Ann Arbor photographer and architect launch studio co-working space as a "clubhouse" for creatives

Ann Arbor photographer Abby Rosenbaum and Ann Arbor architect Lisa Sauvé recently brought a longstanding dream to life by co-founding a studio/office co-working space for local creatives.

Located at 1946 Packard St. in Ann Arbor, StudioStudio boasts a capacious 1,000 square feet of open studio space. Amenities in an adjoining 500-square-foot communal work lounge include a kitchenette, desk space, laser printing and scanning, secure Wi-Fi, and phone booths for private calls. 

"There's nothing in town that's comparable to our space," Rosenbaum says. "There's lots of co-working space in Ann Arbor, but nothing specific for local creatives. We decided that we had to build it ourselves."

She says the space was supposed to open earlier in May, but "the pandemic happened and it was cosmically bad timing." It soft-launched in August instead, and Rosenbaum says the space's community of users has been growing steadily since then. In fact, StudioStudio has been booked every day this month.

"It got really scary for a minute, so we're really happy about the amazing interest we've had," Rosenbaum says. 

StudioStudio was birthed primarily with photographers in mind, but other creatives are welcome and have taken advantage of the venue. A selling point is the amount of natural light that streams in. Additionally, top-quality blackout curtains offer flexibility to people requiring studio lighting.

"The space was an old dry cleaners that was around for 50 years that we basically gutted," Rosenbaum says. "We've got these great windows and a roll-up garage. It's a great space that can really accommodate a lot of different purposes."

People have used the space for a variety of projects so far. 

"We have a number of influencers, people who need good light, and people who'd like to use our props to film content," Rosenbaum says. "There's a food blogger, for example, that uses our cute kitchenette. Last week a group from U-M came in and shot a skincare commercial."

The venue has also hosted a number of small, intimate gatherings like micro-weddings and dinner rehearsals. Some art shows are on the books for the near future. Full details on amenities, cost, packages, and bookings can be found on the StudioStudio website. 

"We're working toward serving almost like a sort of clubhouse for local creatives and would love more people to join us as we grow," Rosenbaum says. 

Jaishree Drepaul-Bruder is a freelance writer and editor currently based in Ann Arbor. She can be reached at jaishreeedit@gmail.com.

Photo courtesy of StudioStudio.