those that want somewhere to place their family photos to look at while they work and for small teams there are private office studios available and meeting rooms for those all-important conferences. Their spaces are air-conditioned with plenty of natural light and high ceilings so you can focus on the work and not the cramped home office you are replacing.
Spaces
Fortitude Valley
Spaces at Jubilee Palace is the inner-city entrepreneur’s dream. A bus stop and train station on the doorstep mean it’s highly accessible and the surrounding areas are full of cafes for pre-work hits and bars for post-work unwinds. Soko is on the rooftop, an ideal place for meetings that isn’t a conference room, and King Street is just around the corner with plenty of lunch options on offer. Spaces itself is fit with designer workspaces with super-fast reliable internet and full service from their team. There’s an in-house restaurant for those essential genius-inducing meals and showers for when you feel stale after hours of non-stop work. Spaces also offers 24/7 access with some membership options, so once again, you may as well move in here.
Finished settling into the new digs? Set up your first client lunch in one of the best restaurants in the city.
Image credit: Lightspace