A Co-Working Space Inspired by the Art of Feng Shui to Open in Riga

On 22 November, a new co-working office, UP Office, will open in the very heart of Riga. From then on, it will be available to every freelance professional and creator of business ideas who wishes to fulfil their potential and make their dreams come true. At the same time, UP Office will also operate as a dynamic platform bringing together specialists from various fields, connecting potential business partners with experienced experts and thus promoting the growth of every new entrepreneur. Significantly, the design of the co-working space is based on the centuries-old teachings of feng shui, which will also be purposefully applied to analysing the personal characteristics of UP Office members and fostering cooperation.

The concept of the newly opened office is based on the idea of creating vital energy in the premises, providing an environment for dynamic, creative and inspiring work. For this reason, the design of UP Office incorporates zoning, different colour schemes for the walls, and sources of natural energy in the form of houseplants and the elements of water, fire, earth, stones and metal. Specific energies dominate in different office zones, making them suitable for particular activities, and everyone working in these premises will be able to determine the work direction best suited to them. In addition, it will be possible to analyse one’s birth data in order to identify the most suitable team members for successful cooperation. Special attention will also be paid to the dates on which to launch important projects and take other significant steps.

The total office area is 250 m2, of which 100 m2 is a large co-working space with approximately 30 individual workstations. However, the spacious area can easily be transformed to accommodate various events attracting a considerably larger number of participants. In addition to individual workstations, the co-working office also offers meeting rooms, an online studio, a growth consultation room, a kitchen suitable for creative collaboration, a relaxation or quiet zone, as well as a spacious fifth-floor balcony overlooking the panorama of Riga.

UP Office was founded and envisioned by Andris Urbāns, an experienced entrepreneur, crisis manager and business consultant. The office manager and coordinator of various cooperation projects is Agnese Žagata, who previously worked in the public sector, promoting the development of entrepreneurship in Latvia, but now pursues her own business project ideas and is studying to become a coach in order to support others who also wish to fulfil their dreams. The team also includes such specialists as astrologers Jānis Bēniķis and Inese Kukle, coaches Santa Ogriņa, Inese Millere and Kintija Barloti, and others. To create an environment for the successful implementation of ambitious projects, the team also cooperates regularly with feng shui expert Linda Meškova.

“The idea of applying feng shui methods in everyday work arose during a visit to Singapore, where we saw how much these teachings are taken into account and how effectively they work. It turns out that urban planning is also based on feng shui principles—the placement of buildings, fountains and the Ferris wheel all have significance. Feng shui is also widely used by many successful companies, international corporations and banks. The Chinese government, too, applies this knowledge seriously when planning development and building businesses. This makes it clear how a country with a communist system of government can be so wealthy and successful. The answer is simple: long-term planning combined with the use of natural energy to one’s advantage. These success stories inspired us to create UP Office in accordance with feng shui,” says UP Office founder Andris Urbāns.

“We realised that we wanted to implement our ambitious business ideas and work together with like-minded, reliable, highly qualified professionals, supporting one another. We concluded that our circle of like-minded people was growing, our ambitions were increasing as well, and the time had come to have our own office. Given the size of the office and the fact that we like being surrounded by enterprising people, we can now offer workstations to others too—this is how the idea of creating a co-working space emerged. UP Office’s aim is for everyone working here to grow and realise their creative potential and business ideas. That is why we are looking for ways to apply the knowledge available as practically as possible, providing real value to every member and participant,” adds office manager Agnese Žagata.

Everyone interested is invited to view and try out the new UP Office premises free of charge in order to choose the cooperation model best suited to them. A workstation can be rented for one day, 10 days or a month, with round-the-clock access to the office seven days a week. A VIP membership is also available, offering the opportunity to reserve a specific workstation and receive coaching sessions free of charge. For an additional fee, it is also possible to rent a consultation room, meeting room or online studio, as well as organise joint events on the premises.