Space Antrim & Glengormley – Serviced Offices & Coworking Opening in November

Space Antrim & Glengormley – Serviced Offices & Coworking Opening in November

Space Antrim is a new serviced office and flexible coworking space situated on High Street in Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is close to the historical Barbican Gate Lodge and Old Courthouse in nearby Market Square, and just across the road from Antrim Castle Gardens and Clotworthy House.

Operating under the Space NI brand, Space is an Antrim and Newtownabbey Council venture that is managed and run by Antrim Enterprise Agency. It opens on 8th November is the first of two facilities, the other planned for Glengormley. We visited during October to test out the facilities and spoke to CEO of Antrim Enterprise Agency, Jennifer McWilliams – a longtime supporter of Sensei, the parent business of the WabiSabi project.

The name logo that greets you at the entrance is a perfect visual representation for the new venture. Square brackets have long been used especially in code in the tech industries as a placeholder both to denote and prompt users for customisation. And, this is exactly what this gleaming new venue offers – somewhere you can move in or visit and use flexibly as you please.

Where is Antrim?

Antrim is just off the side of the M2 motorway between Belfast and Castledawson. The towns and villages around the Magherafelt, Ballymena, Ballyclare, Glengormley, and Belfast International Airport areas are all within a 30-40 minute radius.

Locals will know the location of Space Antrim as the former Wellworths building.

What Facilities are Available at Space Antrim?

In terms of offices, coworking space, and meetings, Space NI has a huge range of options spread across 16,000 square feet (yes, you read that right, it’s huge!) of professional grade office space:

• Serviced offices from 16 person to 2 person – some with views over the Six Mile Water river
• Several 8-10 person meeting rooms
• 3 office pods for quiet working or private 1:1 meetings
• 3 sound-proofed call pods
• Unlimited superfast fibre internet

In addition, there are some nice touches that elevate the space above most others I’ve visited:

• A lift to the first floor property
• An open reception area for visitors with lockers and a virtual PA service
• Two kitchens with coffee machines
• Showers and lockers so cyclists can travel to work
• Power plugs everywhere you look

What Does it Feel Like Working for a Day at Space Antrim?

This is an independent, unsponsored review.

We were invited to visit after enquiring about the opening plans because, sometimes, Working From Home Sucks. On arrival, we were greeted by the receptionist Marguerida, who gave us a quick tour of the facilities and welcomed us to sit anywhere. We got another tour later from Jennifer along with some insight into their vision for the ambitious facility.

Space’s branding and press describe it as “contemporary” and I can’t think of a better term. It’s clear the operators – Antrim Council and Antrim Enterprise Agency – are keen to present a local business service to rival anything available in Belfast. And they have achieved this aim with a pleasing medley of concrete, glass and wood, they have cleverly avoided falling into the personality-free zone of their corporate nationwide competitor brands. This is not just an office space. Space Antrim is an intelligently designed layout with multiple options to facilitate planned and serendipitous coworking. Variety is the Spice of Coworking Life, after all!

Space is a bright, modern, and airy space whose designers have paid great attention to detail (offering both Choice and Control).

• The central part of Space offers multiple coworking and casual meeting options with central banks of desks, bench seating, and more relaxed high backed sofas offering some privacy and sound management.
• The outer part of the property houses the serviced offices and dedicated desks in shared office space. External windows on this first floor property, glass walls on the interior side of these offices, and roof lights mean that daylight floods the entire space.
• Everywhere was comfortable, warm, air-conditioned, and felt very spacious.
• There are two spacious kitchens with capacious cupboards and fridges. There’s a coffee machine and glorious hot water fountain.
• One of the most impressive things for me as a visitor was that there were contractors conducting snagging and testing the sound dampening while we were there and asking us what we thought. Even the small meeting pod we worked in had unobtrusive sound panels on the walls which worked incredibly well to avoid echoes on calls.

It is clear that Space has had a generous injection of funding that has been deployed to stylish effect under the experienced management of Antrim Enterprise Agency, a long-established, well respected and professional, local business support agency. I especially appreciated the presence of the clean lines warmed up with wooden accents and lush grey carpet.

My tips on cool spots to work:

• Bench seating next to the open reception area so you can people-watch as visitors come and go
• Two person pods (booking required) for 1:1s with glass windows (also suitable for people-watching, ahem!)

Any business owner could bring a visitor here, knowing that it is a professional place to meet, pitch, present, and do business.

How Much Does Coworking Cost?

• Hotdesking
  • Daily Pass: £15 (incredible value since most others are around £25+)
  • Weekly Pass: £60
  • 40 hours/month: £80
  • 80 hours/month: £160
  • 120 hours/month: £240
• Two Person Dedicated Pod £7.50 hour or £30/day
• Full Day Hire of Space to Meet (12-14 people) £200 (15% discount for members)
• Space to Host (60 people) £250 for full day hire
• Dedicated Desk Space £250/month
• Office rent ranges from £22-30 per ft/month

Where Can I Grab Coffee and Lunch Locally?

Find Out More About Space Antrim

Space Antrim opens in November. Free public parking behind the building via Halls Bridge across the river (and close to Antrim Forum Leisure Centre)

Its sister facility, Space Glengormley, is still under construction on the site of the former PSNI station.

Check out Space on their website, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook. And, check Antrim Enterprise Agency for available offices and prices.

Image credits: Images supplied and used with permission by Antrim Enterprise Agency.