A space to grow your startup—for the price of a Frappuccino
For the price of fancy coffee, you can set up camp at a new coworking space in Makati Central Business District and spend half the day working on your laptop, connecting to speedy Wi-Fi, drinking unlimited cups of coffee—minus the guilt, minus the stigma, minus the judgy stares.
From the 24th floor of Robinsons Summit Center on Ayala Avenue, Robinsons Land Corp.’s (RLC) third Work.able speculative site looks like a playground for the mind where one can work, study, focus and be inspired.With its mix of modern chic and Filipino aesthetic—details in solihiya, rattan, capiz and the occasional splash of tropical prints—Work.able creates an uplifting atmosphere that’s quite conducive to productivity and creativity.
The 1,000-square meter flexible space features around 200 seats with a sweeping view of the Makati landscape and Manila Bay. The variety of options for individuals or companies of various sizes include coworking spaces, private offices, meeting rooms, event spaces and built-to-suit offices. Work.able also offers virtual office packages to clients who are not required to be in the office but want a prestigious office address in Makati (or Ortigas or Quezon City for the other branches).
Rise of hybrid work setup
With the rise of hybrid work setup, coworking spaces have found a steady market, something Work.able practically foresaw when it launched in 2019, even before the pandemic made working remotely a possibility—and sometimes even a necessity.
With the hot desk (rates start at P250/hour), clients may choose where to sit, while the dedicated desk (from P550) must be booked in advance.
The focus pod is a cozy little nook seemingly carved out of a wall where one can “simmer in your own bubble and really focus on work, you can stay here, have your laptop and just work your tasks away,” said Elton John Peralta, RLC head of special projects.
Meanwhile, clients in need of laser focus may opt to use the few phone booths tucked in corners. While enclosed in glass, the chamber is soundproofed, motion sensor-activated and equipped with sockets and access to high-speed Wi-Fi. “The level of focus is different inside. There’s no noise and you’re blocked from the clutter around you,” Peralta said, confessing to sometimes unwittingly spending a couple of hours just cooped up inside a booth working.
The four-seater meeting rooms also has soundproofing and can house a lot of content creation requirements. According to Peralta, at P500 per hour, clients can even bring in their equipment and work on their podcasts. The TV and built-in white board are also available for meetings or brainstorming.
The private office or boardroom can take on the form of an office or a classroom setup, with its movable desks and provisions for LAN and power. It comes in a range of capacity, including a 29-seater that may be converted into a 53-seater by taking down the partition, and the corner office that seats 21 individuals and boasts floor-to-ceiling windows. Each spot in these spacious rooms are priced at P15,000 per month for regular work hours, or P19,000 per month for 24/7 use.
Plug and play
With each table coming with a mobile pedestal, outlets and an LAN port, it’s pretty much plug and play. “Just bring your laptop and you’re good to go.”
The meeting pods are bahay kubo-inspired, using colorful stained glass and capiz from Ilocos for windows and banig wall from Bukidnon handwoven by the Tagolwanen Women Weavers Association, which someone had to literally climb a mountain to order and bring to Makati. Groups consisting of more than four people may slide open the intervening window to connect the pods.
The town hall space with bleacher-type seats and the open pantry can fit around 40 people when maximized. The movable chairs and tables allows for space customization for hosting large events.
Tenants may roam freely and use common areas like the pantry. Coffee nooks are scattered around the area to keep from crowding at the pantry.
Clients may avail themselves of the amenities during their stay, like high-speed internet, unlimited cups of special blend espresso from UCC and use of the microwave; mail and package handling; storage or locker rental options; free local calls and access to business center for printing, photocopying or scanning.
What sets Work.able apart from other existing coworking spaces, Peralta said, is essentially being part of a conglomerate. “Your aspirations and expansion plans are also supported by the same company that can give you those opportunities,” he said. “If you start one seat today, 10 seats next year, 50 seats two years from now, and probably in the next five years, an entire building? Robinsons is willing to support. We’ll be with them as they grow.” INQ
