Amidst a series of shopping malls in the heart of bustling Jubilee Hills, is what seems like a sleepy little space (on the exterior, that is). Spread across three storeys of Babukhan Rasheed Plaza is Rent-a-Desk, a firm that rents out co-working spaces. As you land on the third floor you are greeted by an exterior dominated by wood. As an ID-card swiping tool lets you in, a sea of calmness envelopes you; beyond air-conditioners and fans are series of jute sheets that cover windows and glass partitions, providing warmth and privacy to the space. An orange sofa at the front office leads you to a series of compact rooms (with distinct features) where a handful of startups are seen working on a weekend.
Apart from wood, several materials add up to it’s vintage-styling. An open ceiling complemented by a light red brick cladding on the walls forms an aesthetic pattern. Framed posters of legendary bands, products, and bikes lend a retro look. Then there are some that say ‘no fart zone’, ‘Mondays suck’. These posters were collected and procured by the two founders Syed Kazim Hameed, Syed Anees Jafri over the years, even before Rent-a-Desk took off.
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The beauty in the rooms lies in their subtle distinctions as in the varied door designs, open-pipe connections, energy efficient bulbs, the use of bright colours (where blue and yellow dominate). The rooms are enveloped in an eye-pleasing yellow haze from the lighting. “Our very effort was to not make it seem industrial,” says its co-founder Syed Anees Jafri .
Members across co-working spaces meet at a similarly-styled cafeteria that’s open all through the week (offers basic stuff) , or in the reading room that offers a view of the road. Sathish, who set up his startup at Rent-A-Desk close to a year ago, says the atmosphere is a sea-change from that of an MNC. In a startup eco-system where there’s constant pressure, bonding with fellow startups in a mentally-soothing environment like this one is the best one could ask for. A number of individuals /freelancers hire desks here. With its aesthetic and functional setup, very few tenants bother to rework the space’s setup too.
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Rent-A-Desk
Into: Leasing spaces for work
Space: 23000 square feet (51 spaces)
Cost: Rs 6000 per desk per month (around)
Venue: Babukhan Rasheed Plaza, Road No. 36, Jubilee Hills