Cardiff’s Creative Quarter is proving an irresistible draw to growing companies, with 12 new companies signed up to take space in the past 12 months. As a result available space is rapidly declining, with asset managers LaSalle Investment Management investing in further phases which are timed to take advantage of the increasing demand for this type of space within Cardiff.
The Creative Quarter provides individual studios and offices created in the old Morgan Arcade Chambers and the upper floors of the David Morgan Department store in Cardiff city centre. Already home to a rapidly growing community of businesses, a recent string of new lettings has added to existing high-profile tenants, including Carbon Law, Bad Wolf Productions, The Urbanists and HLM Architects.
Tenants have access to shared meeting spaces and The Hub – a communal social space which provides kitchen facilities and a focal point for informal meetings, presentations and get-togethers.
Knight Frank and Oscar Clarke are joint marketing agents on the offices, and Grace Shackell of Knight Frank’s office team said: “The Creative Quarter is one of Cardiff’s great success stories. It is a unique offering and we are very excited to be part of such a fast moving scheme incorporates the history of the Cardiff arcades with young and innovative businesses. The development’s success is proven by its popularity, both with new companies moving in and with existing tenants expanding within the scheme.”
Peter Clarke of Oscar Clarke added: “The suites vary in size from 180 sq ft up to 2,000 sq ft. Access is 24 hours and the building managers are located on site which allows a very smooth running of the Creative Quarter. There are now plans in hand to develop the scheme further.”
Carbon Law is one of the largest occupiers in the Creative Quarter having leased the 2,000 sq ft Suite 215 last year and has already expanded with further space. Carbon’s founder and chief executive, Michael Burne, said: “The Creative Quarter is the perfect home for the Carbon Hub. We love the refurbishment of the building – the mix of the raw, traditional and historic with the contemporary. It reflects the Carbon brand – Beyond Tradition – taking the best of the old and adding the best of the new. We love being in a space where we are surrounded by like-minded people.”
Gareth Woodfin, HLM’s regional lead for Wales and the South West, said: “Our move to the Creative Quarter a year ago marked an exciting step for our team, and took us from a corporate office space to a more creative studio in the heart of the city.
“As well as being a more inspirational space to work, it is more reflective of our team and the exciting design work we are producing across the UK and internationally. In addition, the Creative Quarter has undoubtedly established a hub of creative minds and organisations, and has already offered us a number of opportunities to collaborate with other businesses.”