Adopting a “Strict No Jerk” philosophy, a new business in Phoenix strives to provide the creative community with a clean, quiet and dependable space to tune in to their creative side to complete work.
The Lab, which opened last month on Central Avenue, is a 1,000-square-foot space with bright blue walls and two chairs at a table with room for four. The space is a five-minute walk from ASU’s Downtown Phoenix Campus and almost blends in with its surroundings, with the exception of the glass door that allows passers-by to glance inside the building.
Owner Robert Renteria overtook the lease when one of his business partners moved to San Diego and converted the year-old design studio into the Lab, a coworking space where people in creative fields can come to work on projects and have opportunities to collaborate with others.
“There’s something about the energy you pull from other people,” Renteria said. “Knowing they’re working on something, motivates you to work harder and concentrate on what you’re doing.”
People flock to coffee shops in order to feed off their energy as well, Renteria said, but there can be distractions and there’s not always space to work. Wi-Fi might not be stable and the shops are busy most of the time. Renteria said he wanted the Lab to be an alternative to a coffee house and have it be a quiet, open space where people can come and know they will be able to get work done.
What makes Lab different than coffee shops, Renteria said, is that he plays great music, they have enough seats for people, the Wi-Fi is stable and the space is well lit. Lab patrons can grab something to eat at nearby local restaurants, or a cup of coffee at one of the shops up the street.
When opening the Lab, Renteria said he wanted the space to be more of a niche for workers like illustrators, photographers, designers and artists.
“I felt like I could speak to them; there was nothing geared towards them specifically,” Renteria said. Another coworking space in Phoenix, CO+HOOTS, is more entrepreneurial based and is used more by small companies with a start-up mindset, Renteria said.
“I wanted to focus in on the creative industries, knowing that I’ll have an idea of what might be beneficial to them,” he added.
Renteria said creators tend to be messy and disorganized, but at the Lab they know they will be able to get work done. He said he wants the Lab to be more personal and non-formal, where people are able to speak with each other comfortably in the space and collaborate on projects.
One of the aims of the Lab is not just to allow creatives to work together, but to bring them together in different situations.
A way the Lab is trying to achieve that is through an event called Creative Mornings, which the space hosted on Nov. 21. The monthly breakfast lecture series features speakers in the creative community who speak about their careers, how artists have evolved, the impact of arts on the community and advice to jumpstart careers or how to be more productive among other related topics.
The series usually is held in major cities, both domestic and international, on a monthly basis.
“(We are) trying to get different creatives, such as illustrators, photographers, designers, artists, etc., to mingle and learn about each others’ disciplines and others to work with in the future,” Renteria said.
There are several different options to join the Lab. The most basic one is being a ‘drop-in’, where for $10 a day, people have access to the seating area and lending library between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m., Monday through Friday.
There is also an unlimited option, for $50 a month, with unlimited visits during the same time. In the member option for $300 a month, there is 24/7 access and a permanent desk and chair where they can work. There is also a ‘freebie’ option, where students and non-profits can utilize the space during those hours with an ID or verification.
Design consultant Adam Mann uses the Lab twice a week to work on packages for clients.
“I find I’m pretty productive here,” Mann said, “I feel like it’s easier to have open conversation across the room.”
Mann has worked in Phoenix for the past four years as a design consultant. Some of his past clients include Short Leash Hot Dogs, Truce and Pete’s Spot.
When Mann first moved to Phoenix from Detroit after getting a degree in architecture, he got a job at a restaurant that needed business cards. The customers liked Mann’s work, and he started to design as a freelancer.
Mann thinks the Lab is a positive addition to the community.
“It’s definitely nothing but positive,” Mann said. “Robert has always been very focused on the community. I can only hope it continues to grow.”
Another creative, artist Andy Brown, whose work is featured in the Lab, said he recently did some work for his clothing line, Soldier Leisure, in the space.
The Lab is a short walk from Brown’s house and art studio. Brown said he likes the way Renteria is getting the Lab’s name out there. He wants it to grow organically.
“I like the way he’s approaching it, for me, I’m attracted to that rather than seeing a large advertisement outside saying this is a collaborative work space,” Brown said. “He’s doing this because he’s good at what he does. He wants the space to reach it’s potential, which is attractive to me.”
In order to reach that potential, Brown said it depends on how the community wants to engage with the space.
A way to do that is through an organization called This Could Be PHX. The organization aims to engage the community by raising awareness about urban living and sustainability through projects, blogs and showcases. Co-founder and marketing consultant Quinn Whissen said it’s nice that Lab is so centrally located in the urban core. Whissen, who has lived in Phoenix for the past four years, said she likes living in downtown Phoenix because she can walk or bike wherever she has to go.
“It’s nice to get out of my home office,” Whissen said, “Often times as an entrepreneur, you can feel isolated, especially if you’re freelance, so it’s nice to work with other people.”
Whissen said she thinks Lab is going to be a great place for the community because there are going to be more residential complexes built in the downtown area, so more entrepreneurial people will come.
“I think it will be great because it’s going to be that hub for entrepreneurs in downtown,” Whissen said. “Especially (for) creative people to come together to think and strategize how to make the community better — opportunities to connect and having places like this is only going to help.”
Contact the reporter at Alyssa.Tufts@asu.edu.
