workish.berlin: Berlin's Creative Coworking Space Running on Cobot (+ video interview)
workish.berlin is a creative coworking space in Berlin for artists, makers, and freelancers – built around a FabLab, event spaces, and private offices in a building with deep roots in Germany's film history. With Cobot, the founders automate operations so they can stay focused on their community.
Favorite Cobot Features
The Story Behind workish
In 2021, betahaus had to close its location in the historic Geyer-Werke building due to COVID. Wanting to preserve the creative spirit left by betahaus, Taylor and Lenny decided to launch an independent creative coworking space rooted in connection and expression, with sustainability and profitability in mind.
The building was a fitting home for workish. Originally housing the oldest film processing company in Germany, it helped shape Berlin's early film industry and remains a stop on the city's 1920s cinema walking tours. Co-founder Lenny has a background in film, which makes the connection more than incidental.
Today, the space is home to hundreds of freelancers, remote workers, and artists.
It features distinct zones tailored to different needs:
- The Ground Floor, a flexible, social area for freelancers and community events
- The Upper Floors, quiet zones, and offices for focused work
- The FabLab | NK, developed in collaboration with 42 Berlin, offers a hands-on makerspace for 3D printing, woodworking, textiles, and more
- Plus, a leafy garden, perfect for working outdoors or informal meetups during the warmer months
The Challenge: Building a Strong Community-First Foundation
From the very beginning, Taylor and Lenny had to move quickly. With limited funds to support such a large space, their main goal was to grow a vibrant coworking community as fast as possible. That meant they couldn’t afford to waste time on administrative tasks.
Managing memberships, payments, and bookings manually wasn't an option from day one. On top of the basic operations, the FabLab added another layer of complexity: different membership tiers needed different levels of access to equipment, and tracking that by hand would have been a constant drain.
External bookings were another gap. The space had real potential as an event venue for outside groups, but without a way to handle those bookings independently, the team would have had to coordinate everything manually.
With a small team and a space built for independent creatives, they also needed members to manage themselves. Freelancers and small companies often move fast and want to handle bookings and account details from their phone.
"Our startup phase was incredibly fast. We needed a reliable solution from day one, and Cobot was an easy choice since I already had some experience working with the platform, and it was a solid option."
How workish Uses Cobot to Stay Community-First
Cobot allowed workish to take control of their operations while staying focused on what matters most, their creative community.
The Members Mobile App puts workish members in control of their own day-to-day. Through Cobot's coworking mobile app, they manage their accounts, track memberships, and book resources on the go.
“All our members adopted the app immediately. Things run more smoothly now, but it actually feels more personal, not less. Members handle the logistics themselves, so when they do come to us, it's about the space, not admin.” Lenny & Taylor, Co-founders of workish.berlin
Cobot's Resource Management handles access to FabLab tools by membership tier automatically, keeping coworking members and FabLab users on separate tracks without any manual oversight.
External Bookings opened a revenue stream that runs without manual coordination. Outside groups book the space directly through Cobot, keeping the calendar full.
Results with Cobot:
- Members self-manage accounts, bookings, and FabLab access through Cobot's coworking mobile app
- FabLab access is tiered and automated by membership plan – no manual tracking
- External bookings bring 15+ events a month without team involvement
Advice for Other Spaces Considering Cobot
"Just go for it! Cobot took care of the operational headaches so we could focus on what matters – our people."
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