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Long before there was a sign saying “coffee corner” on the wall, we were already having long conversations with people in The Owl’s Nest with a cup of coffee or tea in their hands. Somebody comes in with a broken amplifier or a laptop that no longer starts up, but then stays a little longer. At first the conversation is about the fault, the repair and the costs, then almost automatically it shifts towards work, home, study stress or plans that have been sitting in a drawer for years. Those conversations were always there; the coffee corner now gives them a deliberate place.
That is why we have created a fixed coffee corner in the workshop. Not a trendy bar with loud music, but a solid tool cabinet and chairs where you can sit quietly. It is a place where visitors, volunteers and neighbours can meet informally. Sometimes the conversation is mainly about technology and ideas for new projects, sometimes it is about very different things: loneliness, overload, reintegration after a burnout or the aftermath of a difficult work experience. All of that is part of life, and therefore also part of the people who walk in here.
We are not doctors and not a mental health clinic: we do not make diagnoses and we do not offer formal treatment. What we do try to be is a low-threshold place alongside the care you may already be receiving. You can drop in without a referral or paperwork, grab a cup of coffee or tea and catch your breath. Without a label and without judgement. If you just want to get out of your head for half an hour after a difficult day, or simply feel like a chat about technology, that is more than enough reason to sit down.
Sometimes we work together with other organisations. They support people in a treatment or coaching programme; we offer a calm workshop, practical projects and a place to practise new routines. Think of working on something together, learning to trust your hands and head again, or simply experiencing that you are welcome somewhere without there immediately being an expectation of “performance”.
At the coffee table a few recurring themes keep coming back:
For us, all of this belongs to what a community workshop should be. Of course we have tools, measuring equipment and machines, but just as important is a table where you can say without shame that something is not working, that you are dreading something, or that you have no idea where to start. We try to respond to that by explaining things calmly, thinking along in concrete steps and above all not looking down on beginner’s questions. Technology is not an exclusive club; everyone started somewhere.
The coffee corner is also the place where ideas for new activities are born. A visitor who tells us they are stuck at home on a particular piece of electronics can easily be the starting point for a small open evening or a mini-workshop on that topic. Someone who has worked in technology for many years and is now at home can suddenly turn out to be a great resource for others. In this way we try not only to hear the experience that people bring with them, but also to put it to use in a focused way.
If you mainly want to “get away for a bit” from a stressful or unsafe situation, it is important that nothing is compulsory. You are welcome to just listen without saying anything, or to talk only about very practical things: a lamp that keeps burning out, a bike light that keeps flickering, a computer you do not dare to open. If you feel like it, we can look together at which small steps you can take yourself, at your own pace and with the resources you have.
In that sense the coffee corner is an extension of what The Owl’s Nest and ASK-Solutions stand for: sharing knowledge, helping people regain control over their own tools and environment, and showing that you are not alone with your questions. Sometimes a good conversation over a cup of coffee is enough to take the next step. And if that leads to a fun technical discussion or a new project idea, that is a welcome bonus.
Not sure whether The Owl’s Nest is right for you? Then read more on Who is The Owl’s Nest for? or make an appointment for a calm introductory conversation.