KAZERNE LAB: Living cities

IZABELA BOLOZ & HEIJMANS

Life in the city is often very focused. We barely take time for spontaneous outside activities, coincidental meetings or to enjoy nature. In the Netherlands, we spend relatively little time outside, contrary to our southern European neighbours. This might be because of a lack of inspiring, cosy spots in the public space, but of course, also because of the Dutch weather. In the sun or under a heat lamp on a terrace, we tend to stay outside longer.

Kazerne Lab

Within Kazerne Lab, professional creatives work cross-over with other (economic) sectors to develop products, insights, and incentives for topical issues. With their fresh perspective and outlook, they provide current social, cultural and economic issues with inspiration, new perspectives, and answers. That may sound rather pompous, but it is, in fact, an extremely practical process.

The Lab is not a physical workplace but a project that is worked on within the heads and studios of the participating designers.

Social Design Lab

The social design Lab explores the open question of how designers can contribute to a more liveable world of tomorrow.

Inventory Lab

In the inventory Lab, designers work with regional manufacturing industries on creating innovative inventory for hospitality ends.

THANKS

Brabant C, Cultuur Eindhoven, Stichting Doen, Driven by Design, Metropool Regio Eindhoven, VSB fonds.

Within the Kazerne Lab Project Living Cities, the originally Polish designer Izabela Boloz researched how to stimulate a more social and interactive city life in the Dutch environment. From the first moment, solar energt was to play a part: sun that is literally converted into heat or cold. For this cross-over project, Izabela worked together with Gerard de Leede: an innovator for sustainable solar energy and CTO of Heijmans, a technology partner in the construction industry.

Firstly, Izabela designed a series of benches with zones that can sense heat or cold, so that people can enjoy the public space under any weather circumstances. She created a series of wooden objects that not only form a monumental asset in the public space, but also contribute to social interaction: several people can sit on the object. Close together, but with enough space for one’s own comfort. Because each piece generates more energy than it needs for these hot/cold zones, lighting was also added to the furniture.

Kazerne Social Design Lab

Thanks to the support of the DOEN Foundation, artists, designers and other creatives will be working on crossover initiatives to discover new solutions for societal issues. Taking a fresh look from a different angle, they will approach current social, cultural and economic issues with the inspiration and new perspectives required to find innovative solutions. This may sound rather high-flown, but it is in fact an extremely practical process.

CREDITS

• Izabela Boloz
• Gerard de Leede

FOUNDATIONS

• Stichting DOEN