#TodaysOffice to get away from perfect California

Sometimes, people do the work for you. On a cloudy Thursday evening, I left home to interview Alex Nunez from Colectivo Workshop, but when I arrived at our meeting point, a curious woman had shown up five seconds before me and started asking Alex questions. A pleasant conversation ensued, and a couple of other women joined in, which helped resolve most of my doubts and gave me a better understanding of his project. “So this is a mobile office! What a great idea! I worked in the city (NY) for many years, and I know how difficult it can be to get there. This is such a smart way to avoid traffic,” she concluded.

Of course, everyone has their own way of interpreting creative work—you can often overhear it in museums. However, Alex’s captivating idea goes beyond solving everyday problems; it fosters creative freedom.

Inside Alex’s truck, everyone is welcome to witness how the creative process unfolds. “We’re now going to discuss a logo we’ve been working on. It’s for a vacation complex in Tulum,” said Alex, introducing me to Pablo Chavarria, a designer working with Colectivo Workshop.

Based in New Jersey but originally from Mexico, Alex is an architect who wanted his own workspace. To achieve this, he designed a modern office inside a truck, where every detail is carefully planned to keep his tools organized. The truck even has solar panels on the roof, allowing him to work sustainably. “Before coming to New York, I lived in California. It’s beautiful—everything is perfect—but I needed a messy environment,” Alex said while rolling down the truck’s blinds. To my surprise, he invited me to participate in the discussion about Pablo’s design. “The fact that the office is so out of the ordinary draws people’s attention,” he explained. Alex is constantly engaging with others—whether they approach him out of curiosity or he stops someone walking by for a third-party opinion, which is invaluable when working on creative projects.

The image of working near the beach whenever I wanted popped into my mind. So, what are the perks of having a mobile office? Besides breaking mental blocks and breathing fresh air, it’s a constant source of inspiration. Yet, in my opinion, starting a project like this takes a lot of courage. When I asked Alex if he felt fear when executing this idea, his immediate answer was no. “It’s all or nothing. Once you jump into something, the answers and everything else align.” According to Alex, the benefits reveal themselves gradually. Taking control of your own work also requires determination—regardless of what challenges you face or how intriguing your conversations might be.

While discussing how curious and easily distracted some people can be, I mentioned a New York Times article I had read that morning, “The Silent Film Returns – on Social Media.” In the piece, Amanda Hess compares clips from the early 20th century to modern-day videos, noting their “focus on spectacle, shocking images and tricks; the capture of unexpected moments in instantly recognizable scenarios; an interplay between text and images; and a spotlight on baby and animal stars.” For me, it’s a brilliant analysis of how art forms are reinvented—an excellent counterargument to the claim that “everything has already been done.” Indeed, Alex’s truck proves that even something as mundane as an office can be transformed into something extraordinary. “We actually met through social media,” Alex revealed. “I was convinced by Pablo’s Instagram account that he was the graphic designer I wanted to work with,” he added, as he began reorganizing his truck to convert it into a private cinema.

Colectivo Workshop is one of those projects that began as a solution to a specific need and grew into something much bigger. During our meeting, I couldn’t stop imagining how fascinating it would be to make a documentary about the people Alex meets or the situations he encounters.

Whatever happens with any adventure we embark on, it always leaves something rewarding behind. As Pablo concluded, “It’s your responsibility to twist it, to take what’s already been done and add your own spin.”

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Colectivo Workshop – Mobile Design Office based in Montclair, New Jersey. If you are lucky enough, you might spot them around.

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This project is no longer active, and their website is no longer accessible.