NEOC, Portland, Maine- Decor Magazine

The Seaward Side.

A unique partnership links Portland, Maine to Reykjavik, Iceland through the “Blue Economy”.
The Hus occupies the upper portion of 68 Commercial street, right above Scales Restaurant.

A FERRY’S BLARING HORN PIERCES the fog as the ship departs the pas- senger terminal at the Maine State Pier. The waterfront bustles with

ships of all sizes cutting through the swirling tides. No matter their destination nor intent, the saltwa- ter unites them, just as it does the ocean-minded individuals who share collaborative office space one wharf west, at the sea-facing tip of 68 Commercial Street.

Bathed in natural light, milky-white walls, and soothing ash-wood finishes, The Hús—which encapsulates the New England Ocean Cluster, a membership organization that connects companies and entrepreneurs to the ocean-based economy—
is a coworking space that seamlessly marries an Icelandic aesthetic (“Hús” is Icelandic for “house”) with the ragged cliffs and windswept shorelines of coastal Maine. Although the design feels effortless, Janeen Arnold—cofounder and designer of the New England Ocean Cluster (NEOC)—explains that hard work and collaboration are behind the bright office space. “This was a vast dark abyss when we got our hands on it,” says Janeen, adding, “It used to be the Portland Science Center, so the walls and windows were covered in a thick black vinyl.”