The co-working space in Ultimo, owned by City of Sydney, has long been leased and subsidised by the City to provide affordable co-working space for young entrepreneurs and freelancers. It was operated by a not-for-profit organisation that held the lease.Due to internal decisions made by the organisation, they decided to terminate their lease and close the co-working space.
The users of the space, the young entrepreneurs who needed this affordable space, were shocked to hear the news, and desperate to save the space and continue its legacy.
We were one of the users of the co-working space when the news of its closure was announced.
Speaking with the other members, there was a strong desire to keep the space running as group. We ran a few meetings to decide how to actually execute this plan, and at those meetings, we proposed to adopt the cooperative structure, where users of the space would also collectively own and operate the organisation.
With the support of the City of Sydney, we were able to successfully establish the first cooperative-run co-working space in Sydney.Our support to help achieve this included:
Want to learn more about our design process for this project? Click on the Pitch Deck below.
We specialise in developing creative and innovative design solutions to Social Issues across multiple design disciplines. By providing the design tools to the people most impacted by Social Issues, they can lead us to the best solutions.
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A Singapore-inspired housing development model that utilises leasehold ownership to deliver better, more affordable housing for middle & low income households.
A new model for urban co-housing to sustainably densify Australian suburbs while reducing loneliness & isolation in our communities.
Building the capacity of the Waterloo Estate community to decipher complex urban redevelopment plans and advocate for the needs of their community.
Documenting the 20 year history of the community gardens in Waterloo Estate to save them from demolition.
Helping to form Sydney's first co-operative run co-working space for freelancers and small businesses.
Sharing the struggles of Young Renters trying to survive in Australia’s housing system and documenting the “death” of the Great Australian Dream
