The commanding building at 4201 Main Street in Houston, Texas was built in 1939 for what would be an iconic Sears Department Store, and now, in 2021, that same building is starting a new legacy: The Ion, Houston’s premier hub for innovation activity. Common Desk has joined the ranks of some of the nation’s top companies to cultivate an authentic, game-changing community within its historic art deco walls, and we can’t wait for all of Houston to experience the magic that’s been made here at The Ion.
After a year of preparation, we’re proud to open the doors of Common Desk – The Ion to members and guests looking for a flexible and intentional workspace like no other. Born in Dallas, Texas in 2012, Common Desk specializes in office and coworking solutions for teams that need space to scale and grow without paying extra for perks that make workdays great. We made our first entry into Houston in the fall of 2020, and we’re excited to be opening our largest flex office space to date, and our third location in the city (with more to come) from a project as special as The Ion.
Inside The Ion
Spanning 58,400 square feet, Common Desk resides on the entire second floor of this striking innovation center. With stunning design and game-changing amenities, Common Desk – The Ion promises to exceed the expectations of Houston’s great thinkers, entrepreneurs, and problem-solvers. Classic CD amenities include bottomless craft coffee, unlimited conference room bookings, access to all shared areas, private chat booths, full kitchens and break areas, and an all-access pass to our network of coworking spaces across Houston, Austin, Dallas, and North Carolina.
In addition to the standard lineup, our Ion location offers Common Desk members access to a state-of-the-art podcast studio that doubles as a karaoke lounge after hours (did that excite you as much as it excites us?), a large training room that accommodates up to 64 people, use of all shared areas across the building, and a Fiction Coffee espresso bar serving specialty drinks from the heart of the space. Restaurants and retail concepts on the first floor make meals and happy hours a cinch, and vast public green areas outside offer fresh air, walks, and creative event space for all. Seventeen private chat booths are distributed throughout the space (more than any other Common Desk location), and ten conference rooms for 6-14 people are readily available to each member.
Head-turning design
Common Desk – The Ion is designed specifically to meet the wants and needs of the innovative workers in the community. With an elegant and professional aesthetic, combined with fun pops of personality, members can settle in for important meetings, collaborative events, and routine workdays alike. Shared areas are thoughtfully enhanced with unique decor that celebrates the history and culture of both the building and Houston. Offices and suites are outfitted with painted steel storefronts, allowing premium opportunities for branding and promotion, as well as Class A finishes that span every detail from furniture and flooring to sink faucets and backsplashes. Our in-house design team has put their special touch on every inch of the space; from hand painted murals to curated prints of astronauts, Common Desk – The Ion catches eyes at every turn. Also worth mentioning is one of the largest design callouts of the building, the internal lightwell that ushers in natural light and visibility for all 5 floors. Members of Common Desk can snag a bistro table near the lightwell and see activity on the ground floor, or wave hello to a tenant on floor 4. Words really can’t do this building justice, so believe us when we say that you should absolutely see The Ion for yourself.
The Ion difference
This location offers a wider variety of memberships than any other Common Desk, meaning that access to coworking has never been more flexible. Members can choose the membership level that works best for them from an expansive list of products, including shared desk, elevated shared, dedicated desk, private office, mini-suite, and standard suite as full-time offerings. Amenities like the training room, conference rooms, and daily access are also available on an “a la carte” basis for those who just need a one-off landing spot.
Suites are customizable to each team’s needs, giving teams the option to keep a traditional suite layout, create their own open desk configuration, or even combine suites for extra space. Moving into a suite is made significantly easier with the fully-furnished package we offer; sit/stand desks, ergonomic chairs, comfortable soft seating, and tech-enabled conference room furnishings all come standard with each suite, so teams can get straight to work. For maximum focus and privacy, Common Desk – The Ion provides more soundproof areas than most industry competitors, with over 150 sound machines purposefully placed throughout the space. All members have access to curated lounge areas and amenities, making the co-mingling of people and ideas effortless.
The wide selection of flexible memberships offered means that smaller teams looking to be in an innovative space can scale and grow at their own pace. Once a team outgrows its Common Desk suite, it can easily move into a traditional space elsewhere in The Ion or even in one of the buildings rolling out in the next 5-8 years, without leaving the Ion community. We’re proud to provide an entry point to the innovation district for startups and entrepreneurs on terms that make sense for them.
While Common Desk has always been focused on building community within each of our locations, The Ion enables us to take it a step further. With the thoughtful, open design of the building, it’s never been easier for our members to get to know people beyond the walls of our workspace. In addition to the members-only community events led by Common Desk staff each week, the Ion Go Team provides engaging and illuminating programming for all tenants of the building. This allows countless opportunities for Common Desk members to get even more from their workspace and form connections with large enterprise companies officing in different parts of the building. This collaboration and melting pot of ideas is precisely what The Ion was built for.
Common Desk – The Ion is now open to the public for tours and new memberships. For existing members at another location, add The Ion to your network of office choices whenever you choose! Knowing how important it is to feel safe in the space you choose to work, we’ve worked hard to create a number of solutions to help members and guests feel as comfortable as they do at home while using our spaces. We’re closely following real-time local and state COVID-19 mandates for measures around mask wearing and social distancing, regularly deep cleaning the space with a focus and emphasis on shared areas, and arranging furniture so that social distancing is easily achieved. We can’t wait to show off this one-of-a-kind stunner of a space, so book your tour and come see us at The Ion!
