Where we’ve been, and where we’re going

Dearest Friends and Neighbors, 

Happy Spring! It's been awhile since we've had events at Localgroup Studio and BRUNA Press. As we enter a new season, we are updating everyone on where we've been and where we're heading.

Where we went

As some of you know, the pandemic significantly changed the use of our space at 221 Prospect Street such that we had to close it to the general public in favor of the safety of our co-workers. This meant that we could no longer host or rent out the building for events, which we enjoyed organizing previously. Like many of you, we also had to retreat from a lot of social activities for the safety of loved ones who were/are immuno-compromised. Among these loved ones included two little ones who joined our family during the pandemic, one who was born at the end of 2020, and a second baby born last May. Needless to say, with their arrival, our lives have been joyous and full.

Between the pandemic and the kiddos, we have realized that our time and energy were not as expendable as they once were. Between managing the coworking space, running BRUNA Press, and handling the ongoing maintenance for the 221-227 Prospect building, we are no longer able to give any of these projects the attention they deserve. So, the building and our dreams of community building with and from it will have to be suspended in light of this realization. 

Late last fall we listed 221-227 Prospect Street for sale and received a few offers, with one that we accepted, but at the last minute the buyer pulled out. Ordinarily, this might seem like bad news, but we were relieved in the end because the buyer was not the right fit. We firmly believe the right one is soon to show up. And, this is where we are asking for your help in getting the word out to find this person(s). 

Where we are heading

Our plan was (and still is) to continue running the coworking business in half of the building, but to have someone else take over responsibility for owning the building as a whole, and with the new owner having the other half of the building to do with as they see fit.

To that end, over the past few months, we consolidated the coworking business into the North side of the building (the 227 Prospect side, which was formerly Barry’s Bail Bonds before the pandemic), and we’re very proud of the improvements we made to the North Studio to make it cozy, modern, and inviting. This means we have completely freed up the South side of the building (technically 221 Prospect), which is the side you are most probably familiar with from events at Localgroup and BRUNA.

This means the 2821 sqft South Studio is now available for lease! Please spread the word about this opportunity. You can see and share the link about the long-term rental listing on LoopNet. And, while we search for a long-term tenant, please note that the space is also available for meeting/event rentals again. If you are interested in a short-term event rental, you can find out more information on Craigslist. 

Although we have taken the building off the market, we will plan to put it back on sometime in the spring. At the moment, we are also quietly entertaining offers and are open to provide owner financing to the right potential parties. If you know of anyone who would be interested in this scenario, please let us know. 

Thanks so much for reading this long update. We hope that through our community network, we will find a like-minded partner for the next chapter in the evolution of the building. 

With appreciation and affection,

Alan and Kristina, owners of Localgroup Studio

Localgroup Studio COVID-19 Reopening

Dear co-workers and friends of Localgroup Studio,

For 10 weeks, Localgroup Studio has been closed for business during Washington State's "Stay Home, Stay Healthy" order to slow the spread of coronavirus. Now Whatcom County has entered Phase 2 of the Safe Start process, when offices are allowed to reopen again, including Localgroup. Effective Monday June 8th, Localgroup Studio welcomes returning and new members to its offices, with the introduction of new precautions for the safety of its co-workers and community.

Read on to learn more about all the changes we've made.

Some of the precautions we have put in place:

• 10-foot separation of desks and workstations

• the provision of face masks, hand sanitizer, and tissues to all co-workers at every desk and workstation and throughout the space

• frequent air filter changes and HVAC maintenance

• required safety training of all staff and co-workers

• symptom screening for all co-workers via email

• the installation of hands-free lights and temperature controls to reduce and remove contact with high-touch surfaces

• compostable plates and cutlery for food consumption

• nightly cleaning of high-touch areas Monday through Friday

• installation of protective screens around offices (forthcoming)

For more details, and or our coronavirus Frequently Asked Questions, visit our COVID-19 Update page.

Here's a quick video tour of some of the new COVID-19 changes in the studio.

Expanded North Studio

If you haven't visited in the studio recently, you may not be aware that we nearly doubled our available coworking area when we expanded into the north side of the building (the space formerly occupied by Barry's Bail Bonds). We had just finished the process of fixing up the North Studio at the beginning of 2020, and we were planning a grand opening event right at the time when COVID struck.

The grand opening party will have to wait, but the new half of the studio is open and ready for coworking! Here are a few photos of the new space:

Revised layout, all dedicated desks

The expanded North Studio has given us lots of room to fully rearrange our layout to provide the maximum possible spacing to reduce the risk of virus transmission. Each coworker sits more than ten feet away from any other coworker.

Also, under our new COVID protocols, there will be no more "hot desking." Instead, all coworkers will have a dedicated desk assigned to them, regardless of whether they are full-time or part-time. To prevent the spread of germs, please do not touch other coworkers' chairs or desks.

Are you eager to come back to the studio, or maybe ready to try us out for the first time? Visit our sign up page and get started with a 20% discount on your first two months!

A diagram of the new studio layout. The old South Studio is on the left, and the new North Studio is on the right. Dark green circles show a six-foot diameter around each station, and the light green circles show the ample ten-foot spacing we offer at Localgroup.

Events paused indefinitely

Community events and educational talks were a very important part of our mission at Localgroup Studio, but unfortunately we do not have plans to resume any public events for the foreseeable future. Even when we move into later stages of the Safe Start program when group gatherings are no longer banned, it is unlikely that we will convert any of our space back into an events space, because we need all of our available square footage to maintain safe working distances for our coworkers.

In the future we may resume some programming in the form of virtual events, or by converting some ongoing events (like the Bellingham Housing Cooperative Resource Center open hours) into small meetings by appointment only.

Please stay tuned to this mailing list and to our social media feeds over the next months and years. It seems the fight against coronavirus will be a very long one, and we will do our best to continue supporting and building our local community in any way we can.

We are lucky to be a part of such a strong and lovely community, and we are honored to be stewards of this space which means so much to us and to so many of you (this space which we must never forget has been the traditional home of the Lummi and Coast Salish communities from time immemorial). 

Thank you for reading. We hope to see you around the studio soon. Until then, take care of yourselves, take care of your loved ones, and take care of your neighbors. And as always, Black Lives Matter.

🖤🖤🖤

City Design Bellingham: A Visioning Workshop for Our Urban Villages

Reposting from Bellingham Urbanists as part of Bellingham Design Week

Bellingham's population is projected to double in less than 30 years and it's critical that our city grows in a way that's good for both people and planet. With that in mind, what will Bellingham look like in 2030, 2040 or 2050? Will backyard fences and car-centric development continue to drive the urban sprawl that eats away at our agricultural lands and wilderness areas? Or will we prioritize climate-positive, walkable urban villages where diversity and inclusion create thriving communities? As residents of Bellingham, it's up to us to work with our elected officials in creating the best possible future for our city, but first we must envision that future. So join us on Tuesday, May 14th for a fun and collaborative evening exploring the possibilities of what an urbanist future for Bellingham might look like.

The workshop will begin with a short introduction followed by an overview of potential projects that range from protected bike lanes to high speed rail and from alley revitalization to iconic skyline projects. Attendees will then select a project to work on and form into workgroups of 3-6 people. Once the groups are set, then it's time for each to dive into their respective projects for approximately 90 minutes. We'll wrap up the evening with workgroups sharing their results and with each presentation, the vision for what Bellingham's future might look like will come into focus a little more.

Please also RSVP on Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/city-design-bellingham-a-visioning-workshop-for-our-urban-villages-tickets-61301877566

If you'd like to connect with other attendees on social media, you can find the event on Facebook at facebook.com/events/1243838945792092

Introducing Terrell Carter, Localgroup Research Fellow

Localgroup Studio and Bruna Press + Archive are pleased to introduce our new Research Fellow in Critical Design, Terrell Carter. Brought on to support the Vienna Model project, Terrell is conducting research regarding what social housing in Bellingham might look like if Bellingham were to adopt Vienna's social housing approaches to architecture, development, and planning. 

Originally from the San Juan Islands, Terrell has a long-held love of design, community, and place-making. This love propelled him to enter Deep Springs College, a self-governing educational community in California, followed by studies at Yale University, where he got an undergraduate degree in Humanities, focussing on antiauthoritarian responses to modernist architecture in the 1960s. After completing his degree, Terrell travelled broadly, by nesting in Beijing, Vancouver, Sitka, San Francisco, Brooklyn, and Paris.

Terrell keeps his perspective global while focusing on the local by working as our research fellow.  When he's not in the studio, you can find him practicing improv with Momentum Improvisation Lab, volunteering at the Pickford Film Center, or teaching elementary students about bicycle safety. 

We are so excited about Terrell's fellowship and appreciate his very thoughtful and insightful engagement with the Vienna Model and its potential connections to housing in Bellingham. Come see Terrell introduce and lead discussions on our upcoming screenings listed below. 

April 16 (6:30pm-7:30pm)   Documentary film screening: How to Live in Vienna (2013)

This 49 minute video essay gives an overview of Vienna's housing development from the late 19th century until today. The movie is produced as a cultural journey to selected housing projects showing their urban and social circumstances.

RSVP on Meetup or Facebook

April 25 (6:30pm-8:00pm)   Documentary film screening: Urbanized (2011)

A documentary about the design of cities, which looks at the issues and strategies behind urban design and features some of the world's foremost architects, planners, policymakers, builders, and thinkers.

RSVP on Meetup or Facebook

Showcasing the Creatives of Bellingham

We love this video showcasing the energetic design community here in Bellingham, created by the talented Miriam Gootherts! Very pleased to have Localgroup Studio recognized for our contribution to building (creative) community. You definitely want to watch this one full-screen!

Localgroup Studio featured at Bellingham Entrepreneurs→

Localgroup Studio is pleased to be recently featured over at the site for Bellingham Entrepreneurs, a non-profit, grassroots organization dedicated to building the early-stage entrepreneurial community and ecosystem in Bellingham.  After softly opening to the public in late March with our first Design Drinks + Talks event, we are excited to make more connections within the local community and to announce our official opening to the public as a creative coworking space. Thanks to Rhys Faler at Bellingham Entrepreneurs for announcing the opening of our design-supportive, shared office in this very thoughtful introduction to the Studio's space, mission, and culture.

To summarize some key points in the article, we firmly believe in supporting the creative work of our community and hope to grow the ambition, volume, and critical nature of Bellingham's design discussions by creating space for connecting, whether locally, regionally, or internationally. To this end, the Studio hosts periodic social and educational events like Design Drinks + Talks and Data Visualization classes. Outside of regular office hours, the Studio is committed to using design to create meaningful civic engagement with projects that benefit the community and environment. Localgroup currently provides space for activities by groups operating in Bellingham, Whatcom County, and the greater Cascadia region, including Bellingham.design's peer mentoring program, Cascadia Deaf Nation, the Bellingham chapter of FairVote Washington, and What Now Bellingham.

Alan McConchie is the founder and head of Localgroup Studio. He was born in Bellingham and raised in the Fairhaven neighborhood. He recently relocated back to the city after living in San Francisco, where he is Lead Cartographer at Stamen Design, an internationally recognized data visualization and map design studio. With Stamen, he has taught classes with clients such as the Audubon Society, National Geographic, Facebook, and Pinterest. He has also taught data visualization and online mapping courses to Facebook, Stanford University, University of California at Berkeley, and the World Health Organization.