Lunch With a View: Our Best-Kept Secret, the Terrace

One of our favourite spots at the Generator Hub? The terrace.

Tucked away above the Quay, with sky above and water to the side, it's wonderfully peaceful — the perfect little escape from your desk whenever you need one. Take your lunch, a coffee or just five minutes of headspace, and watch life on the River Exe drift by below.

Members are welcome to use it any time — and on a sunny Exeter day, there's no better seat in the building.

Why stepping outside is good for you (and your work)

It's tempting to power through the day at your desk, but a few minutes outdoors is one of the easiest productivity boosts there is. Natural light helps regulate your body clock, lifting energy and mood through the afternoon — and making it easier to switch off properly come evening.

Time near water and greenery has been shown to lower stress and restore focus. Psychologists call it "attention restoration": your brain's concentration muscles recover far faster in a natural setting than staring at a screen — so the problem that felt impossible before lunch often untangles itself on the walk back to your desk.

Getting up and out also gets you moving. Breaking up long stretches of sitting improves circulation and energy, and even a short change of scene sparks creativity — some of the best ideas at the Hub have arrived over a sandwich on the terrace rather than in front of a monitor.

And then there's the social side. Shared outdoor space is where colleagues become friends: conversations happen on the terrace that would never happen over email, and that sense of community is a big part of what makes coworking work.

So next time you hit a wall, don't push through it — step out onto the terrace instead. Ten minutes of sky, water and fresh air, and you'll come back sharper than any coffee could manage.