Janelle Branch describes The Ring as the "Whole Foods" and the "Ritz Carlton" of the co-working industry.
But the Clearwater-based space goes beyond being fancy: the moss-lined walls, reclaimed wood and toxic-free paint create one of the most wellness-centered coworking spaces in the nation.
"We told everyone we’re going to create something disruptive, but also so innovative that you have to be apart of it," Branch, the COO of The Ring, said.
The Ring is an executive suites and coworking space that opened this April, with a focus to not only provide the typical coworking space amenities to local companies and entrepreneurs, but to do it in a way that is as environmentally conscious as possible.
"For us above and beyond a co-working space — it's a wellness centric coworking space," Branch said. "We want our members to come in here, learn something about the environment, learn some things about themselves, grow. I always say if you don't come in and take a space, you at least come in and walk out being a lot more aware of your environment, your health and anything you represent."
The Ring, which hosts 36 companies translating to 72 people, is working toward getting WELL-certified, a measure of sustainability. And they've got some good partners on their side: Harvard University is conducting a study focused on the effect of green buildings on cognitive functions, and The Ring was chosen as the one Floridian location. The CO2, humidity and noise levels are all being monitored over the next year.
"We're building an innovation ecosystem and I know that word has become very popular, and a buzzword in the coworking space" she said. "But with the Harvard study, we want to see what are the voids in Clearwater."
It can be easy to see why: the space is filled with completely reclaimed wood, plants (no fake succulents in sight) mood lighting and a decibel level that cannot exceed 35 decibles. Enter certain rooms, and specific scents will follow: in a conference room, an all-natural cork from Portugal evokes a smoky aroma.
The $2.1 million price tag for the space came at a discount, thanks to the city of Clearwater seeing the potential The Ring had for bringing in future innovation to the city.
"It did come at a premium, and everything reclaimed did come at a premium," Branch said. "It's unfortunate that health and wellness has to be at a higher cost, but that's the cost we have to pay for. What we've done to our natural environment is we’ve polluted it to the point that now we don't have a choice."
Although coworking and becoming eco-friendly have become admittedly trendy in recent years, Branch believes this is the beginning of a bigger shift in the commercial real estate space.
"The shift is going to be into smart cities and smart cities start with smart spaces," she said. "We’re just on the cusp of that and that groundwork is being laid. Coworking disturbed the commercial industry and CRE was around for centuries. What we are able to do and why we consider ourselves to be pioneers is, we're saying 'Hey, coworking is important, but healthier coworking spaces is what’s critical."
