Tech Offices in London
What is it that makes a great tech office? Here’s our guide to finding the right base for your tech business.
Apple Park in California boasts its own orchards. Amazon’s Seattle HQ boasts glass dome biospheres, an eco-friendly haven that gives workers a direct connection with nature. Google has an onsite doctor, presumably for when staff search their own product for their ailments and need an actual medical expert to put their minds at ease.
When it comes to reimagining the traditional office space, no one has blazed a trail quite like the tech companies. So if you’re a London tech company looking for the right office space for you—and assuming your budget doesn’t quite stretch to Apple or Amazon levels—what sort of office should you be looking at?
Tech office design ideas
It’s not so long ago that the idea of creative breakout zones, outdoor meeting areas and relaxation corners were revolutionary concepts pioneered by the big guns in the tech sector. Today, when you search for London office space, such features are commonplace. From giraffes in meeting rooms at OSiT and pink noise at Fora Borough, to living walls at One Heddon Street and the stunning roof terrace at The Dock, there’s no limit to the innovative features you can enjoy in your new workspace.
Why? Because the tech sector enjoyed the sort of success that meant, rather than conforming to the traditional strategy of cubicles, one-size-fits-all and pack-in-as-many-as-you-can, it could invest in creating spaces in which its people could genuinely thrive. Now, virtually any modern workspaces worth its salt takes its lead from tech, placing ever-greater emphasis on the following:
Supporting Wellbeing
A workplace isn’t just a place to work. Your people are each going to spend roughly 3,507 days at work. Is it too much to ask that they spend that time in a place that supports (rather than drains) them physically, spiritually and emotionally?
Promoting Individuality
Creating a space that works for every individual, rather than expecting every individual to conform to the space, is one of the hallmarks of a tech office. These are spaces that respect preferences and boundaries, where you can work sitting or standing, solo or collaboratively, in peace or right in the action.
Creating an Experience
Tech offices were the first to blur the boundaries between work and home—where you were just as likely to find a great coffee, a yoga class or a games area as a strategy meeting. Tech offices make work fun.
Going Green
Figuratively and literally, tech offices have placed the environment front and centre, with smart, eco-friendly spaces designed to be more sustainable, and plenty of foliage to help boost concentration levels.
Is London still the right place for tech businesses?
Yes. This Tech Nation report found London the top location globally for scaleup growth. The £6.3 billion invested in UK tech in 2018 (most of it in London) is more than any other European country, and the £5 billion in scaleup growth was 4th globally behind only China, the US and India. 35% of all Europe and Israel’s tech unicorns (startups worth more than £1 billion) are in the UK and there are more unicorns in London than any other European capital.
How much do tech offices cost?
Base yourself in the tech hotspots where demand is high and you might imagine bargains would be hard to come by. But such is the availability of London office space that, even just a few minutes from Silicon Roundabout, you can find great spaces for under £300 pp/month.
Where can I find tech office space to rent near me?
Old Street
No tube station has more tech companies surrounding it than Old Street, hence its Silicon Roundabout nickname. But its huge rise in popularity since 2008 has meant that the cluster has grown far greater than a single roundabout could ever contain, with startups finding especially attractive rents a little further north of Old Street, whilst many established businesses and scaleups continue to coalesce around the roundabout.
Find tech offices around Old Street
Shoreditch
Silicon Roundabout may sit on its north-western fringe but there’s a lot more to Shoreditch, from a tech company’s perspective, than one roundabout. The whole area is bursting with cool office space for cool companies—as you’ll see from this post we wrote recently: The Coolest Office Spaces for Tech Companies in Shoreditch
Find tech offices in Shoreditch
Fitzrovia
Tottenham Court Road used to be the UK hotspot for gadgetry, but whilst its tech stores are on the decline, the area’s tech businesses have boomed. Between them, Tottenham Court Road, Oxford Street and wider Fitzrovia boast dozens of tech companies.
Find tech offices in Fitzrovia
Moorgate
You’ll find them at Canary Wharf, around Old Street and in Soho, but more than any other London location, the top FinTech companies are basing themselves in Finsbury Square, close to Moorgate Station. If your business is payment platforms, prepaid debit cards or lending and credit, you’ll be in good company here.
With offices ideal for every part of the tech industry, find your perfect workplace with HubbleHQ. Search all our London offices now: