In the chaos of 2020, how we work has changed massively. During the height of the pandemic, 60% of the UK adult population were working from home. As the year has gone on, many businesses haven’t gone back to the office, having discovered the ease of remote working and therefore making the change permanent.

Working from home can be great, but not all home spaces are super practical. As a remote worker myself, I can vouch for the distractions of Netflix; my housemates; and the ability to do handstands in the middle of the room and not be judged for it. While my handstand skills may be impressive, it’s not great for productivity.

So that is where co-working spaces come in; and why they have become huge this year. Projects are one example of these co-working spaces in central Brighton. Independent and female-run, Projects opened their doors back in January 2019 with a sleek style that makes them stand out from the crowd; a genuinely lovely place to spend up to 40 hours a week.

Their plans range from half-day sessions (for only £10!); to monthly passes which start at £100. There also have private serviced offices you can rent out for the team, again ranging from short day sessions to monthly plans.

Imagine working in that stunning open space… It may even allow you to feel more creative and inspired than in one of those mass-produced, sludge-coloured windowless room from the 70s. What an idea, eh?!

And lucky for all of us WFHers, Projects is expanding. The new three-story development will be situated behind their current offices in the North Lanes and will be set to open in May 2021. The artist's impressions of the new space are such a beauty, that when I saw some of the pictures, my jaw dropped, and I said out loud to myself: “Oh, damn.”

My Ikea desk topped with dying plants feels a bit sad now.

Projects stress the importance of a work/life balance, with the new build making them Brighton’s only coworking space with an onsite gym. Beth Lewis, managing director of Projects, mentioned that they wanted to, “provide a professional setting that practically supports a balanced life (hence the gym development!)”

Projects also run events throughout the year (of course, this is when we aren’t confined to our homes) these include; coffee mornings; meditation; skill training events; group walking events etc. 

Beth mentions that “we’re seeing more and more local employees of national brands who would ordinarily be commuting to London, becoming members and spending that commute time in healthier ways like coming to lunchtime yoga or mindfulness sessions.

So there are some benefits to this bizarre year!

It should, of course, be noted that the offices are Covid safe, with screens up; sanitising stations; masks and gloves available, but read more about their commitment to members’ safety throughout the pandemic here.

As we enter into another lockdown, Projects have put the brakes on accepting new memberships but do fill out this form to book your free trial day for 3rd December onwards and see for yourself how great Projects truly is.

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Written by: Amber Middleton