The Office Group (TOG)

TOG, a London-founded flexible workspace company with design-led buildings and communal spaces, mostly in central London.

About The Office Group (TOG)

The Office Group, known as TOG, provides flexible workspace. It designs buildings with varied spaces and offers memberships and short leases so that businesses can grow or shrink without being stuck in long contracts. It describes itself as a creative, exciting and forward-thinking working community. Its members have included app creators, advertising agencies, media companies, financiers, artists, architects, start-ups and freelancers. A 2018 interview said it had over 15,000 members in 33 buildings, and a March 2024 press report said it operated more than 60 sites in central London after merging with Fora in 2022.

TOG was founded in 2003 by Olly Olsen and Charlie Green, who thought London's shared workspace was overpriced and underdelivering. Mr Olsen has said the company aims to give members a sense of ownership so that the space feels like "their own true office". In its first seven years it bought its buildings and owned the freeholds, which helped keep costs down. The first building housed 69 people. Mr Green said its Tintagel House building in Vauxhall would offer "an affordable, flexible place to work, open to everyone", with a gallery, cafe, gym, production studios and a rooftop bar planned.

Almost all of TOG's buildings are in London, with a few elsewhere. In 2017 a Bisnow article gave 34 buildings, 32 of them in London, and described Tintagel House on Albert Embankment as its largest property, designed by architect Stanton Williams with interiors by Universal Design Studio. Later reports show growth into Canary Wharf and other central London areas. Blackstone agreed to buy a majority stake in 2017, and a March 2024 report said Blackstone was considering a sale or stock market listing. We could not confirm its current ownership, so check before relying on that.

On culture, Mr Olsen has said TOG treats members like a landlord would, wanting them to stay for years and not months, and does not charge for extras that annoy members, such as meeting rooms and communal areas. Each building is designed to suit its architecture and local area, not copied from a template, which are the company's own claims. Mr Olsen was still designing floor plans himself at the time of the interview.

Jobs in a workspace company include community and front-of-house teams who welcome members, building and facilities managers, sales and membership staff, interior and space designers, property acquisition and asset management, events and marketing, and finance and technology teams. If you enjoy design, hospitality and property together, TOG is a good example of a company that blends them. Its website is the place to check how it is organised today.

What they do

• {'desc': 'Memberships and short-term leases in design-led buildings.', 'title': 'Flexible membership'}
• {'desc': 'Lounges, meeting rooms and communal areas for members.', 'title': 'Shared spaces'}
• {'desc': 'Each building designed individually for its local area.', 'title': 'Building design'}

Key facts

• Founded 2003 by Olly Olsen and Charlie Green
• Over 15,000 members in 33 buildings (2018 interview, dated)
• Merged with Fora in 2022; more than 60 central London sites (March 2024 press report)
• Blackstone took a majority stake in 2017; later reports said it was considering a sale (March 2024)

Website: www.theofficegroup.com