On December 22, the last Studio Day was celebrated in which the students of the Urban Leisure and Tourism lab presented their final projects to the rest of the class. Many stakeholders were invited and everyone enjoyed this event. The groups showed very different and original proposals that left no one indifferent. In addition, they showed how they test their projects, so it was very interesting for all the guests to see if their projects can last in time and be useful for Rotterdam South.
Last Studioday
GIGAGROEN
As their name suggested, Gigagroen is all about green. Their concept centered around the environment and sustainability. It is a rooftop garden combined with a learning location.
They want to promote education while being environmentally conscious. The location of this rooftop garden will be the Inholland building in Rotterdam. To test their prototype, they asked the teachers and students of Inholland for feedback.
TIJD VOOR ZUID
This group presented one of the most visual prototypes, which undoubtedly caught the attention of everyone in the lab. It is a very complex wastebasket. On the one hand on one side you can deposit plastic bottles and this smart garbage can gives you money in return, as it usually works in any supermarket. On the other hand, it also has a space reserved for throwing cigarette butts, thus helping the environment and polluting less.
In addition, every time you throw something in this garbage can, a voice comes out to thank you, and to make children aware of how important it is to recycle and not to throw things on the ground. In addition to all this, the garbage can is painted by a local artist and is something they want to achieve with all their garbage cans. That each one is painted by a local artist, in order to make them known and promote their art.
SYNERGY
This group had a different proposal that would undoubtedly make day-to-day life easier for the locals. This is Lifeswap, a swapping website for Rotterdam South, in which local people could exchange everyday objects, and even favors. For example, you could do the shopping for an elderly person, help them plant flowers in their garden, have a cup of coffee and have a conversation, etc.
Whatever it is, you can offer it through this platform and wait for someone to decide to exchange something with you. This way locals don’t have to spend money on things that are sometimes used only once and we help to build connections between citizens, something that is lacking in Rotterdam South.
ZUID ONDER DE HUID
This group wants to build a football pitch in Rotterdam South, but it will not be a normal one since it will be on a rooftop, specifically in Qpark. The proposal of this group came from the idea of the lack of recreational sites that exist in this neighborhood. This space will also serve for the locals to have a place to meet and have a good time playing soccer, a very popular sport that is usually liked by the majority, it is also a way for them to meet and establish a bond through this sport.
On the other hand, the walls and the space itself will be decorated and painted to make it more visual, it is a 3D art experience. There will also be a cafeteria/restaurant next door so that people can eat or have a coffee while watching others play soccer. Finally, they want to involve local business to gain revenue
HART-CORE
Hartcore made a presentation about the history of the shopping center for the habitants of Zuidplein. They also had conversations with the locals to discover more about their choice of location. Their concept is to plan an informative event for people to talk about the history of Zuid and in exchange, locals can gain more knowledge of where they live.
CONLUSION
Despite being the last Studio Day, all students and guests gave 100%. Both the students with their explanations and showing the dedication and time they had dedicated to their final projects, as well as the guests giving honest feedback.
Undoubtedly, this whole process has served to do good things for this neighborhood, which we hope will have a future and can be useful for many locals.