The first time I met Tom, we shook hands and simultaneously said “Tom”. Always wearing a T shirt and jeans, the founder of Green Garage wonders around the building greeting the CEOs of the companies that work there more like friends than clients. Tom is not only an entrepreneur himself, but has dedicated his life to provide to fellow visionaries a space to work and grow. Green garage became a lot more than a collaborative and shared work space, it became an icon of entrepreneurial vision in midtown and in Detroit.
Tom and his wife Peggy have always been interested in sustainability and the environment. At first, they started a small club in their house. They along with some friend would research specific topics in the area of study to then share them with the group. This went on for years until they realized that their knowledge on the topic had reached a level that could no longer be described as “amateurish”. They started modifying their house, to make it more efficient and to consume the least amount of energy possible.
The importance of what they learned through time, and with the experience they accumulated reconstructing their house, led them to take over a bigger project. They bought a piece of land in midtown, occupied by a former model T showroom. This space was like white canvas, and Tom and Peggy, like artists, painted their vision on it. The building was designed to use a tenth of the energy that a normal office would. From water drainage to optimizing the use of sunlight, Green Garage became an icon of sustainability.
The space was also imagined containing different business. These businesses had to share the same care for the environment, and being Detroit focused, something very important for Tom. The lack of spaces to “hide” your business, creates a very transparent community, and as Tom describes it “a bad place to hide secrets”.
It’s hard not to recognize Green Garage from the outside. Lavender surrounds the entrance of one of the most representative places in Detroit. Green garage is the new Detroit.
Tom and his wife Peggy have always been interested in sustainability and the environment. At first, they started a small club in their house. They along with some friend would research specific topics in the area of study to then share them with the group. This went on for years until they realized that their knowledge on the topic had reached a level that could no longer be described as “amateurish”. They started modifying their house, to make it more efficient and to consume the least amount of energy possible.
The importance of what they learned through time, and with the experience they accumulated reconstructing their house, led them to take over a bigger project. They bought a piece of land in midtown, occupied by a former model T showroom. This space was like white canvas, and Tom and Peggy, like artists, painted their vision on it. The building was designed to use a tenth of the energy that a normal office would. From water drainage to optimizing the use of sunlight, Green Garage became an icon of sustainability.
The space was also imagined containing different business. These businesses had to share the same care for the environment, and being Detroit focused, something very important for Tom. The lack of spaces to “hide” your business, creates a very transparent community, and as Tom describes it “a bad place to hide secrets”.
It’s hard not to recognize Green Garage from the outside. Lavender surrounds the entrance of one of the most representative places in Detroit. Green garage is the new Detroit.
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