Silo Takes Co-working Outdoors
Some early adopters were the first to show up at Silo’s first “Bring Your Own Work” Day in Makers Quarter Wednesday.
The event planners for Silo, the art-splashed icon of the burgeoning Makers Quarter district in San Diego’s East Village, launched a series of co-working days this week.
Makers Quarter, Moniker Group and the Downtown San Diego Partnership are hosting Bring Your Own Work Day every Wednesday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. for the foreseeable future. You bring the work, food, beer and pets, and they’ll provide the (almost) vacant lot.
BYOW Day
When: Every Wednesday from 1-5 p.m.
Where: Silo in Makers Quarter, 753 15th St., San Diego.
Who: Anyone who wants to come.
What: Co-working. Bring your own food, booze, pets and work. Silo provides the workspace and games.
Price: Free.
Why: To spark more creative thinking, innovation and community gathering.
Silo is dotted with umbrella-shaded work stations featuring furniture made out of picnic tables, plastic crates, wire spools, plywood and wooden pallets inside its muraled concrete walls.
Anyone is welcome to come with their work of choice, whether it be sculpting or programming, and enjoy the free Wi-Fi, ping pong and a bean bag toss.
The hope is to bring entrepreneurial, creative and artistic types together in the same open space on a regular basis so they can collaborate and share ideas, said events manager Jen Singer.
The crowd started small on the first day, but the gathering grew the later it got. By 3:30, a dozen or so people were working and networking under the umbrellas. A couple were crafting art.
“These are the early adopters,” Singer said. She hopes they will talk about their experience and come back with friends next week.
“I was a little surprised at how small it was, but I think it’ll grow,” said Jerrod New, an entrepreneur specializing in training for what he calls “creative-preneurs,” or people with a business idea that they could make happen with a little training in creative skills.
Urban Land Institute director Mary Lydon was one of the early arrivals with her colleague, Fiona Lyons.
“We like to work wherever it’s up and coming,” said Lydon, explaining that they don’t have a permanent, fixed office space. Lyons added that part of their job is staying on top of cutting-edge development ideas such as the outdoor, art-infused co-working environment.
“We are excited to be here on the first day,” Lydon said. “There’s definitely excitement in the air.”
There is plenty of room in Silo’s creative sandbox for more, but Singer said it might take some time for the idea to catch on. After all, there’s nothing else quite like it available in San Diego.
High Five Digital Marketing co-founder Guenter Bergmann said he would likely come again, but in board shorts next time to beat the heat.