Beautiful, useful and durable design as a tool for transformation
Design is more than form-giving alone. It is a way of seeing, researching and imagining through which we seek answers to complex questions. At Kazerne Design Lab, designers collaborate with companies, institutions and the public on solutions that inspire, connect and set change in motion.
Kazerne Design Lab is realised by the independent Kazerne Foundation, hosted within a separately operated hospitality venue in a repurposed barracks (Kazerne in Dutch) in the heart of Eindhoven – the city of design and technology.
Read below what drives us.
Behind a simple chair lies an entire chain of choices, materials and energy. What seems self-evident turns out to be inextricably linked with people and nature. At Kazerne, we work integrally on alternatives that are poetic, sustainable and inspiring.
Redesigning in symbiosis with nature
Nature-Inclusive means that we no longer see nature as something separate, but as an equal partner in our thinking and actions.
There is no blue print to shape our world in a more sustainable way. And because of the intricate entanglement of people, animals, plants and things, the task is immensely complex. To accelerate the transition to a more sustainable world, human-centered thinking and acting must gradually be reformed in the coming decades – with nature as our ally. Nature-Inclusive.
Yet no one can solve these complex challenges from a single perspective. Integral collaboration is crucial: every person, every sector and every region has a role to play in redesigning our collective societal challenges. This is why Kazerne sets itself the task of contributing from a cultural perspective – drawing on the strengths of designers and the regional network – to the sustainability transition.
Because in redesigning our society, designers play a crucial role. With their forward-looking creativity and cultural expression, they are able to develop both practical and symbolic alternatives that help us experience and understand the world differently. After all, almost everything around us is designed. Designers have the unique ability to engage, inspire and activate people. They can collaborate across disciplines, tackle complex issues, reconcile conflicting interests and guide society towards a sustainable future. It is therefore essential to make their ideas, experiments and successes visible and to let as many people as possible experience them. And that is precisely what Kazerne Foundation does.
About Kazerne Foundation
Kazerne Foundation is a presentation institution with a focus on the development of high-quality Nature-Inclusive design. As a connector and catalyst, the organisation challenges the status quo, supports designers in their artistic and professional growth, and collaborates with cross-sectoral partners to help reshape society.
The design programme of Kazerne Design Lab is realised by Kazerne Foundation, a Public Benefit Organisation (ANBI), hosted within an independently operated hospitality venue: a repurposed barracks in the heart of Eindhoven. Since 2014, we have welcomed around 100,000 visitors annually to experience the forward-looking creativity of more than 100 leading makers.
Thanks to a growing community contributing with Wisdom (advice), Work (time) and Wealth (funds), Kazerne presents a new exhibition every six months, complemented by guest speakers, workshops, tours and encounters between the creative industries and other sectors. The diversity of cultural and hospitality functions stems from a single intrinsic drive: to contribute to societal goals through the power of design – and to share this with as many people as possible.
Kazerne Foundation operates under a Supervisory Board model. The board of directors consists of founders Annemoon Geurts (Design Academy Eindhoven alumna and former board member of BNO) and Koen Rijnbeek (musician, formerly with Slagerij van Kampen). They are responsible for the daily creative and business direction, dedicating themselves each day to the professional development of makers, the design infrastructure and the notion of design for society – both in practice and in policy. They work collegially with the directors of the hospitality operation, Kazerne BV.
The Supervisory Board consists of Maarten Houben (chair), Marlies Zuidam and Jan Hoorntje. The organisation is aware of its societal value, roles, responsibilities and impact, and acts accordingly, in line with the Dutch Cultural Governance Code. The foundation is non-profit.