Coworking at HOUSE OF_
August 2021
Words – Chantal van Baalen
Pictures – HOUSE OF_
A rather new coworking space in the center of Cape Town is HOUSE OF_. A small, but very efficient space covering the fourth floor in the Elkay House on Loop Street. A space that is informal and homely, but professional and well managed in every way. Sounds cool right? Let me give you the details of coworking at HOUSE OF_ in Cape Town.
Welcome to HOUSE OF_
In the center of Cape Town, sandwiched between the Gardens district and the City Bowl district lies HOUSE OF_. A lively street with many bars and restaurants around the corner. Parallel of Loop Street you will find the ever bustling Long Street on one side and hipster Bree street on the other. A 5 minute walk will bring you to the lovely area of Gardens and just a few streets down you will find the Company’s Garden for a lovely stroll through the botanical gardens. Location is key!
After a little search for the entrance of the building I was sent to the fourth floor by the security desk. At the reception of HOUSE OF_ I got a very warm welcome followed by a fully detailed tour of the space, including all the facilities, different offices and hot desk areas. Everything was explained very well and I got a very good first impression of the venue. After this hospitable start, I could choose a desk to, armed with a lovely cappuccino, start working!
"The playful setup of the hot-desk area and the kitchen creates a comfortable vibe and there is a good communal and friendly atmosphere"
Desks at HOUSE OF_
The hot-desks come in cozy open ‘train’ booths with pretty comfortable couches that hold up to 6 people. There is a long shared table with simple office chairs, which also operates as the lunch table. The hot-desk area is an open plan space and has a creative and homely feel to it. On the other side of the venue there is another small hot-desk area surrounded with an indoor jungle. There are plenty of outlets compatible with three and two pin plugs. Forgot your extension cords? No worries, HOUSE OF_ got you covered! The hot-desks don’t have direct views, and therefore there is not a lot of natural daylight. The indoor light system however is well adjusted and provides a good amount of light to stay focused! The WiFi is crazy good throughout the building, with a download and upload speed close to 100Mbps.
I also got the privilege of working from one of the desks in the private offices. The adaptable large desks and ergonomic office chairs make it very comfortable to work at. There are plenty of power outlets. The views are different in every office, but most of them have clear mountain views and offer bright natural daylight.
Other rooms
HOUSE OF_ provides sound proof phone booths with different setups. There are three different sized meeting rooms with all necessary equipment and HUGE televisions. The rest of the floor is filled with outer private offices with different views and inner private offices. All in different sizes. In order to get an idea of the space, there is a ‘show-room’ available, giving a little pre-experience of how a private office would look like when settled in. A nice extra for those that are browsing. All private offices have adjustable desks, comfortable office chairs and soundproof walls. There is also a little nap room, with a comfy beanbag that’s big enough to disappear in, to accommodate those in need of a little siesta or just to chill.
The self service kitchen is equipped with all essentials and cooking gears, such as a stove, oven, microwave and everything else to make a proper meal.
HOUSE OF_ vibes
The whole floor of coworking space HOUSE OF_ has a light, clean and industrial interior design, filled with numerous plants and other cute little details. The playful setup of the hot-desk area and the kitchen creates a comfortable vibe and there is a good communal and friendly atmosphere in the building, created by the motivated staff and likeminded coworkers. Well done, HOUSE OF_!
HOUSE OF_ services
Members of HOUSE OF_ can benefit from a couple of great extra services. One of these is unlimited (amazing) coffee, tea and hot chocolate, as well as a water tab. Food can be stored in the fridge and there are many cupboards to keep your dry food. For those arriving at the office after a long walk or a bicycle ride, or if you just feel like freshen up, there is a nice hot shower available. There are books to lend and you can make use of all extra gadgets like extension cords and other cool cables. There are a few parking spots available for those coming by car at one of the venues nearby.
Next to this, as a new member you will be rewarded with some vouchers for a free coffee or discount on meals and as a whole new private office team member, you even get some cool merchandise as well as handy vouchers! HOUSE OF_ also hosts some formal events, like informative seminars, as well as fun informal events, such as First Thursdays! While things may be quiet now, their events will kick off again after COVID has settled down, so stay tuned!
Memberships
Coworking at HOUSE OF_ can be done by the day with daily passes. Memberships for the hot desks are available for 5, 10 or 20 days a month and are very well priced. These memberships can be shared with others, so you can easily divide the work as well as the price! Memberships for private and shared offices go by the month and get cheaper the longer you rent! These memberships have 24/7 access to the office space.
Sounds good? Check their website for more information and book your own desk or private office at HOUSE OF_.
