Elisabet´s question

Hi, Elisabet Nilsson at MEDEA here. Many thanks for a very inspiring and well organized study visit. Since we are in the middle of the process of building a fabrication lab/living lab called Fabriken, here I especially appreciated the visit to Bermeo Fab Lab. Rather than an idea (that you asked us to post, Gorka) I would like to post a question addressing challenges that we face when setting up spaces like Fabriken and Bermeo Fab Lab.

In our lab space Fabriken “sustainability” is one of the guiding principles for all activities that are to take place in the space. When it comes to sustainability on a social level it is pretty clear that an open lab space can contribute to such a progress. But what about the ecological aspects? How can we inform users about the costs of the material they are using, about life cycles of products, and the importance of having these aspects in mind – without choking their lust for experimentation with material, and resources?

To be frank, if we really look into e.g. how much a machine costs in terms of energy and material, you might be losing your lust for experimentation. Do you get my point and concern? The question is: how do we implement awareness, and foster a culture of conscious use of material and technology without limiting creativity and experimentation? Or, maybe limitations and awareness are not working against creativity (that is a least what some say), but where do we then put the levels?

Best wishes from Malmö