B-zar

→  Who are you and what is the Bzar?

Suzanne Corcessin: I am Suzanne and I am a first year student in Contextual Design. Last year, just before summer, we created this student initiative because we saw that a lot of material was being thrown away at the end of the academic year. We decided to recycle them all, wood, textile, metal, plastic, clay.

Karolina Borucka: I am Karolina and I am a second year BA student. We are located on the first floor in the former MU space behind the workshops. You can get there through the workshops or through the emergency stairs. At the moment, we are open every Monday to Friday 16.00 - 18.00.

Students are able come search for material they need for their projects, or rent podiums for their presentations. We also have a lot of standard material that everyone uses at DAE. For example, in first year BA, everyone has to use aluminium sheets, or a certain type of clay for a set assignments. This is a good place to donate your leftovers so other students do not have to buy new ones every year. We have over 200 students already registered in our system just one year of running.

“We produce something like 20 tons of waste every year within this tiny institution. It is a pity to throw the useable material away.”

→  How did this begin?

KB: We are a team of ten students and we are all in different stages of our studies. We have a horizontal structure where we all share the responsibility of running the material bank. At the beginning, it was Ana de Charentenay who was the main instigator. We also had a lot of help from an organisation called Fédération des Récupérathèques. They are based in France and Belgium as a collective of material banks. There are at least 20 of them, situated within art, design and architecture schools. The collective also meet regularly to share knowledge and challenges in their respective operations.

We produce something like 20 tons of waste every year within this tiny institution. It is a pity to throw the still useable material away. We felt we needed to do something about it. Last summer, we had help from the federations, from workshops to biweekly meetings. They guided us how to source material, how to find a space, how to structure the organisation and also how to collect material from outside of the school. We also receive tools from them, for example a pricing app that we still use today.

"At the end of the day, we are not running a shop, it is about the flow of material and how to do it sustainably.”

→  Can you explain a little bit of your bartering concept, how does the exchange work?

SC: We have a local currency, called Zarb. When a student arrives and wants to participate in this material exchange, they automatically get 15 Zarbs. All the material have a price on them. In order to earn more Zarbs, you can either donate some materials or you can also volunteer your time working with us. You get 10 Zarbs per hour. We try to keep everything fair. At the end of the day, we are not running a shop, it is about the flow of material and how to do it sustainably.

→  What are some of the challenges on running this material bank thus far next to your studies?

KB: It is a bit hectic at times if I am honest. Within our group, everyone is from different programs and has different schedules. Coordinating time is a challenge. Especially when it comes to finals, we are busy ourselves and it also happens to be the busiest time at the material bank because everyone needs material!

→  How do you want to expand the material bank?

SC: In the short term, we would love to be open for more days. We are trying to build a stronger team of volunteers so we could become more resistant. In the long run, we want to ensure that the knowledge of running the material bank gets passed along to the next generation of DAE students. It is always a challenge in a school environment when everyone is only here for a few years.

Another goal we have is to connect with industry beyond the academy, or even hardware stores for material donations. We can always pick up what they can’t sell.

→  Where can students find you?

SC: For material, you can always come to us on Monday to Friday from 16.00 - 18.00. For any announcements, you can find us on Instagram. We are always looking for new members or volunteers, please find us physically or email us at materialbank@designacademy.nl. We would love to have you!

• 2023 - 2024 updates: Bzar is open only on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 16.00 - 18:00.