The Work Project Singapore Review

Brief overview of The Work Project

The Work Project is an Asian coworking provider founded by Junny Lee that aims to provides shared workspaces for freelancers, entrepreneurs, start-ups, and small and large enterprises in the Asia-Pacific region.

Despite The Work Project having only started up quite recently, it has already managed to establish itself in both Singapore and Hong Kong, both of which are notoriously difficult property markets to enter due to high rental rates and a current glut of coworking spaces in both countries.

This makes The Work Project worth watching for its’ ability to survive and thrive in tough markets. Indeed, notable companies such as Forbes, The South China Morning Post and Wallpaper Magazine have commented positively on their startling growth rate.

In fact, Eustachia Huen from Forbes Magazine says “With a strong hospitality background, the folks behind Hong Kong’s The Work Project know a thing or two about elevating the coworking experience.”

The Work Project in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong

The Work Project’s presence in Singapore

The Work Project is Singaporean born and raised and is a local success story, and is an example that many other newer Singaporean coworking spaces want to follow, especially if they’re latecomers to the coworking scene.

With 4 location in Singapore, The Work Project has plenty of locations planned out and is moving towards expanding to increase Singaporean coverage.

If you want to support truly local businesses, The Work Project is an excellent choice that provides unparalleled coworking space singapore and has an Asian heartbeat.

What kind of coworking arrangements does The Work Project offer?

The Work Project goes by monthly subscription “plans”, that are priced based on the level of amenities and amount of space provided. A wide variety of unique coworking plans unavailable in any other coworking spaces can be found in The Work Project’s coworking spaces, and all of them are very reasonably priced.

On one end, for a budget friendly, no frills option, there is the basic Hot Desk, which is a flexible desk in a shared coworking space that’s fairly similar to other hot desk options out there.

Their shared desks offers lots of flexibility and a user-friendly design, which is good for if you have irregular work schedules, or a constantly shifting work environment.

Here, you can enjoy the freedom of coming and going whenever you please and using any desk you want.

For companies that prefer a slightly more traditional layout for their employees, Dedicated Desks are a great fit.

Like it’s name suggests, it’s a dedicated desk plan that reserves a seat for your employee in a coworking space run by The Work Project. It doesn’t move around, so it’s good if you need stability and security. Dedicated Desks come with a generous storage cabinet and are situated in an open concept space. You’ll be able to set up your own workspace at your own pace, without rushing.

On the other end of the spectrum, if you or your company really need a private, wide open space to think out loud, The Work Project also offers beautifully designed private offices that are enclosed, lockable and furnished for maximum security and privacy. This option is especially good for if you are working on sensitive work, or simply have a larger number of employees you want in one space.

If you’re still early on in your planning stage and not really sure what you need, you can also get the Day Pass, priced at a really affordable 45 SGD a day. Day Passes offers 9am – 6pm access, Monday to Friday, with high-speed internet and access to the well-stocked gourmet pantry.

 

The Work Project At Robinson Road

Would The Work Project be a good fit for me?

If you’re a newly started company, on a budget, or someone who delights in the unique and unconventional, The Work Project’s a good fit for you. If the ability to move in and set up quickly is a priority to you, not having to fuss about the usual constraints of office spaces is a great boon, and saves you additional operating costs.

What if I already have an office?

While The Work Project caters more towards new start-ups or creative individuals (having been one themselves), established companies are more than welcome. If you’re a company who’s curious about the world of coworking and want to try dipping your toes in, The Work Project is beginner friendly and their customer support service is extremely helpful. After all, this company was started by a couple who had no other backers at first, so they definitely know what it’s like to be trying something out for the first time.

Something that’s really helpful for those who already have an existing office is the fact that you rent individual seats, not full offices (unless you really want to). This makes it an easy, low risk option if you want to send just a small group of employees to try out The Work Project and report back on their experiences, instead of sinking a few thousand a month into a large space that your company doesn’t need.

If you aren’t quite ready to give up traditional office spaces, The Work Project allows you to book a tour around their all their coworking space options and discuss the perfect workspace solution for you.

Why else should I pick The Work Project out of all the coworking spaces out there?

That’s a great question. After all, there is indeed a glut of coworking spaces in Singapore, so what makes this particular one so special?

There are three other points to consider.

Firstly, The Work Project’s home and flagship locations are in Singapore. That means that if you sign up with The Work Project, you’ll be the first to experience new, innovative workspaces, unlike other coworking spaces that may have just picked Singapore as an afterthought.

Secondly, you’ll be supporting a truly local company without compromising on quality. Too often, we hear the words “Support local!”, which is all well and good on first thought.

Lastly, The Work Project’s membership plans can be used anywhere in the world that has a The Work Project space. This makes things far easier if you’re a frequent traveller (especially in Hong Kong), as it negates the need to search for a quiet workspace in a foreign country.

Unfortunately, local products here often try to sell themselves on being homegrown but are not up to the par when it comes to quality. The Work Project however, is a company started in Singapore, by Singaporeans, for Singaporeans.

If the quality wasn’t there, it would have floundered and failed, just like many other coworking spaces here. So, you’re practically assured of quality.

Location/Accessibility

The Work Project’s 4 Singaporean locations are located in prime city area locations such as Robinson Road and Shenton Way. Their target audience are city area workers who are looking to cut down on commute time as much as possible.

In terms of pricing and location, The Work Project’s locations are a great deal – they’re well priced for expensive, coveted  areas which have excellent access to amenities and connectivity. To view a full list of their locations, please click here.

Amenities

When it comes to amenities, The Work Project definitely is top of the list.

It is the unfortunate truth that amenities are often an afterthought when it comes to coworking space providers, resulting in only very basic amenities being provided.

The Work Project instead puts amenities at the focus of it’s very aim, which is to provide the best possible experience for its’ customers. In fact, The Work Project actually hosts the largest inventory of meeting rooms in Singapore!

Besides having a plethora of meeting rooms to meet your needs, members of The Work Project also enjoy a large variety of carefully curated amenities mostly pertaining to F&B and Wellness

For example, The Work Project features amenities such as reception, housekeeping, maintenance, IT services, and refreshments by the popular coffee stores The Providore and Omotesando Koffee.

If you’re already a fan of The Providore, you’ll even get access to an exclusive, The Work Project only menu!

Which amenities are unusual?

What really stand out to me are the reception and IT services.

70% of coworking spaces I’ve tried out have lacked reception and IT services, which are critical to a coworking space’s success. If a coworking space lacks a reception for me to ask about amenities or onsite IT support, it makes me much less likely to come back.

Luckily for you, The Work Project has both in spades. Its’ reception and IT services are just about universally praised for their politeness and helpfulness. I don’t think I’ve heard a single complaint so far in the time that I’ve used them.

Design

Besides amenities, this is the other area that The Work Project really stands out in. Most coworking spaces out there are interchangeable, and don’t really stick out in my mind as distinctive and memorable.

However, The Work Project makes a concerted effort to strike out on their own and deviate from the norm when it comes to design, and this clearly shows in their award winning workspaces created by leading design thinkers.

The one part of design that I really remember is the acoustic treatment. The first time I came across it, I was stunned and amazed at the unique design and creativity of it.

For reference, here is one of their hotdesk coworking spaces.

In general, even though there are plenty of coworking companies here in Singapore, too many of them tend to try and stick too close to the traditional office style look for fear of looking too different, which to me defeats the purpose of coworking at all.

After all, the purpose of coworking is to try sharing your office space with others, which in itself is a new and exciting process. If a coworking space is afraid of looking different and standing out, creatives and small start-ups should avoid them.

To further prove this point, the founder of The Work Project Junny Lee even said “Here at The Work Project, we believe that design is not just about creating beautiful spaces but it is also important to design spaces that work well for the users as form and function are both equally important in our eyes.”

So, if you’re interested in booking a coworking space with The Work Project and getting started on your entrepreneurial journey with a company that’s made the journey themselves, just contact us below.

You’ll soon be contacted by one of our customer service representatives who will assist you through the booking process.