Digital 52 3️⃣0️⃣ - Coworking made by a company: the story of Work on Wood (WOW).

Let’s make our way to Porto, Portugal to discover a coworking space initiated by… a company!

Read the full story of WOW on page 116 of "Around The World in 250 Coworking Spaces".

If you follow Digital52 since its beginning, you might remember the story of Rewired, a coworking space based in New Zealand, which was started by XERO, one of the most well-known accounting software companies there is worldwide. Why would a company start a coworking space? For XERO, the idea was to give back to their local communities. But, each and every company finds in the coworking model a way to serve a particular purpose of theirs. In today’s story, you are about to discover a coworking space located in Northern Portugal, which was started by… a Spanish company. A very European story one would say! What has pushed Finsa to launch its own coworking space? What does having a coworking space add to the overall company’s objectives? Beyond the purpose of Work on Wood, the name of their coworking space, what does community mean in the context of their space? Join us on a learning journey to find out.

➡️ A little refresher

Who’s behind the featured space?

While you generally meet people in this section, today things are slightly different. Work on Wood was actually started by Finsa, a company from Vigo, Northern Spain. What does Finsa do?

“At Finsa we have been dedicated to the industrial transformation of wood for almost a hundred years, designing and manufacturing technical and decorative solutions for the spaces around us.

➡️ Key Figures

• Opening year: 2018
• Size when they started: 2,000 sqm
• Size today: Same size

➡️ A little tour around Work On Wood

➡️ Behind-the-scenes

Things you didn't read in aw250cs

➡️ Work On Wood Today

WOW was started in 2018. 5 years down the road, where are things at? That’s the exact question we recently discussed with Andy Pampin, the Community Manager. As you are about to learn, time and the pandemic have been great opportunities for WOW as a team and as a project to reflect and improve the value they create for their community.

💫 Learning from the community, Adapting.

💬 I’d like to start by asking you: what’s new at WOW Porto since September 2021? (the month the book was released)

Although we now have similar ideas, things have changed significantly. We need to engage more people to make our community more dynamic. At that time, the community was less active due to the limited number of people.

One amusing observation is that the pine tree depicted in the book has grown considerably since then. Like natural things, the community has grown with new people joining while others have left.

We have also changed our approach to managing the community. Previously, we believed that all activities and projects should be proposed by us as hosts. However, since September 2021, we have given a voice to the community, allowing them to propose ideas and projects. We identify their intentions through our conversations with them. The physical space remains the same, but this change in our approach has made a significant difference.

💬 What pushed you to make such a change in your approach to community events?

When I first joined the board of directors, we were asked to evolve the concept of our coworking space and to understand why we had it in the first place.

We realized that our space was intended to be a shared workspace that could accommodate both the construction industry and the wood sector. Therefore, we needed to make a special effort to organize activities related to the building sector, the wood industry, and the knowledge shared in these industries.

However, we also recognized that we share the space with a significant community, and it was important to allow them to contribute in their own way. Some people proposed workshops, shared books, or organized concerts, depending on their interests. We tried to give them the space to express themselves.

Although we recognized that the wood sector was our primary focus, we also allowed others to propose activities that would benefit the community. Ultimately, we believe that sharing the space allows everyone to collaborate and contribute to a shared vision.

💬 What’s the biggest change you’ve noticed about your members post-pandemic?

We had members who were with us since we started WOW. But when the pandemic hit, they went home and didn't come back. Other people who were working remotely from home or for a company began to feel like they needed to be around people. The challenge then became how to create a space that provides the right balance between not having distractions and being surrounded by others who are also working in the same space.

We created a space where people can come and work together, rather than inviting people who are working from home. The people who are here are different, some of them are used to working from home and may not be used to working around others. They were looking for a space where they feel comfortable and can share with others who are also working. It's like working in a Northern Hemisphere.

After being here for a while, people started having conversations with each other and finding synergies. In the beginning, during the pandemic, people didn't come here looking for those synergies. They were just looking for a space where they could work. But now, people have started forming relationships.

The initial purpose of this space was to provide a good environment for people to do their job in. And we've been successful in doing that

💬 WOW is initiated by Finsa, what was interesting in the coworking model for Finsa?

Well, Finsa is an industrial company that operates at the beginning of a value chain. This means that we are somewhat separated from the market and the end users. We produce raw materials that are then transformed or used by others. In some ways, this puts us in a more closed-off position in relation to the market. However, we also have the opportunity to engage with a diverse range of professionals who are the best in their respective areas.

Although they may not work directly in our sector, we find it valuable to interact with them, perhaps in joint projects or even socially, as it helps us develop a community and an entrepreneurial attitude.

We believe that developing social skills is also important, and being in a coworking space provides us with a lot of opportunities to engage with professionals and participate in good dynamics.

When we started our business, we were interested in being part of an existing community, but we couldn't find a space that met our needs. That's why we decided to start our own space and open it up to create a tool for a community.

💬 Finsa is a Spanish company so let me ask: why did you decide to open your first coworking space in Porto, Portugal?

The reason for having the first WOW in Portugal was thanks to the local team. They created and invited colleagues from other parts of the company to develop this concept, but it was mainly a local project.

The directors of Finsa didn't instruct the team to create a space; it was the local team that had needs, such as displaying materials and offering a different experience than going to clients' offices with small samples or a price list.

They also aimed to be a reference in the wood wall industry and offer content for those interested in the wood sector or forestry. The project was developed with more people from the company, but it was mainly a local project since the local team was located in Porto.

The local team had offices in the factory, but when the processes were moved to the center of Portugal, they lost their offices. They started in a flat, but it was not suitable for their activities. So, they started designing everything. They chose Porto because it is an important industrial activity hub located in the north of Portugal.

Instead of choosing a location with more architects, they went for a place where there was a good public space. They created a unique experience in their offices, rather than just having simple offices.

💬 How did you grow awareness about WOW locally?

Well, it was quite a challenge after the first three years, as it was a new space. However, it served as a good opportunity to invite people to come and get acquainted with the space. Thus, during these initial three years, a lot of individuals were invited to visit and work from the space, utilizing the available materials, and bringing along others to choose the materials and learn more about wood. As a result, a large number of people visited the space, which motivated the team to continue their work.

Another aspect of our work involved organizing workshops and seminars to showcase our products or to share knowledge with experts. For instance, we held workshops last year with civil engineers, discussing construction using wood. Approximately 90 individuals attended this workshop.

Additionally, we collaborated with an architect who specializes in color to conduct a training workshop for people interested in using colors in their architectural projects. These activities helped us to grow and raise awareness about our work and also to develop and maintain relationships with other working spaces and innovation communities, which is important.

We strive to support the projects of our partners and remain up-to-date with our activities, taking care of these relationships. Ultimately, it is crucial to increase awareness locally.

💬 If you could do one thing differently in the journey of WOW what would it be?

I don't think there's anything to change. I believe that the purpose of this project is to learn and engage with people, and I wouldn't alter this objective. Perhaps there are some minor adjustments we could make to improve the quality of teaching or to develop more innovative programs or research residencies. However, these are things that we can work on moving forward. Nonetheless, I wouldn't modify anything from the past.

➡️ Reflections on Building Work On Wood

💬 What has been your biggest learning out of bringing to life AND growing WOW?

Well, there were other significant takeaways, and the most important lesson for us was about people. Although it may be difficult to hear and understand what people are saying sometimes, it's crucial to listen and be attentive to what they have to say. I believe that the most valuable learning experience was about interacting with people, learning about their cultures, and intentions, and appreciating diversity.

Collecting information is one thing, but the challenge lies in making it interesting and engaging for the audience. It's essential to make the information more accessible, understandable, and relatable to others.

💬 What would be your best advice to someone thinking about opening a coworking space?

As entrepreneurs, it's natural for them to have their own ideas, and sometimes they might try to push these ideas too forcefully. However, it's important to listen to the people around you and give them space to voice their opinions. Running a space requires the participation and involvement of others, and involving them can be sound advice.

In my opinion, it's essential to involve people not just by inviting them to activities but also by providing a platform for them to express their thoughts and collaborate with you in the process. This could involve co-designing furniture or services, actively listening to feedback, and incorporating their ideas into your dynamics and activities. This approach will not only help you develop better solutions but also create a sense of community and belonging.

💬 If you could chat with coworking spaces now, what would you like to ask them?

💬 And if you could chat with members of coworking spaces?

Coworking is about the future and how we can solve problems that cannot be resolved alone. To achieve this, it's important to understand what motivates and drives others, as well as identify areas where we can collaborate and have fun together. By doing so, we can effectively work towards solving problems, testing new technologies, and incorporating innovative ideas.

In light of this, I would like to ask: what kind of work are they currently engaged in?

💬 Last but not least, where do you want to bring WOW next?

We need to restructure our strategy, especially since we are expanding to Madrid, Spain with our WOW space, which will not include coworking. Therefore, we need to develop a new strategy that incorporates other WOW spaces. While the coworking space will remain exclusive to Porto, it is still a part of WOW, and we need to ensure that our strategy aligns with this expansion.

It's an exciting prospect, and we need to figure out how everything will come together. We may need to explore recycling or other sustainable solutions, but we'll work on that as we develop our new strategy.

Our monthly members' event is live!

Join us on April 27th to explore the topic of sustainability in coworking spaces.