construction tour: workbar's new shared office in central square, slated to open in late may - digital signage software

Written by Scott Kirsner, the membership offered by Globe ColumnistWorkbar starts at as low as $30 and $4 up to $2400 per month
Private Office.
Shared kitchen, photocopier, printer, and high
Internet access speed.
The location of new Cambridge is on Prospect Street, about a block from Central Square T station, which will be more visible than Boston, a work bar below street level.
Cambridge has what Jacobson calls "business"
"Street-centric cafe space" will be equipped with comfortable sofas, shared tables, whiteboards, cafes and digital signage to show who is in the office today and to list upcoming events, workshops and mixers.
"Welcomista" will be there to greet potential members of the work bar and show them around the space.
In the mezzanine, there's a glass-
Walled rooms available for training courses or private meetings. (The first-
Used to accommodate the building area of the social media surveillance startup Crimson Hexagon, which moved to Boston. )
The Workbar also has the full top floor of the building, which Jacobson divides into three parts.
"Study" is a quiet head area --
In his words.
You can see the skyline of Boston.
"Shared space" is an open area for teamwork.
Behind the building is the "switchboard" where it is OK to call or make a Skype video call. (
There is also a private phone booth where you can make a phone call and an area where you can accommodate several treadmill workstations. )
On the top floor there are two small outdoor terraces and a kitchen with a common table.
As is the case in Boston, Jacobson expects the residents of the Cambridge work room to be a mix of consultants and freelancers; early-
Stage start-up company;
Individuals or teams of large companies that may not yet have local offices (
Facebook is an example)
Or an office in the outer suburbs.
Jacobson says the first and fifth floors are about 13,000 square feet in total.
The simulation studio in Boston is engaged in interior design, and Anderson Porter in Cambridge is the architect of the project.
Below is the rendering of the first floor after completion. (
Click zoom in. )
Below are some photos of the unfinished interior and another render.
Cafe space (ground floor)
The bar being built here is located in the center of the rendering above, below the work bar logo)
: "Research" on the fifth floor: What will the rendering look like after the study is completed. The glass-
Walled conference room on the left
You can also see the center of the rendering on the left.
The center of the building photo above. (
Click zoom in. )
One of the 2-story terraces in 5: A row of four phone booth rooms in the "switchboard": Jacobson also said that the Boston workroom will expand later this summer, add a new direct entrance outside East Street as well as a new meeting room, telephone room, office and event space. (
The building photo is mine.
Work bar and simulation studio provide renderings. )