Welcome to The Collective.
A beautiful, converted mansion in the heart of Fitzrovia and a rare opportunity to work in luxury at an affordable startup price.
This is great value coworking at its finest, within a thriving community of dynamic and ambitious young professionals. Creative and tech industries morph together to create something a bit special…
Innovation Station
Better known for redefining how students and young professionals live, The Collective has now ventured into London co-working and office space.
The Collective Elevator was recently launched to support aspiring entrepreneurs and start-ups. Part investment fund, part incubator, The Collective Elevator offers seed funding and affordable, yet luxurious, co-working space – it’s aim is to give young entrepreneurs the boost they need to get their businesses off the ground.
We met Stephanie, the Head of Communications, to investigate.
Is The Collective really a “collective”?
“Yes, in that we are all motivated by a common objective – to support and contribute to the next generation of entrepreneurs.
Understanding the needs of each company we’re involved with is important to us; we work hard to nurture & support our companies in every aspect of their business. Integral to creating an environment for creativity and entrepreneurship to grow, is an inspiring and insightful events schedule.”
How do you decide which events to organise?
“We encourage events that can directly help the companies in our space, by inviting industry-leading speakers, holding networking events with key influencers and industry-specific innovation talks.
The last event was a pitching event, organised by Archiboo, an incredible company that supports aspiring entrepreneurs in the architecture world.
The judge’s panel included serial entrepreneurs, women in tech and well-respected architects. Most importantly, the candidates were judged by their peers.”
“Such events contribute hugely to one’s career. Also, building a personal brand is incredibly important; you are never selling solely your business, it’s you who leads it. At the end of the day, we ensure a healthy amount of feedback and help our members build up confidence.”
Design
The Collective place design at the heart of everything they do. Whether it’s the companies they invest in, the buildings they operate in or the work environments they create.
They also look after the people that help them. Design Haus Liberty was responsible for the design of The Collective HQ and, of course, has decided to base its office there.
We caught up with Dara Huang, the Founder, to find out more.
Why is The Collective the ideal space for your design practice?
“The Collective work environment has synergy that fosters active atmosphere and creates new ideas. Here, you can also create strong bonds and relationships with others in the space. It’s almost like a small neighbourhood. The amazing thing is that The Collective is very selective over who can move in and become a part of our community. Here people have a ‘fall back’ effect, it creates the right energy and a like-minded environment.
A lot of companies here work long hours – going to networking events sometimes is a huge timesink. The Collective helps us with this by organising networking events right here in this beautiful space. This is great for us, as The Collective recognise and understand the needs of the companies in the space and organise events for us. Most of the recent events have been focused on fusions between the creative and technology industries.”
How can I rent an office & join The Collective Community?
“We are listed on Hubble. We meet everyone, chat and see if the company fits in and contributes to creating the right atmosphere. We don’t care what kind of company you are, be it tech, art or finance – we care what kind of personalities you bring in.
Having a mix of different companies under one roof helps to make a lot of random, yet very useful connections you wouldn’t be able to make otherwise. It’s more inspiring to be surrounded by an eclectic mix of different sectors.”
Do you provide mentorship?
“We are now creating a network of mentors and coaches available to everyone in the building. Access to support is very important – someone who’s done it before or someone who’s got good contacts in the industry, can be a huge help. “
How are you different?
“We’re a startup too. From the day Reza Merchant, our CEO, created The Collective at the LSE library only a few years ago, we learnt very quickly to put ourselves in our customers’ shoes. The Collective, originally a student lettings agency, quickly grew into a property development and management company when he realised supply of the right sort of space in London is limited.
It is hugely important to put yourself in your tenants’ shoes, as it allows you to keep evolving your product and cater to specifically to their needs and wants. It’s why Reza lived in a Collective property, as you need to go through the customer’s journey in order to constantly innovate. It also allows you to spot the finer details that make all the difference and we place a huge emphasis on design – great design is not a single statement, but a combination of 1,000 small elements.”
Why the move into workspaces?
“There’s a lack of unique space specifically for creative companies.
Reza built a business listening to his clients’ needs and then finding innovative solutions to address them. He is creating just the same environment here. London is in a need of unique workspaces. When people first visit, they realise they discovered something they’ve been looking for but didn’t realise until they actually found it.”
We also asked Smiljka and Yi from The Collective, what they most love about the office
“It’s the people. We are a young company and we have lots of fun together. On Mondays we always have home cooked breakfast together – this week we had salmon and eggs with avocado. We also go out for monthly drinks and on Thursdays have ice cream. Oh, and Stephanie organises an occasional yoga class – she’s great at it!”
Noho street view with lamps
Imagine yourself working here? Apply now and check it out! (go go go! it’s lovely)
If you would also like to list your space on HubbleHQ, say hi. We look forward to hearing from you!
