Making Waves With Less

Six square meters is really not a lot of space. But two young entrepreneurs from Eschweiler believe that the space is absolutely sufficient to accommodate all the necessities of daily life and, above all, work. After all, they have a famous authority backing them up: “In its first ‘World Happiness Report,’ the UN defined six square meters of living space as being a basic condition for a happy life,” Johannes Graf and Lukas Kaesmacher write on their website. Their company sechsquadratmeter GmbH rents out “individual campervans,” some of which are converted ambulances.

Sufficient comfort in the XXS dwelling is provided by a large, comfortable bed with a proper slatted frame, a large desk with two computer workstations, a kitchen with plenty of storage space, an induction stove as well as a refrigerator with a freezer compartment. A coffee maker, sink, water tanks, and a hot water boiler are also included. A waterless composting toilet can be built in if the customer so desires. The only thing that you won’t find in their design is a shower. “We deliberately did without this because experience has shown that the wet room in motorhomes tends to be mostly used to put shoes in and hang up jackets. So we had no problem in leaving out the shower. Instead, we have a pull-out outdoor shower,” explains Graf's business partner Lukas Kaesmacher.

The offer to rent “individual campervans” is particularly directed at office workers who can work remotely. The office equipment includes two ergonomic office chairs, height-adjustable screens with webcams, and power outlets for both laptops and accessories. A small safe keeps the technology safe from tampering or theft. What about when it's bedtime? “Everything can stay on the desk when the bed is folded down,” says Lukas Kaesmacher. A modified Fritzbox, in combination with a 5G omnidirectional antenna, is in place to ensure the very best Internet connection. “We even tested this in the deepest area of the Eifel region,” Johannes Graf tells us. Our smartphone had zero reception, but the camper's internet was working just fine.

Combining the Advantages of Working From Home With the Freedom of “Van Life”

Johannes Graf studied energy engineering at RWTH Aachen University. Because he was tired of being stuck inside during the COVID-19 pandemic, he decided to convert a fire truck into a camper van and swap his job in front of a screen at home for a van tour of Europe that lasted several months. Lukas Kaesmacher, who studied civil engineering at FH Aachen University of Applied Sciences, arrived in the same place the other way around. Excited by the idea of a longer trip, he first bought a former ambulance to convert it into a motor home. When the two tinkerers eventually met online via a sales platform, it was only going to be a matter of time before they founded a start-up. Their basic idea consisted of combining the advantages of “home office” or remote work with the freedom of “van life.” August 2021 marked the beginning of the project. About a year later, the company was turned into a limited liability company (GmbH). According to the founders, the initial phase was anything but fun. They were confronted with “a lot of bureaucracy and very little digitization.” “They don’t make it easy for you, but there was also a lot of support, for example through advice from the Chamber of Industry and Commerce,” Johannes Graf concludes.

A Change of Scenery Helps to Promote Creativity

There are currently six vehicles in the fleet. So far, these have been used primarily by private individuals. Among the customers are regular employees who have already used up their annual leave but still don't want to miss out on a change of scenery. “They go to France for a few weeks, for example, and work remotely while also enjoying the seaside,” says Lukas Kaesmacher. Self-employed people who have to work two to three hours every now and then even when they are on vacation are another target group.

In the future, the Eschweiler team wants to increasingly target companies with their product. They see their product as an innovative means of attracting, retaining, and motivating skilled workers. “From the employee’s point of view, it's a change of scenery that they get paid for. It serves to promote creativity and lower stress levels,” says Johannes Graf. “Employers can win over their staff with a cool corporate benefit, and they get happier employees as a result.” The small company wants to continuously expand its fleet and build up a small team. In the medium term, the founders want sechsquadratmeter to become synonymous with mobile, location-independent working.

– Author: Daniel Boss