8 ways The Hive is re-imagining workspaces with great design

The rise of co-working and collaborative office spaces as the preferred option for office space leases has caused waves in the world of commercial real estate. Traditional workspaces find themselves increasingly out of demand as even the largest of enterprises begin to study & incorporate the elements of co-working spaces into their own design. The advantages that shared spaces offer are immense, both in terms of cost as well as the quality of the workspace experience. With a comparison against traditional offices throwing up a host of advantages & virtually no downgrades, co-working spaces increasingly appear to be an evolved version that is here to take over. Design is at the heart of everything that The Hive has to offer and an incredible amount of thought & research goes into every aspect of our workspaces. This is reflected in the fact that The Hive’s flexible and shared office space is one of the first co-working space in India designed as part of an integrated lifestyle destination. The Hive shares its premises with facilities that meet almost every conceivable need of its members, which is the next step on the workspace revolution. Integrated into Virtuous Retail’s shopping centers, our futuristic design places all manners of retail outlets, f&b options, a premium hotel, rooftop swimming pool, fitness center & more within arm’s length.

Add to this the lovingly crafted elements that come together to make our beautiful workspace beloved by our community, and you begin to unravel the future of workspaces.

Here are 8 ways in which The Hive is re-imagining workspaces with great design:

1. Multi-purpose spaces

As hosts to a vibrant community which shares our co-working spaces, we focus on enabling our diverse set of members to utilize our spaces in ways that best suit them.

That is to say, a particular section of our workspace that we primarily envisioned as semi-casual meeting pods fit rather cozily for board game players or for readers to curl up with their favorite books. Therefore we bear in mind the multiple requirements of our members, and design elements which can accommodate them best.

This is best demonstrated by the fact that our Games Lounge often gets repurposed to host events when required, and reverts to its sporty self right after. Same goes for the pantry area, where we have a 55” TV that takes up the role of a projector screen for the presenter.

Our library lounge also sees many meetings & business discussions, turning the tables on those readers that chose the meeting pods for their bookish adventures!

The Hive, in a way, democratizes the workspace. Providing the tools for creation, but ultimately handing over space to our members to unleash their creativity.

2. Ambient natural lighting

It is a well-established fact that natural sunlight is much more conducive to human health than artificial lighting. With this in mind, our shared offices are designed to allow natural light to flow through them and wash over our members with a healthy glow.

We are also careful in ensuring that there are no sudden deviations in the ambient lighting from the natural light – placing different artificial lights in a planned manner. From table lamps to fluorescent tubes, and all options in between are carefully selected to provide a workspace that is conducive to collaboration & health.

The fact that these are integrated into our plans right from the inception is an indication of how The Hive truly puts design at its core.

3. Choice of seating

Traditional workspaces often provide their employees with a boilerplate model of office chairs, which while by themselves aren’t bad but are insufficient for a full day’s needs. Bean bags have slowly made their way into the traditional office spaces, but again reflect the rather limited options for their employees.As a design-centric co-working space, we provide a much wider range of seating options to suit everyone’s needs. Our window side nooks are a crowd favorite, rarely seen unoccupied. Our bubble chairs are also just as popular, allowing members to be suspended in mid-air with a scenic view & their thoughts for company.Our reading nooks are so strategically placed for quietness you just might fail to notice them at first glance, but not our voracious readers who sometimes curl up in them for hours at end.For those sitting down to work, there are the traditional options described above for seating at their desks as well as the freedom to work at a standing desk or the round tables in our games lounge. We could go on & on with our descriptions, but instead, we would encourage you to visit our space & get a first-hand feel of this wonderful design.

4. Fitness centre

No integrated lifestyle destination would be complete without a fitness center. With access to multiple fitness classes across a range of disciplines just an elevator ride away, we place the key to your health in your hands.With more & more lifestyle-related illnesses emerging to the fore, we understand that neglecting fitness can lead to devastating results. With the holistic growth and health of our members in mind, our design provides easy access to healthy activities. Whether it’s a full-blown fitness class or just a few rounds of walk on our Skydeck, our design gives you opportunities to stay healthy & fit.

5. Telephone booths

One of the very few complaints about co-working spaces and open layouts, in general, is that they tend to be noisy. While this is true to an extent, we address this through design in a few ways.First and foremost, members having private conversations are encouraged to use our telephone booths which are designed to be sound-proof. This provides privacy to the member while at the same time reducing potential disturbances to others.We also encourage members with larger teams to utilize our private cabin memberships. Since communication between team members is essential, it is only natural that larger teams tend to generate more buzz. However, private cabins once again provide privacy & reduce potential noise.There are also gentle reminders around our workspace that ask our members to be mindful of their peers. In this manner, we incorporate design to nip the problem in the bud – while infusing a warm sense of mutual respect among the community.

6. Rooftop swimming pool

Every now & then, there always comes along a day at work where you wish you could drop everything and head out to a beach vacation. While we can’t quite provide a beach, we do our best with a scenic rooftop swimming pool instead. Sitting poolside to take in the soothing hues & watch sunsets is often a mesmerizing experience & only an elevator ride away to our members. We often find our members next to the pool on the Skydeck, lounging but also sometimes with their laptops – drawing creative inspiration.

7. Shopping centre

Holistic growth of our members is a key aim for The Hive, and thus we are integrated into the heart of Virtuous Retail’s shopping centers in Chennai & Bangalore.

From the latest in fashion (on sale!) to cuisines from around the world, our members barely have to break a sweat to indulge themselves.

Catching the latest movie after work? No sweat, PVR cinemas is a minute away. Celebrating a successful moment at work? Choose between beer, ice cream, pizza, donuts, or a hundred other possibilities. Or choose them all.

Once again, we love democracy – we are democratizing & empowering the workforce. The design is ours, the choice yours!

8. Your hotel room is right across the door

How often have you heard of a co-working space that is side by side with a luxury hotel – with member benefits that apply? How about a co-working space which is only a door away from the corridor of the said luxury hotel?

Well, now you have! The Waverly Hotels are just across the door from The Hive – with many purposes in mind. We often see our members hosting executives or clients from a different city or a different part of the globe altogether. In such cases, it is simply an additional hassle for them to find a hotel room at a distance from the workspace.

Conversely, guests staying at the hotel often have work-related activities to attend to and find a co-working space just across a door from their lobby is extremely convenient. Whether you cross the door from this side to that or that to this, you can thank our thoughtful design!

Contact us today to get a taste of The Hive experience, and avail membership at the most innovative co-working space in town! ok