Experiences​ 6 June​​​

On this day we visit our business like clients manufacturing hub NYMA Makerspace, designstudio OMlab, creative work estate Het Domijn, and Building and Space for Discussion Gebouw de Heuvel and circular hub De Groene Afslag.

You are very welcome to see first-hand how savers' and investors' money is working towards positive change. The Experience Day is between 11am and 5pm. Everyone travels with the bus to and from the client visit.

De Groene Afslag (Laren)

REST STOP FOR THE WORLD OF TOMORROW - Call it our vision, DNA, manifesto, this is why De Groene Afslag was conceived. 

We need to do a few things differently in our lives (at home and at work) if we want to keep it somewhat pleasant on this Earth. De Groene Afslag is a circular hub, with unconventional meeting rooms, delightful catering, green programming, and home to the School for Change. We want to entice people, comfortably pull them out of their comfort zone, and show them that change can be fun, enjoyable, and pleasant. And achievable! We demonstrate that the world can become greener, and so can you. 

We try to make the challenges smaller and more manageable and sprinkle some fun into them, so you get a green mood. When you open the newspapers, it seems like all the systems in which we exist need to change. That's a major operation, and we can't take the lead in all areas. Therefore, we have chosen three focal points where we can play a logical role. 

On these fronts, De Groene Afslag tries to figure out the future in fits and starts. We want to be the change! And specifically in these areas: 

• Eating & drinking differently 

• Building & living differently 

• Interacting & doing business differently 

During this experience you will get more information about the De Groene Afslag & Veranderschool. The guide will tell you more about the different roles of system transitions and give you a summary of what you need to activate the power of change. 

Gebouw de Heuvel (Rotterdam)

Visit this special building with sustainable roofs for water storage, sedum, solar panels: it is or will all be there. Which will put the building back at the basis of a new reconstruction in the city of Rotterdam. Now that of the much-needed greening, cooling and encounters of today.

More information about the experience (in 2 groups): 

• Workshop connecting through communication (Company Eyeopener)

• A detailed explanation about the organisation’s best practices

The (rotating) program consists of: 

• Plenary reception 

• Introduction to the Building and Space for Discussion (in half groups) by Irene Smit, board member of De Heuvel and Space for Discussion 

• Rotation 

• Introduction to Connecting Communication (in half groups) by Martin van der Meulen, founder of Ai-opener located in Building De Heuvel. The mission of Ai-opener is to increase the connecting ability of human teams and organizations. 

• Plenary conclusion 

NYMA Makersplaats (Nijmegen)

NYMA makersplaats is the place in Nijmegen where entrepreneurs can develop. Where skill, craft, innovation, culture and art complement each other and where the creative manufacturing industry can strengthen itself.

At NYMA makersplaats you will find instrument makers as well as web designers, ceramists as well as goldsmiths, graphic designers, architects, filmmakers, woodworkers, a sourdough baker, product designers, app builders, architects, photographers and furniture makers. Just to name a few examples of the approximately 200 makers there are in the building.

The experience consists of a reception and welcome speech, a guided tour of NYMA (in 2 groups) and a film screening. 

Het Domijn (Weesp)

At a beautiful location, surrounded by green, lies a creative work estate: Het Domijn!

The Cooperation ‘Het Domijn’ U.A. is populated by about forty members, all of whom work in a creative field. Visual arts, photography, visual communication, theater, literature, set design, furniture design and execution, metalwork, architecture, music, etc., in short: autonomous arts, applied arts, performing arts and those that support these varied disciplines. 

You can select one of these experiences:

• A guided tour of the cooperation by visual artist Caroline Ruijgrok (In Dutch and English)

• A meet-up with one of the following artists/craftmen (includes a workshop):

  • Steel master Sasha de Haas: forging iron (Dutch/English)

  • Designer (studio-smeerolie.nl) and beekeeper Karlien van Leeuwen: workshop beekeeping / nature based learning (Dutch/English)

  • Performance artist Goda Zukauskaite (currently performing in the Abramovic exhibition at the Stedelijk Museum): short movement practise in dance studio+sensorial experience around the terrain (Engels) 

  • Photographer Henny Boogert (boogertfotografie.nl): portrait potograhpy or a group portrait (Dutch/English)

OMlab (Arnhem)

Biocircular material designstudio Omlab explores ecologically friendly biodegradable (!) construction and infrastructure materials. Without fossil raw materials, minerals or chemicals that nature can’t use. 

The studio collaborates with construction and concrete companies, architects and education. Omlab participated in TNO Fieldlab in the context of The national emission-free building programme. It provided the (provisional) ECI of the lightweight material prototype Buildmatterial: 0.011 and kgCO2-eq:0.14. They were nominated for the Dutch Design Award 2023 with their biodegradable swallow house.

The experience contains:  

1. A plenary reception and an introduction movie 

2. A tour outside and inside the building where Omlab is located while answering the following questions: 

   1. How did we start as a CPO (thanks to Triodos)? 

   2. What is the history of the place?  

3. A hands-on workshop and more information about what Omlab exactly does