Co-working spaces have been popping up all over Arizona to accommodate our growing number of entrepreneurs and small businesses. A recently opened co-working space, The Office Pile (TOP), particularly caters to the Hispanic/Latino entrepreneurial community and offers a unique twist of artistry.
For TOP founder and CEO Francisco Aguirre, this workspace doubles as an art venue, who personally chooses every piece of art displayed in the building. He said that he feels it is his responsibility to support and help showcase local artists such as Tato Caraveo who has a few pieces on display.
“There is a really strong need to have cultural diversity in the workplace,” said Aguirre about this particular gap in Phoenix. “Why not have this type of environment where you can really flourish?”
The building itself has it’s own history as it has gone through many transformations over the years. TOP has continued the trend seen throughout Phoenix by revitalizing an old building as the location for its unique vision.
Before TOP took over, the building was a storage unit and once furniture store. And a reminder of the bank that once was can be seen by the vault door that now leads to a conference room. Years of wear and tear left it in pretty bad shape, tasking the team with about a year’s worth of repairs.
“It was just a disaster but, it had a lot of character,” Aguirre said of the building’s appeal. “I just fell in love with it.“
The interior’s rustic décor envelops separate workspaces that are meant to mimic an evolving set of surroundings. Among the eight workspaces that members can walk through are The Welcome Lounge, a large, open area with desks, The Café, with booths to work in, The Mad Men Lounge, a chic, little nook, and the Calavera Lounge, with propped up instruments to hold a jam session if you just need a brain break.
“It’s an artful workplace. It’s not sterile. As you walk through the place, you find yourself in different environments,” said Aguirre. “It’s something that is relevant to our community [and] to our members that would inspire creativity.”
Members have a choice of tiered monthly or daily memberships that flex to fit a wide range of work needs.
TOP is currently building a gym on its 1,000 sq. ft. second floor, and has plans to franchise throughout Arizona and the U.S. in other major cities.
Aguirre said the Hispanic/Latino entrepreneurial community can come together in a beautiful, open and welcoming place that not only reflects their culture, but one that will allow them to easily collaborate and thrive.
More about The Office Pile
Location: 2501 N. 7th Street, Phoenix, AZ 85006
Phone: 602-300-9623
Website: http://www.theofficepile.com/
Photos by AZTB Staff
Graphic courtesy of The Office Pile
