The Future of Work is in Coworking Spaces that Care.

The {DEN} is a pilot partnership between HELD Agency and Venture X Burlington Coworking Offices, co-creating a new kind of coworking experience -- one that includes space to rest, regulate, and recharge during the workday.

We believe safe spaces aren’t just created. They’re HELD.

What is the {DEN}?

The {DEN} is a dedicated HELD Space™ inside your coworking environment designed for nervous system recovery during the workday.

Inside the space, members can step out of output-mode and into:

• Rest

• Regulation

• Recharge

It is not a lounge or break room. It is an intentionally designed space for human reset inside high-performance work environments.

Why it exists

Workplace burnout is not just an individual issue -- it’s a systems issue.

In Canada:

• 60%+ of workers report burnout symptoms (Mental Health Commission of Canada, 2023)

• Workplace stress contributes significantly to absenteeism and reduced productivity

• Emotional exhaustion is increasingly common in hybrid and entrepreneurial work cultures

At the same time, coworking spaces are growing rapidly -- but most still focus on access to space, not support within space.

The {DEN} is here to change that.

How to use the {DEN}

You do not need to book it. You do not need to earn it. You do not need to justify it.

You simply enter when you need to:

• Slow down

• Reset your system

• Reconnect with yourself

Then return to your work -- more regulated than before.

What makes this different

The {DEN} integrates three layers:

• Spatial design → low-stimulation, nervous-system-aware environment

• Relational support → HELD Agency Active Listener presence

• Cultural shift → normalizing rest inside high-performance spaces

This is not wellness as a perk. It is care as infrastructure.

A pilot in progress

This is a living experiment exploring:

• How people actually use rest spaces in the workday

• What changes when recovery is made accessible, not exceptional

• How coworking spaces can better support human sustainability

For Coworking spaces that Care:

If you are a space operator or leader:

The {DEN} pilot is testing a scalable model for embedding care into workplace infrastructure.

We are actively exploring future partnerships that believe in building spaces where people don’t just work -- but stay human.

At HELD, we transform quiet rooms into held spaces -- environments designed for rest, recovery, and connection. If you already have a wellness room, we help you evolve it into a space that actually supports regulation and restoration.

To explore how HELD Agency can support spaces of care and decompression, connect with our Team.

Chris/teen Salik (she/they) works at the intersection of decompression spaces, peer support, and collective care, building cultures where rest is embedded -- not exceptional. She also trains Active Listeners to support colleagues and communities through grounded, relational care.