City-centre coworking office set to open

A flexible new coworking space is set to open in Southampton’s city centre in January 2019.

Named after the post code in which it resides, SO Fourteen will attract ambitious start-ups, small businesses, freelancers and remote workers who will benefit from the flexibility and community aspect the shared workspace will provide.

With prices starting at £100 + VAT per month, the four membership options will enable members to hire deskspace, gain access to private meeting rooms and communal networking areas and benefit from the excellent facilities to suit their schedule.

The 3,500 square foot open plan office will provide space for 44 members on the second floor of Woollen Hall, next door to St Michael’s Church on Castle Way.

It will sit above the offices of the Hilton-Baird Group, a local business finance group of 21 years’ experience which refurbished and moved into the building at the end of 2017. Its founder and CEO, Alex Hilton-Baird, has overseen the project since coming up with the idea earlier this year.

The previously unoccupied floor is currently being converted by Guildford-based office design and build company TDA Interiors, with the furniture custom-built by Benjamin Xavier at Blue Island Home, a bespoke furniture manufacturer based in Petersfield.

Anyone wishing to find out more about SO Fourteen or book a tour should visit www.sofourteen.co.uk.

Alex Hilton-Baird, Managing Director of SO Fourteen, comments:

“We’ve seen firsthand how start-ups and small businesses in Southampton and across the country are finding it difficult to rent office space, which often comes with high rates and restrictive contracts.

“SO Fourteen will not only provide a flexible and affordable alternative, it will connect our members with other local businesses and enable them to grow together through collaboration and support.

“The workspace will additionally provide a base for remote workers who find the experience lonely, difficult and uninspiring, giving them an opportunity to meet new people and rediscover the positive vibe that working in a bustling office can bring.

“With its convenient location near the high street and all major public transport links, we hope it will give local entrepreneurs and businesspeople the foundations and facilities to fulfil their potential.”

Kazek Wedrychowski, Business Development Executive at TDA Interiors, comments:

“It has been a really exciting project to be involved in, working in partnership with Alex Hilton-Baird, who has seen a real gap in the market and been keen to embrace the latest design concepts with his creative and forward thinking approach.

“Southampton has been crying out for this type of coworking space in such a great location. It’s great to have been a part of this type of new venture which we think will be a huge success and will be really popular with the burgeoning entrepreneurial community in Southampton.”

Ben Xavier, Director at Blue Island Home, comments:

“We were approached by the SO Fourteen team to help develop their collaborative working space. Together, we wanted to create an inspiring yet modern and comfortable space.

“We designed bespoke custom table and furniture and fittings in a contemporary ‘industrial chic’ style, with lots of bare steel contrasting with thick solid timber panels. Secure locker storage is located everywhere for ease of mobility in and out of the shared space, and plentiful USB and mains power ports for different devices.

“We imagine it will be a genuinely great space to work in.”

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For further enquiries, please contact Jamie Weeden or Helen Tramaseur at SO Fourteen on 023 8112 5014 or by emailing jamie@sofourteen.co.uk or helen@sofourteen.co.uk.

Note to editors:

Opening in January 2019, SO Fourteen is a coworking space that will give start-ups, small businesses, freelancers and remote workers an office from which they can thrive.

Situated on Castle Way in the centre of Southampton, the space is conveniently located and provides a range of flexible membership options for every requirement.

For more information about SO Fourteen, contact Alex Hilton-Baird on 07958 745088 or email alex@sofourteen.co.uk.