Client File - Adam Blaskey


The Clubhouse CEO Adam Blaskey tells us what he looks for when selecting design practices to work with


Words by Pamela Buxton

What is your vision for The Clubhouse?

I founded The Clubhouse in Mayfair, in 2012, after seeing a gap in the market between co-working spaces and serviced offices on the one hand and places like hotel lobbies and cafes where people often end up having business meetings, on the other. We have just opened our third Clubhouse at Angel Court near Bank in the City of London and we’d like to expand to a network of eight to10 Clubhouses around London and overseas.

Everything we do is designed around the needs of our members, so we’re looking to have a Clubhouse wherever our members want to meet clients. London has changed phenomenally over the past 10-15 years. It’s no longer about meeting in the City, the West End or Canary Wharf. There are now some great sub-markets developing, such as Victoria and King’s Cross, and mid-town is coming into its own, particularly around Holborn where we will be opening this month.

Who is The Clubhouse aimed at?

We’re not a co-working space for start-ups. Instead, we’re more of a meeting solutions space for people who have offices elsewhere – whether they are growing SMEs or global, blue-chip organisations. We’re pitched at corporates rather than start-ups. We have a good spread of members across all business types – the majority of whom are in their mid-30s to 50s. They may have workspace out of London, or they may have a requirement for a particular kind of meeting space that they don’t have in their own London offices. At The Clubhouse, people can start to consume property and workspace as a service, and we have a wide range of flexible membership options to suit every type of business. No one is doing what we do, and how we’re doing it, with particular focus on meetings despite the huge growth in co-working spaces. Having said that, we’re competing with anywhere that you could have a meeting.

With interiors designed by Fletcher Priest, The Clubhouse at Angel Court, in the City of London offers spaces in between being totally design-led and corporateWith interiors designed by Fletcher Priest, The Clubhouse at Angel Court, in the City of London offers spaces in between being totally design-led and corporate

Have you had experience as a design client before?

My background is in residential development, so I have spent a lot of time working with architects and designers on refurbishing prime central London houses and apartments.

I had no experience in the workplace sector, but I had the idea for The Clubhouse based on my own business needs, and I think we pretty much got it right first time around. I’m very closely involved in the design of The Clubhouse – a lot of the design comes from me even down to some of the finishes, which I’ve personally chosen.

What atmosphere do you want to create at each Clubhouse?

We want it to be design-led and really inspirational, akin to high-end residential or a boutique hotel, with a great front-of-house and a welcoming atmosphere. But at the same time, our spaces have to strike the right balance between being design-led and being highly functional. We want to give people everything they need to impress their clients and run their business while they are here.

The Clubhouse has great places to eat as well as meet and work and we also run a programme of events that members can attend. People want lots of different things and we have all sorts of workplace and meeting settings to meet this demand.

We get to know our members really well and we find out what their needs are and respond to that.

With interiors designed by Fletcher Priest, The Clubhouse at Angel Court, in the City of London offers spaces in between being totally design-led and corporateWith interiors designed by Fletcher Priest, The Clubhouse at Angel Court, in the City of London offers spaces in between being totally design-led and corporate

How do you go about choosing designers?

We find them by reputation and by a pitch. I like the challenge of working with a variety of designers, architects and contractors. We have had a great result with Fletcher Priest at The Clubhouse Bank at One Angel Court, which it designed. It has been absolutely fantastic and we will be working with the practice on our next Clubhouse, which opens at Holborn Circus this month. We also form great relationships with key suppliers. At The Clubhouse Mayfair we worked with Dutch furniture brand Moooi; at The Clubhouse, Bank with ob&b on a range of bespoke tables; and Another Country for our hot-desks.

What qualities do you look for in your designers?

It’s not easy to find companies that can meet the level of design we require and keep it fresh as we expand. I want to work with designers who challenge me with new ideas as well as listening to the ones that I come up with. These projects are never plain sailing. We’re interested in designers who are up for the challenge of doing something different.

What role does design play in setting the tone for a new Clubhouse?

I want people to walk in and be wowed. We spend a lot of time ensuring we get the design right as, ultimately, the design is what will inspire our members, create a productive and engaging environment. I think we’ve got the right balance between something that’s design-led and corporate. We want the design to be distinctive, so we spend a lot of time selecting fabrics, finishes, materials and bespoke details such as a feature staircase and leather banquettes.

With interiors designed by Fletcher Priest, The Clubhouse at Angel Court, in the City of London offers spaces in between being totally design-led and corporateWith interiors designed by Fletcher Priest, The Clubhouse at Angel Court, in the City of London offers spaces in between being totally design-led and corporate

What special features does the new Clubhouse at Angel Court have?

The level of design detail is exceptional for an office building in the City of London. Each area from the reception desk to tea points, from meeting rooms to hot-desks, has been meticulously designed with both aesthetics and functionality playing an equal role. The result is an innovative, inspirational place in which to work or meet, which allows businesses to recruit and retain the best possible people.

Personally, my favourite area to work there would be the flexible meeting area on the upper level. The views are pretty spectacular. I couldn’t ever get bored of that skyline.

What were the most challenging and rewarding aspects of your role as a design client for The Clubhouse?

There’s always a degree of nervousness when we take a new space. My main reward is seeing a completed project where everyone’s efforts have been delivered, and reading the positive feedback from members. The biggest challenge is how to raise the bar each time as we grow and evolve while retaining the Clubhouse DNA across the whole network.








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