Our first two months of adventure
Let’s start with a bit of history …
In 1871, Gilbert Gaillard (mayor of Clermont-Ferrand in 1880) founded the “Maison Gaillard” confectionery located on Avenue des États-Unis, near Jaude. The latter existed until 1973 with the Triouleyre family. This family lived in the renovated house in Coliving until 2021. They have left us many souvenirs, such as this coat of arms, the emblem of Maison Gaillard.
Before the opening
In short, it took 6 months of work to make Maison Gaillard habitable and warm. 6 months of intense work, discoveries and excitement! One week before the arrival of one of our Earlybees (first tenant at the time of the opening of a house), we were still finishing the last finishing touches! Indeed, we had to empty the boxes and install the last elements of decoration! It was intense and everything had to be perfect to make the house friendly and welcoming.
The opening
Our first Beeliver arrived at home on 9 September 2022. He stayed alone for about 10 days until the other tenants arrived. During this short period he was our crash tester (thanks PL). Fortunately we had thought of many things for the comfort of our BeeLivers. During this same period we recruited our future residents. It took us a few weeks to gather our first community! Out of eleven available places we received nearly sixty applications! Each candidate was selected according to his or her motivations and after having projected himself or herself within the house. This process guarantees a good understanding within the house and ensures that everyone has a place in the group.
Today, Maison Gaillard welcomes 11 residents aged between 21 and 34 (average age 28), most of whom are young professionals but also students! The horizons are also very different because the community is composed of 6 nationalities! China, Australia, Uruguay, Spain, Mauritius, France, it is a perfect cocktail to live a unique and enriching experience!
The inauguration
On 20 October 2022 our first Coliving house, Maison Gaillard, was inaugurated! On this date, all the tenants had moved into the house. So to thank all our partners and our earlybees who trusted us and made the project possible, we organised an inauguration party. The atmosphere was great: catering, music, a fresco by Repyone (a local artist), a pitch by our CEO Axel MORTER, and a mini concert by one of our residents! In fact, four of them play an instrument, so we hope to see a star band one day!
The first experiences …
We were able to spend some good moments with the residents. This allowed us to get to know each other better, like the (unexpected) cocktail party in October!
We also went to discover the Puy de Sancy. Sun, mountains, greenery, spirit of adventure… Perfect to (re)discover the region!
Then with the arrival of the cold, we organised a raclette evening (as we like them). Some of the tenants had never made one before. For the anecdote, one of our residents who came from Australia put her potato in the pan instead of the cheese! It was an opportunity to share a warm moment around a (really) convivial dish.
We also went for a few drinks with everyone, especially at our partner bar Carmela.
Of course we didn’t forget Halloween where one of our residents, who came from Spain, won the best costume contest!
We are very happy with the beginning of our adventure, the story of our community is just beginning and there are still many good moments to create and share together!
We are looking forward to the opening of Maison Montferrand (April 2023)!
