Thomas House hits full occupancy less than a year after opening

Serviced office provider venYou has confirmed that its Thomas House building in Belfast has reached full occupancy less than a year after opening.

AI and tech companies are among those to have taken up tenancy at the 8,500sq ft James Street South facility, which officially opened in June following a complete refurbishment.

The five floors of fully furnished open workspace, with contemporary ground floor executive lounge. were designed to showcase venYou’s distinctive style and attention to detail, and interest in the property was high from the outset.

US industry-leading technology service provider Lucera, which has had a presence in the city since 2015, was the first tenant in Thomas House last April.

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Thomas House hits full occupancy less than a year after opening

When US-based software development organisation aPrioriti relocated to Thomas House in September, its spokesman Matthew Mullan said: “This move is for culture and team dynamic reasons, not just about having more space. While many of our staff work on a hybrid basis, we still have a really positive culture in Belfast and most people enjoy spending time with their colleagues.

“What we needed was a collaborative hub where we could maintain connections, discuss ideas, and solve problems together. Thomas House delivers an open plan office with a real tech centre feel.”

VenYou (venyou.co.uk) says its announcement reinforces the strength of Belfast’s serviced office market, and follows the publication of Lambert Smith Hampton’s regional offices market report in December which said Belfast was on track to post its strongest year for office take up since 2019, with the take up of grade A office space accounting for 86% of 2024 volume.

Donna Linehan, client services director at venYou, said: “The serviced office sector is different compared to five years ago. Add in Covid and its impact, and we’ve seen a fluctuation as companies adapted, restructured and grew in the various business climates.

“What became clear during 2024/2025 is that many companies and their people now prefer to be in the office, whether for two, three or five days a week. Location is always an important factor, but they also need flexibility. Servicing those needs and providing the right client experience has been an essential element of venYou’s success.

“Our Belfast properties, including Ascot House, Northern Court and our flagship Scottish Provident building, are all very different environments, and our clients choose us first and foremost because of the service and tailored office spaces we offer.

“Regardless of the size of a company and its business trajectory, we do our very utmost to ensure we have a workspace solution for that client.”

VenYou operations director Jonny Hill added: “We knew from the beginning we had something very special in Thomas House. From the loft style workspace interiors and exceptional finish of each floor to the executive boardroom, the high calibre of the building was recognised by everyone who came to view the space.

“We set out to create a place where businesses could optimise the opportunity to collaborate and thrive. This has been well received and we are delighted to see Thomas House filled in such a short space of time.

“Our new clients represent a range of growing sectors including tech, wholesale trade, artificial intelligence (AI) and business transformation, and they love the space as much as we do.”

The venYou brand was established in 2019 in response to increasing requests from clients within the Scottish Provident Building that had outgrown their current space and required more workspace, but who wanted to continue receiving the same standard of service offering from directors Jonny Hill and Donna Linehan, and their housekeeping and client services teams.