Co-working operator BLOCK has launched its first hub in Bristol as the trend for flexible city centre workspace shows no sign of slowing.
The firm, which already has sites in Taunton and Plymouth, has opened the new 8,300 sq ft base, pictured, on the 12 floor of The Fairfax, the refurbished 14-storey, 1960s building in Fairfax Street. 
It has been created by Bath-based office design company Interaction, which described it as “breaking the mould of the conventional co-working hub”.
The space aims to foster a vibrant community with a mix of modern private offices, beautifully designed co-working zones and breakout spaces, with a large kitchen area and lounge at the heart of the project.
It will compete against a growing number of serviced offices and co-working spaces in the city, ranging from small independent operators such as Ethical Property Company, which runs centres at the Paintworks creative quarter, St Pauls Learning Centre and Brunswick Court on Brunswick Square, to long-established national chains such as Regus, which operates in Broad Quay House on Prince Street, in the Castlemead building, and in Programme, next to The Fairfax. 
Other co-working operators in Bristol include Runway East, the city centre’s largest co-working operator with 82,000 sq ft of office space on two sites, DeskLodge, which also has two sites, and Origin Workspace, whose 42,000 sq ft Berkeley Square building also includes a gym, studio and roof terrace with panoramic views.
BLOCK said its Bristol site aimed to create a lively community atmosphere for members, who also have access to a roof terrace with panoramic views, an exercise studio, bike storage and changing areas.
The firm has a strong identity running through its other co-working sites and its black-and-white branding with yellow accents has been replicated throughout the new Bristol space, although the private office areas are more neutral to allow customisation by new tenants. 
Interaction’s design also reflects the identity of the newly refurbished Fairfax Tower, pictured, and reception area, with green in the kitchen areas to complement its ground-floor design.
BLOCK managing director Ben Cheriton said: “Working with Interaction on the delivery of BLOCK Bristol really was a fantastic experience. The process was collaborative, fun and professional.
“The project finished on time and on budget and somehow exceeded our high expectations. Myself and the team are super grateful to all involved and we are excited to work with Interaction again in 2025.”
Interaction creative lead Liesl Wherry added: “BLOCK is breaking the mould of the conventional co-working hub, offering stylish, dynamic workspaces with real personality.
“So we’re proud to be their design partner for this fantastic new coworking site in Bristol, creating a vibrant workspace where people and businesses can thrive.”
The rise of co-working, particularly in creative and tech cities such as Bristol, has made it one of the fastest-growing parts of the property sector, experiencing annual expansion well into double figures.
Interaction has been designing award-winning offices since 1992 and has been responsible for a raft of state-of-the-art and wellbeing-focused Bristol offices over recent years, including waste management company Ecosurety’s city centre base, which features innovative ‘biomes’ that draw inspiration from the natural world.
Its other recent Bristol projects include international law firm Osborne Clarke’s HQ, which won the Fit Out Workplace title at the prestigious British Council for Offices’ (BCO) annual awards.
