Cloudworks, connecting spaces with added value
Marta Gràcia Vilar, CEO of Cloudworks.
What is Cloudworks?
We create and manage spaces of coworking and flexible offices in Barcelona and Madrid.
When did you start working at the company and when was it founded?
Sergi Tarragona founded Cloudworks Sagrada Familia in September 2015 as the first coworking space in the city, located in a penthouse with terraces and views of the city. I joined as the second member of the team in 2016 as head of strategy.
What do you like most about your job?
The opportunity to get to know and be in continuous contact with so many projects, companies and entrepreneurs of the city. It makes you stay connected and keep up with trends in order to incorporate them in the day by day of our clients. Lastly, it has made me grow by the hand of many of our clients that started at the same time as us.
And what do you like least?
At times I miss having a routine, but it is counterbalanced by the flexibility and the possibilities of conciliation.
What do you think your company excels at?
The proximity and flexibility in the treatment of our team and clients, an essential part of our values and brand. Cloudworks is known for fully adapting its spaces and services to accommodate all types of clients (from freelance to corporate). We strive to create a productive, innovative, pleasant and sustainable working environment for all our team and members.
What is your main challenge?
Maintaining the closeness in the daily treatment of our members in lockstep to the expansion of our centres and equipment, personalization and knowledge of the specific needs of each individual client.
Where is your business located? Do you know why this location was chosen?
Cloudworks opened the first space next to Sagrada Familia, which is a good location and well connected, but not extremely central to the city centre, allowing us to reach a wider range of professionals and projects. The locations of our Barcelona and Madrid centres are always well located and connected, as more than 70% of our clients travel on foot, by public transport and do not want to make journeys of more than 30 minutes. For this reason, we've created a network of spaces that cover most areas of the city and can be reached in a maximum of 15 minutes. The latest area is at Sant Gervasi, on Carrer Tuset.
What do you like most about the neighborhood where you work?
I am lucky enough to be able to move between centers on a daily basis so I visit almost every week many areas and neighbourhoods of Barcelona. That allows me to stay up to date and connected. Sant Antoni is one of my favourite neighbourhoods as it maintains the essence of local shops and many public spaces are being adapted to be beneficial for the local inhabitants of the neighbourhood.
How important is Barcelona for your company?
Barcelona is part of the essence of Cloudworks, it was created and has grown as a project for Barcelona entrepreneurs and projects. Both Sergi Tarragona, founder of Cloudworks, and I were born and raised in this city and we try to reflect its culture and way of doing things in our daily dealings with our team, suppliers and clients.
With which city would you compare Barcelona?
I don't like very much to compare. We should see it the other way around, many cities should compare to Barcelona.
What form of urban model should Barcelona adopt?
I would like Barcelona to focus on its residents, centred both on the improvement of the business and personal life, as well as the decentralization and easy access to many types of public, educational, housing and everyday services.
What best practices from other cities would you like Barcelona to adopt?
I know the other cities and their models as a visitor, but I reckon that an efficient public transport network that would reach every neighborhood where you could easily arrive in less that 10 minutes would very much improve the environmental and life quality of our city.
What do you ask of the Barcelona of the future?
Welfare and progress.
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