The future of Wellington’s work: Generator to open second flexible workspace in the capital

Following the successful launch of Generator’s workspace at 30 Waring Taylor Street in November, the company is now developing a second location in Bowen Street, part of Precinct Properties’ transformational Bowen Campus development.

Generator General Manager John Moffett says the Waring Taylor Street building has set a new standard for flexible workspace in the capital and Wellingtonians have responded to that exciting offering.

“The Covid-19 pandemic has really shaken up the ways in which we work, so we’ve seen a rising trend in businesses wanting to rethink the way they use the office and embrace flexible working conditions, while still maintaining that all-important workplace environment,” he says.

“Our workspace at Waring Taylor Street is already operating above projections and sitting at 85 per cent occupancy, which speaks to that shift in businesses wanting more flexible ways of working.

“It also highlights the gap in the Wellington market for high-quality flexi-workspace, which is why we’re very pleased to reveal the Generator Bowen Campus will open in Spring 2022 to continue meeting that demand.”

Located at 40 Bowen Street, the new shared workspace will be Generator’s largest presence in Wellington. It is conveniently positioned within the exceptional Bowen Campus precinct which will eventually be home to 5000 workers, with a mix of government and corporate clients.

Generator will occupy the ground and first levels of the building and offer around 3,000m2 of flexible workspaces, private offices, and meeting and event suites.

Given its prime location, the new site is expected to be attractive to smaller corporates and agencies keen to be close to the Beehive.

Scott Pritchard, Chief Executive of Precinct Properties which owns Generator NZ, says Generator forms an important part of the workplace mix as businesses in Wellington embrace new ways of collaborating.

“Developments like Generator at Bowen Campus can provide high quality office space for smaller businesses, as well as support the growing demand for flex-space from larger companies,” he says.

“As more organisations look to navigate and plan for business post-Covid, smart shared workplace solutions can offer the necessary space and amenities without the same overheads.

“We are delighted that EY has already taken a number of desks within Generator, a reflection of the growing trend we’re seeing towards corporates adding flex space into their office requirements.”

40 Bowen Street has been designed by Tennent Brown Architects, together with Dunning Thornton engineers. As a new build, it offers exceptional seismic resilience and is built to IL2 – 100% of the New Building Standard. The interiors have also been designed by Warren & Mahoney with modern working conditions in mind.

Generator, which has been operating in Auckland for over a decade, is known for its collaborative community and events, and will operate the lounge area at 40 Bowen Street, bringing a welcoming heart to the campus. Generator will also manage the meeting and event suites on site.

Moffett says offering such services enhances the appeal of shared workspaces even further.

“We know some people worry about how to manage desk and meeting room bookings in a shared space, which is why we offer services to handle that side of things,” he says.

“But our services are about so much more than that. As our previous workspace communities show, an office culture can thrive in these circumstances, while easily giving people a place to facilitate meetings and get that critical face-to-face interaction.”