It has been a busy time at Metabolic Lab, Metabolic’s experimental showcase facility of applied sustainability and circular urban development. Find out here what we’ve been working on and see how you can get involved.
Metabolic Lab continues to be a place of inspiration and exploration. It is based at De Ceuvel, which Metabolic helped to establish and develop. Located in Amsterdam Noord, De Ceuvel is known as a ‘cleantech playground’ and is recognised as one of the most sustainable and unique urban developments in Europe.
This summer, on June 18th, we marked De Ceuvel’s second birthday with a jam-packed day of workshops on everything from worm composting and urban farming to aquaponics. Despite the rain, the event was a big success, catering to people of every age.
The future is sunny
We are now looking ahead to the next chapter for De Ceuvel. This month, we launched an exciting new collaboration with 72U, a creative residency program hosted by advertising company 72andSunny, in Amsterdam. From over 400 applications, six talented creatives from around the world were handpicked to tackle a modern communication problem in an intensive Amsterdam-based program. We applied for De Ceuvel to be the focus of that program and were chosen! Over three months, the creatives will work on how to inclusively grow De Ceuvel by getting the neighbourhood more involved in its sustainability practices and activities. The final results will be revealed at an event at Pakhuis de Zwijger on December 16th – we hope to see you there. We’ll be sharing more details about this amazing project soon.
Workshops and courses
In the meantime, we are still busy hosting a variety of activities. Over the summer, we hosted a one-day workshop called Sustainability and Meaningful Work. The workshop welcomed participants from across different sectors, including representatives of governmental institutions, non-profits, social entrepreneurs, science, and the private sector. The trainer, Maaike Boumans, explored integrating strategic sustainability practices into everyday work, specifically the using Two Loops Model of Systems Change and the Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development. Participants were encouraged to integrate topics of vulnerability, creativity, and reflection into their daily actions in order to find the personal motivation to explore what it means to pursue meaningful work.
More recently, we hosted our fourth DIY (do-it-yourself) crashcourse on making natural cosmetics. Led by Yeliz Mert of Yummie Life, participants had the opportunity to make body cream, deodorant, and massage oil from organic raw materials. Yummie Life takes a holistic approach to skincare, aiming to inspire more self-sufficiency in everyday life and make sustainable products accessible to all. Yeliz’s fifth DIY cosmetics course will take place at Metabolic Lab on November 5th. For more information: https://deceuvel.nl/en/events/
Get involved or look around
We’re always looking to host inspirational and educational programs that align with our vision of sustainability, innovation and creativity at Metabolic Lab. These themes remain fundamental to the central mission of De Ceuvel. If you are interested in hosting a workshop at the Metabolic Lab, please don’t hesitate to contact [email protected].
Public events can typically use the lab based on donation. However, the multifunctional space is also available to rent for brainstorms, strategy sessions, company retreats, and private events. Tours of De Ceuvel, to learn more about its unique history, development, and implementation of clean technologies, are also possible. Finally, don’t forget to check out the upcoming programmes and events at De Ceuvel. There is something for everyone.
