Exploring interesting workspaces in CityFibre's Gigabit Cities

As we become ever-more digitally connected, the tradition of heading into the office every day to work is becoming out of date. New Trade Union Congress research shows that employee home working has increased significantly during the past decade, meaning that there are 373,000 more employees working from home than 10 years ago, a 27% increase. With the adoption of our new full fibre infrastructure in 26 Gigabit Cities across the UK, we hope to see this figure increase as more people are able to benefit from fast and reliable broadband and have the ability to work from wherever they like - be it their sofa, their bed, their favourite cafe, a local park in the summer, or in one of the UK’s interesting co-working spaces. These co-working spaces are gaining in popularity with many in the UK, as they offer a range of benefits to freelancers, professionals, small businesses and professionals who have long commutes to their standard office. Below are five of our favourites from some of our Gigabit Cities across the UK: The Workspace, Bournemouth Bournemouth has an interesting shared workspace in the form of well, The Workspace. Simply named, The Workspace has created a diverse community group of like-minded individuals, ranging from startups to entrepreneurs, since their opening - and the building is an attractive proposition for those looking to work in a shared space. The Echo Building is like no other on the South Coast. Built in 1932 by Seal and Hardy Architects, this Grade II Listed building is packed with character, from the triple-height ceiling of The Foundry to the central tower. They’ve got entertainment down - with Sonos speakers, Spotify playlists, breakout areas, locally sourced coffee but that’s just the start. The doors are open from 9am to 6pm Monday to Friday, with the specific purpose of giving individuals the weekends to get back their work-life-balance. Duke Studios, Leeds Duke Studios in Leeds is an award-winning creative co-working space in the heart of the city. Providing workspaces, creative services, a virtual mailbox service and all of the facilities you need to just turn up with your laptop and start working, it's an exciting collaborative and open co-working space. The design and people-first ethos of this space makes it stand out from the crowd. The Melting Pot, Edinburgh As Scotland’s Centre for Social Innovation, The Melting Pot was one of the first co-working spaces in the UK and therefore is a true pioneer of the international co-working movement. The Melting Pot is already home to a diverse range of organisations of all sizes - from international corporations through to freelancers. This interesting space has a wonderfully inspiring set of current residents and is always drawing in more fresh faces. This space is ideal for those needing an Edinburgh base or branch office and/or self-employed people, lone workers and start-ups looking for an alternative to home-working. The Wheelhouse, Coventry The Wheelhouse is a co-working space in Coventry, which is great because of its central location of Earl Street. The Wheelhouse offers a number of workspace options, for lone working or a shared office workspace with dedicated and flexible desks, too. The space is light, smart, modern and relaxed and helps to create a perfect environment for productivity. The Wheelhouse also offers its members free access to meeting rooms - providing a great space which you can host meetings and welcome individuals. The Bradfield Centre, Cambridge The Bradfield Centre in Cambridge is one of the most interesting working spaces in the UK as it has been designed with a specific purpose in mind; to accelerate tech businesses and allow them to get to new levels. The space has been created to attract smart, ambitious and like-minded entrepreneurs and companies from Cambridge and around the world. The Bradfield Centre is working to partner with world-leading local, national and international organisations in the technology sector to accelerate the growth of their members and add their value back into the city of Cambridge. This space even includes an auditorium, an outdoor space on their lakeside pavilion and a 12 person boardroom, to make it a full purpose space for any business needs. Living in a Gigabit City enables businesses to benefit from full fibre infrastructure, resulting in reliable, fast internet speeds – wherever they work from. To find out more about our Gigabit City project, please visit www.cityfibre.com/gigabit-cities/ and explore our interactive map!