Office tour: Studio de Paardenstal – A workplace without a company

By | August 20, 2012 | All posts, Office tours, Places | No comments

In the 21st century: the world will be taken over by large corporations, brick houses will make way for concrete skyscrapers and 90% of the citizens will work in tiny cubicles.

At least, that’s what science fiction writers used to tell us, it never got to that extreme scenario. On the contrary: the age of the internet also gave rise to new professions. Those professions gave rise to small workplaces, workplaces occupied by independent teams or individuals, workplaces like Studio de Paardenstal.

Studio de Paardenstal is a workplace without a company. The name means Studio the horse stable. It’s a testament to the original function of the building. Once a real horse stable, the place is now occupied by a small group of freelancers who chose to work there simply because it made an inspiring workplace.  This is in many ways is a contradiction of 20th century view of an office. The building has no industrial look, there are no fixed workspaces and the place is definitely not owned by a large corporation.

The studio has lot’s of areas offering a lot of variety to the occupants. The main working desk is located on the first floor where the workers can join others to have a chat. On the other side they have their own silent room where they can sit alone if they want to concentrate. If they want some more light, they can sit next to the window behind the piano, the doors and windows are open on sunny days. Going upstairs is another option if the workers really wish to be alone.

The occupants of the building make no secret of its history. In fact, the remnants of the stable are clearly visible in most areas. Not just with the hooks and rings on the ceiling and walls but also in the interior decoration. The objects like miniature horses and old photographs remain a legacy of the earlier occupants. The atmosphere of the stable is very much alive in the workplace, you can almost hear the horses neighing. Despite being a studio for 21st century professions, the workplace retains a warm feeling of authenticity.

Photo credits: Mike van den Heuvel for WOVOX, under a Creative Commons-license.

Want to know more? Discover and follow the studio’s profile on WOVOX. You can also check out another workplace: Davison

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