Modern solar powered office space on The Edge of Tallaght

THE EDGE in Tallaght is named as such because it sits on the edge of Tallaght, in Bolbrook, and conveniently, for visitors arriving from outside the jurisdiction, just off the M50 (Exit 11).

Before and after pictures of the two former buildings at the Partas social enterprise site, offer an illuminating depiction of the transformation of the site, following an investment of €1.5m.

The former head office of Partas is now an ultra modern private office space and café, replete with a soundproof media room, air purifying technology, underfloor heating, lighting and eight EV chargers all powered by solar energy.

Across the yard, the former boxing and rugby club building is now a fitted out colourful co-working environment, with dedicated desks (€240 per month) and the even more affordable hot desks (ranging from €80 for five days to €180 for a full month).

Construction work was carried out in 2020, an investment of €1.5m, courtesy of funding from a variety of sources – the bulk of it from Enterprise Ireland with additional funding from South Dublin County Council and Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI).

“The beauty of here is that it is on the greenway, which was a lucky coincidence, that the greenway opened up at the same time, and you have a huge amount of people using that and coming in here for a coffee, which is fantastic,” said Bernard Bennett, Chief Operations Officer, Partas.

“People talk about mental health and you have that fusion for people who work here, they can pop out for a walk.”

The 18 or so offices in the main hub at The Edge are fully occupied via a range of tenant mixes – from interpreters to digital providers to accountants, and it will also be the new home of The Echo as it turns out.

Bennett says the two buildings operate as an entrepreneurial hub to support local SME’s and the business growth of it’s tenants, which are called members.

“The ideal person for us, is someone who is from Tallaght and the surrounding area, starting out their own business, coming in here is preferable to working in your bedroom, or spending hours on the commute into town. Time can be better used in here,” said Bennett.

Amy Keatinge, Enterprise and Project Manager at Partas, echoes the supporting environment of the centre as a key factor.

“The aim of the environment here is to help entrepreneurs get into business, to support the businesses, and to get them into a better premises,” said Amy.

“That is one reason why it’s not about extortionate rates.”

The Edge’s coffee shop, with it’s wide open spaces, acts as an auxiliary reception area, where people can meet, and business type events can be held for tenants, who they call members.

“Monthly, we are looking at holding enterprise talks. Not all members might be marketing savvy, or say, someone is not sure how to write a press release, they can ask, and one of the other members may be able to help,” said Amy.

Bennett, who has been mentoring people for years, said they are putting projects together for talks on subjects like enterprise grants, peer-to-peer learning and alumni returning to offer advice.

He said the centre’s security offers members access to their workspace outside of office hours.

Curtis Harley Murray, Director of Curtis Harley’s Digital Agency (CHDA), was the first tenant to move into an office space at The Edge.

“I was badgering them to move in, scratching on the doors” said Curtis, whose company he established with his partner Emma Keegan in 2018, provides SME’s with digital marketing, social media management, and content creation.

“We started here in a two person office space, have moved twice and are now in a four person office space, three are in there now, Emma, the real boss, is at home with our five month old baby.”

From Tymonville, Curtis is the third generation of his family to work at the centre, following his great uncle, a former caretaker, and his mother, who worked reception.

“This place serves the community well, it helps local businesses, or if you needed a hand there is support, it is a great resource for the community,” he said.

The co-working space was the next phase of the centre’s development, and it was officially launched last week.

Along with the aforementioned features, the centre also has EV car charging, bike storage, and the co-working space contains private zoom rooms, a variety of seating and standing desking options, and individual access technology.