Visit these 10 Seattle coworking spaces that are contributing to the success of the country’s 4th-fastest growing freelancer economy
Today’s vision of the ideal office space has come some distance from when the cubicle took over America—according to our recent workspace survey, a significant share of U.S. white-collar workers yearn to have privacy in their professional environment. Even so, since 2010, the coworking industry has seen the most overall growth of all office market segments, expanding at an average annual rate of 23% over the past seven years. As the evolving digital age allows more and more white-collar jobs to be performed from almost anywhere, coworking spaces fill the needs of the remote worker movement that is growing in numbers. An Intuit report released in 2010 estimated that, by 2020, freelancers, independent contractors, temps and solo entrepreneurs will make up roughly 40% of the nation’s workforce. That estimate may already be under the current growth rate of the so-called “gig economy.”
Seattleites Are Driving the Country’s 4th-Fastest Growing Freelancer Economy
According to a study conducted by payroll services company Paychex, Los Angeles and New York City top the list of fastest-growing freelance hubs in the nation (because of course they do), followed by Denver, Seattle, and Dallas. Naturally, we thought we’d check up on where America’s thriving freelancers like to productively park their laptops. So far, we have brought you a list of some of the best coffee-shops for freelancers in San Francisco, as well as some of the best Austin cafés in which to work.
This week, because of the author’s personal appreciation of all things Urban in the Pacific Midwest, we turned to Seattle and curated a selection of the city’s finest coworking office spaces for your consideration.
Bullitt Center
Madison Street is one of Seattle’s busiest corridors, and home to the first urban mid-rise commercial building to pursue the ambitious benchmark of sustainability laid down by the Living Building Challenge. The Bullitt Foundation has had it with traditional office design, and you can see that right off the bat when standing next to the Bullitt Center.
Touted as “the greenest commercial building in the world,” this Seattle Central District office property truly is a wonder of modern sustainable engineering:
- Its striking rooftop is made up of 575 solar panels, which harness all the electricity that the property uses in a year;
- An advanced hydronic system fed by the 26 geo-thermal wells that dive 400 feet below the structure heats the property all year round;
- The Center includes a thoughtfully designed and inviting stairway, as well as an ADA-compliant elevator that harnesses electricity from its braking kinetic energy;
- A constructed wetland filters up to 500 gallons of greywater per day, before releasing it back into the local aquifer.
Need we say any more to sway ultra-eco-responsible freelancers? Join like-minded professionals, choose a day pass, a floating desk, or a dedicated desk, and check in to the Bullitt Center coworking office.
Impact Hub Seattle
One of 86 locations open in 43 countries, Impact Hub Seattle provides a unique and powerful mix of collaborative opportunities, community resources, and innovating inspiration. Located in the heart of Pioneer Square, Impact Hub’s Seattle chapter offers memberships ranging from two days per month, to after-hours memberships (including weekends!), to 24/7-access dedicated desks, to private offices. The generous benefits package includes onsite massage therapists and a wellness room, community, networking, and educational events, as well as a dog walking service. If you haven’t already checked in at Impact Hub Seattle, give them a call and schedule a free trial day!
Office Nomads
Last November, this Capitol Hill office hub celebrated 10 years of activity. The Office Nomads coworking community includes remote workers, independent professionals, and even small teams. Fostering a core belief that collaboration is always stronger than competition, Office Nomads offers a wide variety of workspaces, shared access to resources and amenities, free in-house networking events, high membership flexibility, and a coworking visa program. No reservations needed!
Atlas Workbase
Located within walking distance of Seattle’s iconic Space Needle, Atlas Workbase offers exquisitely professional Lower Queen Anne coworking space, where you can achieve your best results. Inclusive to all workers and businesses, Atlas aims to be the world’s most visited workspace. To achieve that, the founding entrepreneurs offer intentionally designed, flexible workbases that support all modern workplace needs, and provide conference and meeting rooms, as well as event venue facilities, in addition to coworking and shared office space. But don’t take our word for it—try one work day for free!
Image courtesy of Atlas Workbase
The Riveter
The Riveter’s first collaborative space opened in May 2017, in an effort to change the game for women founders and freelancers, providing a female-forward platform, where entrepreneurs of all gender identities can think big, cultivate skills, share expertise, and enhance networks. The Capitol Hill community shaped up so well and so fast that, less than six months later, The Riveter’s second coworking offices opened in Fremont, catering to the growing North Seattle demand. Guided by a fierce conviction that strength comes from caring for the mind and for the body, The Riveter is redefining the workplace, seamlessly integrating wellness into each day.
In addition to inspired workspaces, memberships offer access to a wide variety of The Riveter’s partnerships and resources, as well as individuals and groups who have the means to support your business—Community Memberships are specifically designed for entrepreneurs who need community support and engagement, rather than workspace, and offer access to wellness classes, professional events, and social gatherings.
The Riveter cowork space at 1517 12th Ave., Capitol Hill (courtesy of The Riveter and Amy Galbraith)
The Cloud Room
Paying homage to Old Seattle, this complex coworking establishment is named after the exclusive Cloud Room social club that used to gather on the rooftop of Seattle’s historic Camlin Hotel on Olive and 9th. Operating in a refurbished Capitol Hill commercial property, the city’s new Cloud Room elegantly blends business with pleasure. Members have 24/7 key-fob access to the 6,500-square-foot business/creative/social space. Perks include an in-house astrologer, nutritional consultations, wardrobe styling and personal shopping, a member tab at the Cloud Room Bar, as well as membership discounts to the Cloud Studios band practice room, and podcast recording studio. Are you cool enough to join the club? Find it tucked away above 11th and Pike.
Works Progress
Works Progress Co-founder and President Marnee Chua is a former U.S. Peace Corps volunteer, with a background in fundraising and development. The neighborhood coworking community over which she presides caters to diverse professionals’ need to work, connect, and grow. The Greenwood, Seattle workspace is designed to ensure that all members feel included, welcomed, and get a sense of belonging, no matter their age, culture, race, or gender identity.
The Works Progress house values are the “triple bottom line”—focused on offering social, environmental, and financial benefits by participating in the local community, sharing resources, actively recycling and reusing, as well as keeping the workspace as practical and efficient as possible.
Image courtesy of Works Progress
OfficeXpats
Tucked away on Bainbridge Island in the space of a former kids play area, OfficeXpats is the coworking project of local entrepreneurs Leslie Schneider and Jason Omens, who understood that coworking is much more than just renting a desk—it’s about cultivating a sense of ownership in the space, as well as nourishing a like-minded, innovation-oriented community. Seven years later, OfficeXpats provides memberships ranging from occasional to 24/7 access, comfortable sitting and standing desks, wireless printing, fully equipped meeting rooms, as well as front desk “friendly ambassadors” who double as business matchmakers and can always provide a helpful referral or resource. Find them upstairs in the Bainbridge Pavilion on Madison Avenue.
The Pioneer Collective
Founded by Seattle-based husband-and-wife team Audrey and Chris Hoyt, The Pioneer Collective is a bright, cozy, masterfully crafted coworking space that was created for independent professionals who share their values—human interaction, innovative atmosphere, and community engagement are what foster creativity and productivity. Operating out of the Westland Building in Pioneer Square, tPC is home to a diverse mix of small business owners, artists, consultants, entrepreneurs, freelancers, remote workers, students, and small teams. By keeping its space versatile and its member base diverse, The Pioneer Collective strives to encourage organic cross-disciplinary connections and knowledge-sharing, all of which undoubtedly add value to any of the businesses that are taking shape at 100 South King Street, in downtown Seattle.
‘We set out to build a place where we wanted to come to work everyday,’ Chris and Audrey Hoyt told CommercialCafe. ‘While our competitors might focus on scale or profit, we remain dedicated to the details. If something doesn’t work, we improve it, if something does work, we double down. Every aspect of the Pioneer Collective experience is deliberate and intentional.’
Image courtesy of The Pioneer Collective
Hing Hay Coworks
Minutes away from Seattle’s CBD, in the heart of the historic Chinatown International District, Hing Hay Coworks caters to local entrepreneurs, freelancers, startups and nonprofit organizations. HHC aims to help communities thrive by promoting and supporting local small businesses—offering technical assistance and community resources, this coworking hub welcomes all those who value a sense of fellowship.
Image courtesy of Hing Hay Coworks
