Spotlight on Sustainable Workspaces: A Day in the Office

In the world of office space, sustainability is a highly sought-after standard, but very few workspaces can vouch for it on such an authentic level as flexible office provider Sustainable Workspaces.

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Reclaimed materials make up the vast majority of the Bankside II fit-out, giving the space a down-to-earth serenity and no-nonsense simplicity.

A membership unlocks valuable support activities; for many of the on-site staff, it’s their job to help you grow faster by providing support along the way.

Working from Sustainable Workspace’s Bankside II

Walking into Bankside II, you’ll be drawn to the wooden plaques showcasing the brands that call this space home, from Mitsubishi Electric to Plastic Oceans, from Delphis Eco to DAME.

Reclaimed materials make up the vast majority of the Bankside II fit-out, giving the space a down-to-earth serenity and no-nonsense simplicity.

After helping myself to a cup of tea and settling down by the big windows in the breakout space, I spoke to Charlie Ayres about his membership. Ayres is the co-founder of Bagboard, a reward scheme and eco-friendly smart bag that makes shopping sustainably easier and more affordable. He’s been at Sustainable Workspaces for a year.

“The biggest selling point is the community. You’re surrounded by like-minded businesses who share a genuine mission to make a positive impact, but it’s also a really productive and authentic work environment. Plus, the Sustainable Workspaces team really tries to embed your business into the culture of the space.”

Ayres motions to the EnviroBuild sofa we’re comfortably sat on, the Plumen lightbulbs hanging above us and the U-Earth air filtration units dotted around the space.

All are members’ products, as is the Toast beer in the bar, (which uses surplus bread as opposed to virgin barley to reduce the demand for land, water and energy) and the Extract Coffee Roasters coffee in the café (which builds long-term, sustainable relationships with its farmers based on a quality-pay ethos).

Though it’s not a simple case of product placement; it stems from a genuine belief in – and backing of – the products themselves. Sustainability is simply incorporated into every aspect of the workspace.

The flexible office provider has three sites dedicated to the next generation of sustainable startups: Bankside II, Waterloo and Bridges (pictured above) – the latter of which offers workshop and manufacturing space in renovated railway arches under London Bridge station.

Bespoke workshop space

As I tour the space along Covid-secure one-way systems, I pass a host of private offices for teams (both big and small). I’m assured by Community Manager Laura Moore that there’s no ‘one-size fits all’, especially when it comes to the nature of the businesses that call this workspace home: “We really try to create bespoke spaces depending on what our members need.”

At the end of the corridor, I see this in action. It’s an impressive, fully-functioning, brightly coloured kitchen, kitted out with state-of-the-art barista coffee machines, a sleek island and vivid wall art. I, much like others, confuse it for a communal kitchen – but it’s Extract Coffee Roaster’s filming and training studio; it’s just part of their office space.

Likewise, Entocycle uses the workshop space at Bridges to house its black soldier fly breeding chambers. By using local food waste and farming ‘nature’s upcycling machines’, the business is creating a more sustainable source of protein than the environmentally problematic choices of soy and fishmeal.

Though these aren’t conventional uses of office space, they’re fascinating examples of Sustainable Workspace’s authentic belief in its mission. In every aspect, it’s a sustainable ecosystem for sustainable brands.

"Plus, the Sustainable Workspaces team really tries to embed your business into the culture of the space.” Ayres motions to the EnviroBuild sofa we’re comfortably sat on, the Plumen lightbulbs hanging above us and the U-Earth air filtration units dotted around the space.

When meeting with senior buyers, members will often cross-sell other members’ products without representatives from those brands in the room.

The benefits of a sustainable startup ecosystem

Beyond connecting you to like-minded entrepreneurs, the sustainable ecosystem acts as an “economy of agglomeration”; it’s not uncommon for one of the many specialised investors visiting a member to be introduced to another member and buy into their business, too.

In fact, when meeting with senior buyers, members will often cross-sell other members’ products without representatives from those brands in the room. And in recent months, if members have had to shrink their headcount, talent has quickly been snatched up by other businesses down the hall.

A membership unlocks valuable support activities; for many of the on-site staff, it’s their job to help you grow faster by providing support along the way. From claiming research and development tax reliefs to securing public funding, the Sustainable Ventures team has managed to add serious value through both informal and structured programmes which deliver long-term value to ecosystem members.

That’s only the case because these are the things that the three Sustainable Ventures partners had to focus on out of necessity as entrepreneurs themselves. Facilitating commercial growth comes first, ensuring the inherent impact becomes truly sustainable.