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BUSINESS
REAL ESTATE
Text by JESS BAULDRY
Photography by LALA LA PHOTO
YOU’LL NEVER WORK ALONE The concept of working in shared office spaces, known as coworking, is rapidly catching on in Luxembourg, where office rents are high.
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t first glance, Bamhaus looks like a row of abandoned build ings besides a worn-out rail track. But on closer inspection, this leafy street in ArcelorMittal’s Dommeldange site is buzzing with creative energy. Films and music are edited here, costumes are designed and art is made by the 20 or so tenants in this creative coworking hub, which began in 2014. Tempted by low rents, self-employed sound engineer Ben Barnich was one of a handful of people to establish an office in the sprawling old industrial complex. “There was so much space, I barely needed it. The idea from the beginning was to get more people here and make something more diverse with more knowhow under one roof,” Barnich explained. It helped that the buildings had been renovated as a film studio in the 1990s. Relics of that era remain in the cinema, a private screening room, and the make-up room with its light bulbframed mirrors, soon to be another creative space. “There’s a lot we’re still benefiting from today. Nevertheless, they’re old buildings. If you don’t maintain them, they fall apart,” Barnich said, adding that he also invested his own time and money to make the space workable. Today, Bamhaus occupies around 1,500m2, spread across two rows of buildings. Coworking spaces range from caver nous workspaces, like Barnich’s private space, to smaller, private offices, open space with desks, and large open creative spaces. In addition to the cinema, Barnich and his colleagues have developed a bar area, a spray room and a maker space, equipped with carpentry tools, areas which are June 2018
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accessible to all tenants to work, hold meetings, host events or rehearsals. “You get more space than just a desk,” he said, adding: “We tried to develop this place organically, with the people there and around the needs that arise.” The main attraction for tenants is the low price--€250 per person per month in a city where average office rents are €31.40 per square metre according to JLL’s 2017 market
report--and flexibility. But it is clear that they get more than just a working space--tenants are also part of a network. “I think it’s nice because everyone’s services get enhanced in a certain way; they can offer more or have a closer connection,” Barnich said, explaining that in the freelance world, recommendations are key. Bamhaus is a typical creative hub, converting an unused space into low-cost and flexible working space
BAMHAUS A. The coworking space, seen on 17 April, is located in repurposed industrial buildings
“ IF YOU WERE THERE TO WORK A BIT, SHARE A LOT AND HAVE BARBECUES TOGETHER, BASICALLY, YOU WERE A GOOD FIT.” LUCILE BARBERET