Gosia Kramer (The Office): from “The Garage” to “The Office”
Gosia was desperate to create a co-working space when she fell in love with a dusty garage. How did the renovation go? Interview!
How did you find this place?
My tumultuous recon of Luxembourg led me to find this place. I looked around for empty warehouses, factories and garages – I have built a considerable network of garage owners in the process! – the idea being to refurb them and create “The Office”. I found our current location and saw its potential straight away. My friends and family though I was out of my mind when I showed them what was essentially a dusty rust hole. However, the owner of the place saw the potential in my project and supported me in this long business endeavor and clean up task.
« For the first time in my professional life, I felt in me a sense of fulfilment and an unbreakable resolve. »
What happened during the construction?
It feels like a life at light speed, even though the process only lasted six months. The first step obviously occurred hands deep in dust and construction materials. I was running around Luxembourg and discovered all the DIYs options the city had to offer. For the first time in my professional life, I felt in me a sense of fulfilment and an unbreakable resolve. Those feelings were contagious as my friend came to lend me a hand. The construction workers even started to work extra-time on the site, as they too came to be passionate about the project. This place brings people together – they come and go but are always drawn back here. A memorable moment that comes to mind was when Bert from Governance.io first came to the construction site. He acknowledged the potential of the place straight away and took a chance on us, while it was still far from perfect!
What comes next for The Office?
Many aspect come to mind. From the day we opened, we followed our business plan. However, we also have been moving in sectors which we had not foreseen. The reason being that so many people engage with us and contribute to our work. This resulted in coworkers’ initiatives coming to life with our support. The Office has become a center for female entrepreneurship as women feel a sense of support within our walls to develop a project. Female workshops, discussion groups and co-learning sessions are common occurrence now. Mainly, we keep on growing in terms of co-workers and infrastructures. One cannot imagine the positive reaction we had when we installed a microwave and our bar. Most importantly, this is a place where people feel safe, encouraged and human. Our next project: building our terrace! Everybody is lending a hand.