Coworking sites, you were the darlings of a decade ago.
Conceived in the Aughts, you quickly became the hipsters everyone wanted to hang out in during the Twenty-Tens – only to suffer a premature midlife crisis thanks to the pandemic and the biggest kid on the block’s failed IPO and bankruptcy.
As a real estate concept, you’re only 19, but the School of Hard Knocks kicked you into adulting.
You’ve got this.
According to CoworkingCafe.com, the U.S. supply of coworking spaces is increasing to meet demand: “ … the first quarter of 2024 registered an impressive 6% growth … . This puts the current national supply at precisely 6,597 spaces and demonstrates a constant and positive expansion of the sector.”

A specific growth area for the industry includes sites that serve niche needs and clientele, according to CoworkingResources.org.
One such provider is Ampersand Studios, whose clients include those in the $250 billion creator economy – filmmakers, songwriters, photographers, performers, podcasters, influencers, entrepreneurs, marketers.
I recently met Ampersand Studios founder Matthew Giles and his wife, Brittnie Giles, and took virtual tours of their flagship Miami site and new Nashville space. Let’s explore this next-gen coworking concept.
Ampersand Studios Miami
Outside, palm trees might be swaying under South Florida skies, but London’s calling inside the Ampersand Studios Miami space. No pastel “Sonny Crockett” fabrics or tropical motifs here. We’re talking rich, moody blues, browns and greens drenching walls, furnishings and floors – and the feeling you’ve just entered an exclusive club.
“Our idea was to create a venue that’s very different from what you might typically see in a Miami coworking space or even a restaurant or a hotel,” said Brittnie, whose interior design firm, Sandra Britt Interiors, designed the space.
Inspiration came from Matt’s background. He’s of British descent and grew up in Hong Kong, which was a British colony for years. So, how did this Brit wind up in Miami?
“I was moving to the States from England and trying to find where I wanted to land. I’d spent some time in L.A. and New York as well as Miami, and I suppose Miami reminded me of Hong Kong in terms of the weather and the city’s pulse,” Matt explained.

With a background in real estate, Matt observed a void in coworking sites catering to creatives that he’d seen in such cities as London, L.A. and New York. He found a 21,500-square-foot industrial warehouse in Miami’s Arts & Entertainment District and, with Brittnie’s help, set about to design a unique venue.
“I wanted to open a coworking space that wasn’t just pretty and with free Wi-Fi, but something that could be used as a platform to help individuals and businesses in their journey, so that’s how it started. Alongside that, I’ve always been very interested in film and the rise of content creation, and I thought that that could be a good differentiator,” Matt said.
He envisioned a full-service production studio where everything could be under one roof – a large space for video and photo shoots, a smaller space for daylight shoots, a hair and makeup room and wardrobe area, places equipped with podcasting capabilities, various tech stations and private offices, and a gathering area with a bar, tables and booths for mingling and dining.
In designing the space, Matt first considered where people would naturally congregate and, conversely, need private space. However, the biggest task was carving out a large area to accommodate video and photo shoots. The building obliged with its tall ceilings and solid construction, but it needed to be retrofitted with appropriate lighting, soundproofing, a soaring cyclorama wall and other technologies.

Once this 6,000-square-foot studio space was mapped, the rest of the floor plan fell into place, the build out began, and Brittnie and her interior design team set to work.
Subtle menswear plaids and floral patterns, dark window mullions and walnut finishes evoke a private lounge from eras past. But unexpected artwork, bold pops of lemony yellow and an entire wall painted with vertical stripes reflecting the space’s varied colors shake things up. Then, step into the large, bright, modern studio, and it’s like you’re in the future – or whatever you want to transform the set to be.
The building is multipurpose: In addition to the already mentioned capabilities, the venue can be used for brand activations and other experiential events, workshops and panel presentations, corporate meetings, private gatherings, and networking. And, of course, for flexible workspaces.
Rolling Stone magazine rented the space for a photoshoot of Mexican singer-model-actress Danna. A Women’s History Month event was held here this past March.

Individuals and companies can rent space as needed. Resident Members – those who pay a monthly fee starting at $150 – have access to the Members’ Lounge, while Private Office Members have VIP 24/7 access to the entire building.
Matt said a client doesn’t have to be “a creative” to rent space.
“Everyone is invited. At one point, we had a law firm that catered to creative industries using the space. We’re happy to build a bit of an ecosystem naturally and organically … a community of people connected by an interest in or desire to create.”
Since opening in Miami in 2018, Ampersand Studios has had a consistent bank of short- and long-term clients. But, when the pandemic hit in 2020, the company – like so many others – was forced to rethink at least some of its business model. Although Ampersand Studios’ private spaces continued to be used, the open areas were not. It was then that Matt ideated and started the company’s & Grow program, a creative incubator that prioritizes launch services for start-ups and small businesses, including business growth support, production services, and marketing strategy and services. The & Grow program is today available at both the Miami and Nashville locations.
Choosing Miami as Ampersand Studios’ first coworking location was fortuitous, as many people and businesses flocked to Florida during the pandemic for its “open-for-business” policies and culture. Today, Miami is No. 11 on the list of leading U.S. markets by number of coworking spaces, according to Coworkingcafe.com. Nashville stands at No. 21.
So, let’s head to Nashville, where Ampersand Studios opened its second site.

Ampersand Studios Nashville
“Nashville is the perfect home for our second location,” Matt said. “We chose it for its established history in creative industries, a growing workforce, diverse economy, and business-friendly atmosphere that aligns with our commitment to foster creativity and innovation.”
Nashville, of course, is a music mecca. It’s often referred to as “Music City” due to its significant role in the country music industry. It’s home to the Grand Ole Opry and the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Beyond country music, Nashville has a vibrant music scene that encompasses various genres, including rock, blues, jazz and gospel. The city boasts numerous live music venues, recording studios and music festivals.
Ampersand Studios Nashville is located on historic Music Row, which is at the heart of the city’s country music industry and home to many record-label offices, radio stations and recording studios. As such, the Ampersand Studios Nashville emphasis tends to be music-centric but caters to other creative endeavors.

Although the space – at 26,000 square feet – is larger than Ampersand Studios Miami, it’s in a bonafide office building, not a warehouse. But no matter. Matt, Brittnie and their team found a way to retrofit production capabilities within the space. And having had the Miami venue experience, they had learned from the challenges of the first build out.
The Nashville site, which opened in 2023, offers the same amenities and capabilities as Ampersand Studios Miami, and there are subtle design touches that tie the two sites together.
“I wanted it to feel like a cousin of Miami – not an immediate sibling – but like they’re definitely related,” Brittnie said.
For example, the menswear plaid in the Miami location inspired an abstract use of color and pattern for Ampersand Studios Nashville. Large drum-style pendant lights are in both spaces, but the pattern on the drums is different. The window mullions are black, although the glass is different.
Here, the cousins part ways. In stepping inside the Nashville space, you feel like you’ve gone outdoors. Floor-to-ceiling windows in some areas of the venue provide a backdrop of the greenery beyond. Inside, wood beams and ceilings and pops of teal, burnt red, and blue evoke a Western vibe.
But then, Brittnie mixes it up. For example, she had a bit of fun sneaking an “Easter egg” for Matt into the design. On a vacation together, he’d raved about an art installation featuring koi fish. Later, Brittnie commissioned a fabric with a koi fish pattern and used the fabric to upholster parts of the cozy booths in the Nashville space. Meanwhile, the art adorning the walls is fun, funky, lofty – while the furnishings are down-to-earth chill.

Why the name “Ampersand” … and what’s next?
I asked Matt why he named the company “Ampersand Studios.”
“The idea came about because of what an ampersand is and what it means in terms of connectivity … so we thought, that’s the glue to what our business is essentially about — connecting people,” he told me.

Now that he and his team have successfully launched two locations as well as the & Grow program, I asked him, “What’s next?”
He said he’s looking at other cities where coworking sites for creatives are needed. His research has taken him to Phoenix, Washington, DC, Las Vegas and Austin, and he’s pretty sure he’s landed on the latter for his next venture.
“We exist to house a creative culture by supporting the people who shape it. That’s why we’re excited to build our presence in other cities and continue to provide an ecosystem around which current and future creative communities can thrive,” Matt said.