A partnership between an apartment owner and a coworking provider has brought the office environment to an apartment complex in Arlington’s Long Branch Creek neighborhood.
Second Space Work Suites has set up shop at 2400 26th Road S., in the Avalon at Arlington Square community.
Ballston-based AvalonBay Communities partnered with Industrious to create the hybrid work environment. The two organizations conducted a soft opening of the Arlington location in February and have been accepting lease applications since then.
The spaces are being described as an “alternative workplace” that allows people to live and work in the same neighborhood. In some cases, the workspaces are offices away from an employee’s main office.
“Workers do not want to commute daily to the office and they don’t want to spend all of their time in their homes either,” said Evan Fain, the general manager of New Ventures and Strategic Partnerships at Industrious, in a press release. “With AvalonBay we have created a new category of workplace that gives workers a choice to be closer to home but with all the conveniences and community they’d expect from an office.”
The spaces are in response to a “hybrid work trend in local markets outside of major metropolitan areas where traditional offices are placed,” the press release notes. The suites give residents “the convenience of a workspace close to home – a key part of most hybrid work schedules – with easy access to local businesses, including child care centers, food and beverage options and more.”
The offices feature amenities that include an in-suite kitchenette, fully furnished shared spaces, and access to public transportation.
The Arlington location is the first in Virginia for the growing Second Space Work Suites network, which has other locations in California and New Jersey.
“Workers are increasingly prioritizing choice to create flexible schedules and avoid long commutes,” said David Madrid, the Vice President of Innovation and Venture at AvalonBay. “In response, we remain dedicated to meeting this changing demand by offering a high-quality experience tailored to remote workers… We hope remote and hybrid workers find a distraction-free environment that supports day-to-day needs and long-term professional goals.”