Story

Urban Gardener

- Châtelain area
Dominic López lives in the city. And like any city dweller, he knows the sad fate of houseplants. A fleeting and ephemeral interest, which inevitably relegates them to a corner of the room. A solution has therefore sprouted in the gardener's mind: self-sufficient mini-ecosystems under glass. But how can such a special concept be developed?

After training at Job Yourself, Dominic felt ready to put his idea into the ground. He therefore invested l'Auberge Espagnole for a period of two months. Created by hub.brussels, this incubator, located a stone's throw from Place Jourdan, aims to allow candidate retailers to test their concept at a lower cost, in pop-up mode. Faced with the success of the experience, enhanced by personalized social media and marketing strategy coaching, Dominic took the plunge and opened his own point of sale. Atrium accompanied him in the search for the premises, before putting him in contact with the owner. The Agency also urged him to submit a file for OpenSoon funding, which he won.

Some people try, in vain, to bottle Paris. Dominic, on the other hand, has simply succeeded in the challenge of putting life in a jar. Its mini-ecosystems are as many universes, directly extracted from the nature that composes them: Little Neverland, Sandy Beach, Sun in a Jar,... Tropical, temperate, arid, they sometimes evoke a New York meadow, sometimes an Amazonian forest, sometimes an Ardennes jungle, under our eyes of amazed city dwellers. And whether you have a green or a left hand, these mini-ecosystems are self-sufficient. On condition, of course, that they follow the recommendations of their august Creator....

For a project leader who operates solo, Atrium.Brussels is the ear to confide in, the shoulder to rest on. His coaches each have their own skills; their support made me feel supported while checking at every stage the validity of my project.

Dominic Lopez Founder, Urban Gardener