Co-working buzz
Due to open by the end of this year at Smales Farm on Auckland’s North Shore, the B:Hive is an 11,000m2, 5-level premium office building that has been created with flexibility and co-working practices in mind.
Businesses can rent a space within the building that is the exact size needed for their operation, and these spaces can then expand or retract with the growth of the business using custom-designed moveable separators.
Each floor has all the equipment needed to run a business, including break-out spaces, kitchen, a concierge, cleaning services, meeting rooms and private phone booths.
All businesses can use the facilities on any floor giving plenty of variation and opportunities for collaboration. Smales Farm CEO Paul Gunn says that co-working is not new but is growing exponentially, and he expects the B:Hive to make a large contribution to this growth.
“The concept here is slightly different because instead of appealing only to early subscribers like tech start-ups, we’re offering something that works for corporates as well. This means the more mature businesses will have the benefit of accessing new ideas and thought processes from start-up businesses while the younger businesses will be able to gain the benefit of talking to those who already have the scars on their backs,” says Gunn.
The building has been designed by Jasmax in association with BVN and features a central atrium that features an orange staircase snaking through its centre and planting growing up to the skylight above. On entry, visitors will travel through an airlock that is designed to prevent excess noise and the interruption of airflow from the retail stores that line the lower floor, says lead architect Cameron Pollock.
“A glazed wall with steel joinery will demarcate the transition between the retail spaces and the building proper. The air lock will be treated sculpturally like a folded origami form. The system lightly pressurises the air in the atrium, which then flows out to the walls where it is drawn upwards. The reliance on it is balanced with the need of the retail operators who want to throw their doors open, which would nullify the building’s efficiency,” says Pollock.
All the latest in meeting room and communication technology and security will be integrated into the fit-out, as well as high-end furnishings.
Visit smalesfarm.co.nz/bhive for more details.