A Center for Trash Investigation
Basic information
Project Title
Full project title
Category
Project Description
TransfoLAB BCN is a Centre for Trash Investigation dedicated to the creative ecosystem in Barcelona focused on design, innovation, production and experimentation with waste, circular economy and environmental sustainability. Basically we offer the space, equipment, materials, training and support to makers, designers, architects, artists, students, DIY hobbyists and creative enthusiasts looking for an environment to develop and design their ideas or projects.
Geographical Scope
Project Region
Urban or rural issues
Physical or other transformations
EU Programme or fund
Which funds
Description of the project
Summary
TransfoLAB BCN, a Center for Trash Investigation, is dedicated to the creative ecosystem in Barcelona focused on design, innovation, production and experimentation with waste, circular economy and material innovation. We offer our services to makers, designers, architects, artists, entrepreneurs, students, DIY hobbyists and creative enthusiasts looking for an environment to develop and design their ideas or projects. TransfoLAB BCN provides training, tools, equipment, space, reclaimed materials and support throughout the whole life cycle of their projects, including conception, planning, prototyping, production, and presentation.
Our secondary goal is to promote circular and social economy to citizens through the programs:
-TransfoResidencies - research residencies in the field of architecture, design and fabrication exploring material innovation, upcycling, circular economy, self-sufficiency, creative reuse and local production. The residents investigate real life problems, and research, design, and prototype their solutions. The program offers: 1) vocational training for high school graduates, 2) practical training for graduate students, and 3) vocational training for adults in the process of retraining.
-TransfoAcademy - informal educational program that offers workshops, training and lectures focused on on design, transformation, sustainable consumption, circular economy and creative reuse/repurposing, tailored for institutions (schools, universities), citizens (children, youth, and adults in retraining/life-long learning) and corporations.
We seek to strengthen the culture of environmental sustainability for citizens by organizing events such as Trash Investigation Series (co-creation challenge) and Trash Talks (series of open-door talks, lectures and panels), and participating in local and international initiatives such as: New European Bauhaus (official partner), Maker Faire Barcelona, Dutch Design Week, Design Week Barcelona, Matins Maker.
Key objectives for sustainability
TransfoLAB BCN is situated in an abandoned small factory for car parts that was transformed through the main principles of circular and sustainable design. The layout and infrastructure were readapted and modified by using reclaimed, natural, recyclable and locally sourced materials. For example, instead of brick and mortar or plasterboards, which are not recyclable or reusable, we used locally sourced plywood, reclaimed wood and/or discarded windows, doors and shutters to make the walls and room separations. The furniture was either built through upcycling and reuse of discarded objects such as electrical appliances, pallets and bicycle parts, or sourced second hand. During the design process the original layout of the space was respected, and most of the existing furniture and structural elements were implemented at different degrees in the project (they were either used as were or given another use through upcycling). In the everyday operation we promote paperless working, recycling and reuse. For example, we receive all our bills online, when organizing workshops and events we use reusable cutlery and crockery, all the waste is separated into recycling categories. We promote sharing of space, tools, resources and materials.
The members and collaborators of TransfoLAB BCN design, create and produce with sustainable practices, which is the only “limitation” to join us. Through the educational programs TransfoAcademy and TransfoResidencies we educate citizens on sustainability topics such as: material innovation, circular economy, sustainable (co-)design and (co-)fabrication, transformation, and creative reuse/repurposing. At TransfoLAB BCN we host a Library of Reclaimed Materials which is open to everyone seeking for reclaimed objects and materials to reuse in their projects.
With events such as the Trash Investigation Series we raise awareness on the waste problem and climate change in a creative and engaging way.
Key objectives for aesthetics and quality
Aesthetics is very important to us. It took us a few years to find the perfect location for our TransfoLAB BCN. We wanted a space that will combine the creative and free spirit of Barcelona, with our passion for environmental sustainability. So, when we saw an old mini factory for car parts, we knew that was our location. It had everything that we were looking for, industrial look, old machines and tools, and a past life. We kept all that, and even exposed the vintage high ceilings, covered by the previous owners, so that the space can continue to remind of the industrial past of Poblenou.
We collected every "Mayólica'' tile that we could find discarded on the streets of Barcelona and reused it to cover part of the floors. The floor of our multifunctional space is covered in the signature "panots", cement tiles designed by the Modernist architect Josep Puig i Cadafalch. We collected discarded wooden window frames and shutters typical for Barcelona and repurposed them into separators for the rooms. We repurposed a broken refrigerator into a sofa, discarded army crates as side-tables, reclaimed bicycle wheels in lamps and other "waste" to make the rest of the furniture, because we wanted to capture the spirit of sustainable design and circularity in everything.
The layout and organization of each functional space is designed to meet the needs of the creatives that use them. So, we have a clean multipurpose area for the educational programs, events and for designing, a carpentry workshop, a metalworking workshop, a painting room, a material research and innovation station, a Library for Reclaimed Materials etc.
Finally, our educational programs and events always combine architecture and design with circularity, fabrication, functionality and environmental, social and financial sustainability. For example we teach: sustainable architecture, design and fabrication with creative reuse, eco jewelry making, lamp making from bicycle parts, bags making from bioplastics etc
Key objectives for inclusion
TransfoLAB BCN welcomes everyone, regardless of gender, religion, race, ethnicity, class, age and educational status or background. The only "limitation" for joining is that the projects or ideas need to follow environmentally sustainable practices and be beneficial for society and the planet. We do not just welcome diversity; we celebrate and encourage it. Currently, TransfoLAB BCN hosts 16 makers, artisans, and artists that speak 7 different languages and dialects, and perform 7 different types of professional activities. At TransfoLAB BCN, we give everyone equal opportunities to research, design, develop and create, but at the same time we give encouragement to disadvantaged groups. We provide training, support and encouragement to women or gender-neutral persons to join a sector that is traditionally male dominated. To that end we will launch the campaign “Ella Crea” in May 2022 in collaboration with local female designers, architects, makers and artisans. We have an agreement with a day-care a few steps away from our space that offers childcare at discount for parents that would like to work at TransfoLAB BCN, giving them an opportunity for self-employment. Currently we host 6 self-employed parents. We have collaboration agreements with organizations, private and municipal, that work with disadvantaged groups, such as undocumented migrants and refugees (agreement with Fundació Pare Manel), youth at risk of marginalization or school dropout (agreements with Espamob, Sagitter Training and Consorci d’Educació de Barcelona), and adults in retraining (agreement with CIFO Santa Coloma), to offer free vocational training sessions and courses so they can take an active role in the society. We offer support to persons in active retirement, by tailoring our services and activities to their needs. Currently we have one member that is in active retirement. Our facilities provide entrance of persons with disabilities and our courses are designed to meet their needs.
Results in relation to category
TransfoLAB BCN, since its inception, has supported more than 100 creatives, entrepreneurs and enthusiasts in various stages of their projects, and we have acted as an incubator for 30 start-ups, out of which more than half overcame the shared environment and continued their work in their own space. We currently have an active community of 50+ members who work at TransfoLAB BCN, give workshops, or collaborate with us on different projects. All our members work on ideas, projects and solutions that combine circularity, inclusion and creative industries including architecture, design, jewlery, furniture and home decorations.
Through the programs TransfoResidencies and TransfoAcademy, TransfoLAB BCN has received 20+ residents, and offered training and education on topics related to circularity, social and environmental sustainability, design, fabrication and material innovation to 1000+ children, youth, and adults from various social groups. We have worked with two primary schools in Poblenou, helping them to set up their maker workshops and libraries for reclaimed materials and provided theoretical and practical workshops to about 380 children on the topic of circular economy, design thinking, material innovation and sustainable fabrication. For 2022 have an agreement to work with two more primary schools and one highs-chool within the same scope.
Finally, through the events, talks and festivals that we have organized and participated at, we have spread the message of sustainability and circularity in design and local fabrication to tens of thousands of citizens. Every year we organize at least three local events at TransfoLAB BCN, and we participate in several local initiatives, panels, festivals, talks and events where we can spread our message on sustainable design, local fabrication and material innovation. TransfoLAB BCN is an official partner of the New European Bauhaus, and a member of Barcelona +Sostenible and European Creative Hubs Network: ECHN.
How Citizens benefit
The Members assembly of TransfoLAB BCN has an active role in how the place is managed and the directions that we take. Every month we have a community meeting where we discuss the state of things, new ideas and areas that can be improved. We plan and execute joint projects, initiatives, and participation in events. The community meetings are also great for introducing new members and for building a sense of togetherness among the members.
We regularly support citizen and grassroot initiatives that aim to improve the life of the citizens in urban Barcelona. The latest project that we have supported is Escocells (https://www.instagram.com/eskocells/) that attempts to transform the unused spaces on the pavements around the trees, into small urban gardens. Besides building several of those gardens, we offer free training and space for their members so that they can build their own urban gardens.
TransfoLAB BCN offers affordable hourly rates to citizens looking for a space to repair their possessions or build DIY furniture with full access to the equipment in maker's workshop and the material in the Library of Reclaimed Materials (collection of discarded objects, furniture, materials, and appliances that we have collected from the streets of Barcelona).
Finally, we regularly offer free workshops and courses for citizens of all age groups as part of our Open-Door activities or local civic activities. More specifically we participate in local initiatives such as Poblenou Open Day and Open Night, Maker Faire Barcelona, Barcelona Design Week and Tallers Obers by offering free activities and events.
Physical or other transformations
Innovative character
TransfoLAB BCN promotes and puts collaborative, social and circular economy as a primary goal to be achieved in our community, and we implement it in the services that we offer to our members and the local community. We believe that financial sustainability should be observed as a means to achieve social and environmental sustainability.
Our operation is based on the following practices:
- Development of synergies between local professionals and young emerging creatives (collaboration between peers).
- Collaboration between our community members and citizens both on a virtual and physical level (collaboration between various actors).
- Sharing the findings, methods and learning from our projects with the local community or other grassroot organizations (users of the intellectual outputs of our initiatives).
- Engaging the local community with our member’s stories both on a virtual and physical level (audience building).
In the last two years, as a response to the current pandemic, our activities and initiatives focus on how the virtual and physical collaboration can be combined in creative projects, especially in terms of what type of dynamics, communication and roles will be developed; what type of technology will be used; what type of methodologies and processes will be established; and finally what conclusions and outputs will be created. Therefore through our partnerships and collaborations we focus on blended (co)design and (co)fabrication between various actors and across different locations.
Learning transferred to other parties
TransfoLAB BCN has been designed and conceptualized to be replicable since the beginning. We have been documenting all of the findings and methods used while designing, implementing and operating TransfoLAB BCN, as the first Center for Trash Investigation. This year we started working with our partner CoLab House in Athens, Greece to set up a smaller scale pilot TransfoLAB ATH in their facilities. We then hope to be able to replicate in other locations in the future.
Last year, our resident from Sweden was developing guidelines for replicating our Library of Reclaimed Materials in the society, including public spaces, civic and cultural centers, municipal buildings, and schools. To put that into practice we collaborated with the local primary school “La Mar Bella” to help them set up a Library of Reclaimed Materials and makers workshop within the facilities of the school. For 2022 we have agreements to proceed with similar implementations with two more local primary schools.
Finally, the findings, learning and methods from our projects and initiatives are available in an open source manner to the local creative community and citizens, through presentations or guidelines both digitally and physically. We disseminate those results by participating in events, fairs and panels, as well as through our website and social media. For example, only last year our co-founders participated in several public events such as talks within Dimarts Disruptius and Circular Economy Hotspot, as a panelist at the kick off event of the EU funded CENTRINNO project among others.
