Tucked into East Vancouver, OneSpace is trying to answer a question many working parents—and especially women entrepreneurs—quietly ask themselves: why does building a career so often come at the expense of everything else?
For founder and CEO Elizabeth Fisher, the idea was born out of personal frustration. At the time, she was running a nonprofit focused on food security while working out of a makeshift office in her basement suite—literally under the stairs. “It was very lonely and isolating,” she recalls. “There’s got to be a different way of doing this.” What she envisioned instead was a place where the essentials of modern working life—focus, childcare, wellness and community—could coexist under one roof.
Since launching in 2016, OneSpace has evolved into a one-of-a-kind hybrid: part co-working hub, part childcare centre, part wellness studio and part community gathering space. The design reflects that ambition. High ceilings, warm wooden floors and an abundance of greenery create a calm, sensory-friendly environment. Desks are tucked into quiet nooks—“really easy to sit and get work done and not be distracted all the time,” Fisher says—while shared amenities include a member lounge, pantry kitchen, phone booths and bookable micro-offices.
Upstairs, the offering expands. Treatment rooms host counsellors and body workers, while a dedicated waiting area supports client-facing practitioners. Another floor houses the children’s atelier, where members can access on-site child-minding. Designed for kids aged one to five, the space is bright, play-based and staffed by an early childhood educator, with features like a dress-up station, a cozy corner for downtime and access to a rooftop play area for daily outdoor time.
Did we mention that the space is also dog-friendly? “We have lots of mini members,” Fisher jokes, reinforcing OneSpace’s lived-in, human feel.
