7 The rise of independent and hybrid work has reshaped what many professionals need from their workspace. The need for adaptable, community-focused work environments has grown, with many workers now seeking spaces that offer comfort, flexibility, and room to grow. At the forefront of this shift is Copperworks, a modern workplace providing Sint-Niklaas’s workforce with a new way to work. We heard more from Founder and Manager Michel De Baer below, as Copperworks is named in the Real Estate and Property Awards 2026. Situated between Antwerp and Ghent, SintNiklaas is a significant business hub serving as the primary administrative and commercial centre of the Waasland region. Known for its strategic location, excellent transport links, and a robust economy characterised by industries such as logistics, manufacturing, and retail, the city has emerged in recent years as an attractive destination for business. Sint-Niklaas is a city on the grow. Already boasting a rich history, a vibrant community, and the largest market square in Belgium, the city has made significant efforts to modernise and enhance its infrastructure. This ongoing growth has created a clear demand for contemporary, community-focused work environment, which is now being met by spaces such as Copperworks. Based in Stationsplein, Sint-Niklaas, Copperworks is a business centre and coworking space striving to provide workers with a “home office away from home.” Strategically located beside Sint-Niklaas railway station, the business centre has a maximum capacity of 23 offices and 86 people. It caters to a large portion of the Flemish population, with quick travel from Ghent and Antwerp. Copperworks serves as the central hub to a combination of young start-ups, established businesses, and companies seeking a base in the centre of Flanders, including OMcollective, Alfa Certi, Big On Tax, Dirk De Witte Kappers, Admore, Xper Research, and X-care. With such a variety of tenants, the business centre enjoys a fun and diverse dynamic that has promoted commercial activity between tenants. This innovative working environment was born from Founder Michel De Baer’s own experiences in the corporate landscape. When he launched his own business, OMcollective, Michel operated from a dull, unpleasant business centre. Recognising that he was spending more time at the office than at home, Michel wanted to make the workplace at least as comfortable as his home. He teamed up with his brother Philippe to create Copperworks to fulfil this need, a groundbreaking business centre offering a range of flexible workspaces and offices of different sizes, with multiple meeting rooms, informal corners, a practical kitchen, and a cosy coffee space. Tenants work within a stylish environment, featuring ergonomic furniture and plenty of oxygen-rich greenery. The space brings the comforts of home to a productive office environment, where cultures thrive and professional activity flourishes. For the brothers, creating something “as good” as a home was not enough. “Why stop at ‘as good’? Why not make it better?” he shared. “Why not make it the best workplace possible? That was the real genesis of the idea of Copperworks, and the only limit to this ambition is our imagination. It is our vision that the competitor of Copperworks is the home: we want to compete with people working from home. We want to be more relaxing, more beautiful, cosier, and with more amenities.” With this mission in mind, Copperworks offers a range of additional services to its tenants. The building has formed partnerships with food delivery providers, which is ideal for team meetings and customer engagements. Tenants can bring their clothes in to be ironed, saving them valuable time at home. The building also offers a dedicated mail and parcel service from its reception area. These amenities are complimented by an open culture and significant personal freedom. Copperworks has built an operating system based on the core values of trust and respect, which works as long as it is not taken advantage of by tenants. For example, it employs a cleaning service that covers the entire building but still expects all tenants to be respectful of their spaces and clean up after themselves. This approach is also visible in Copperworks’ large café, featuring a completely stocked bar. The bar offers beer, liquors, and all kinds of beverages as free to take, as long as something is left behind in return. “We do not control or measure the consumption, but after two years we have even more bottles than before,” said Michel, “which shows that people take their responsibility seriously, and do not take advantage of the opportunity.” Copperworks’ carefully nurtured culture has successfully attracted likeminded individuals and companies from across the region, as evidenced by the success of its open-bar policy. Embedding these core values into every aspect of its operations has enabled the centre to shape the cultures of companies residing within its building, ensuring that its long-term partnerships bring lasting benefits. Now, Copperworks is reaching maximum capacity, though it opened its doors only two years ago. The building is entering an exciting new phase of active expansion, which comes at a time when the wider city of Sint-Niklaas is similarly evolving. With streets being renovated, neighbourhoods given new life, and Station Square receiving a makeover in 2027, the coming years promise further expansion and growth for the Copperworks team. Of this expansion, Michel shared, “This makes me very proud of all the hard work, love, blood, sweat, and tears my brother Philippe and I put into this project.” In just two years, Copperworks has successfully cemented itself as the second home of entrepreneurs and freelancers across Flanders. Every element of the business centre has been developed with unity, productivity, and creativity at the forefront, with various spaces dedicated to working, connecting, and relaxing. For the significant contributions it has made to Sint-Niklaas’s working landscape, and the ongoing benefits of its exceptional culture, we at BUILD Magazine are delighted to recognise Copperworks as Belgium’s Best Coworking Space Provider 2026. Reflecting back on this success, Michel concluded, “Copperworks is a labour of love. My brother and I call it a passion project. We did it because we wanted to do it. We believed in the concept; we believed that our vision of a workplace, where we offer so much to the tenants, would be so appreciated that it would generate what we need to keep going. “And look at it now: almost fully booked, with an amazing culture of enthusiastic and respectful people who inspire us to do even better. That really keeps me going.” Contact: Michel De Baer Company: Copperworks Web Address: www.copperworks.be
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