‘What does FreiRAUM@HSB offer me? The courage to come up with ideas and the resources to put them into practice’

Hello Marta, hello Ben, we’ve heard that it’s customary to use the informal ‘you’ when addressing one another at FreiRAUM@HSB. That sounds lovely. What does the space offer HSB students and staff?

Marta: FreiRAUM@HSB offers visitors help, support and guidance on the journey from an initial idea to a fully developed project. The aim is to encourage people at HSB – whether students or staff – to put their ideas into practice and to support them in bringing them to fruition. This is done through advice on setting up a business, but also throughout the general development process. So there doesn’t even need to be a concrete idea yet: people can simply come to us with various thoughts and we’ll look together to see if these ideas can develop into a project.

Ben: It is important to us that FreiRAUM@HSB is a place where people feel at ease. For most people, it is hard enough to approach others with their ideas. We want to make this as easy as possible for them. The informal ‘you’ used at FreiRAUM@HSB is not an attempt to suggest flat hierarchies, as may be the case in some other spaces. We are aware of existing hierarchies, but we want to use our knowledge and contacts to engage with people on an equal footing and work together to bring their ideas to fruition.

What motivates you to work at FreiRAUM and what are your responsibilities?

Marta: For me, FreiRAUM is the perfect place to combine my passion for start-up ideas and creative work. My master’s degree in ‘Sustainable Business and Entrepreneurship’ has equipped me to develop innovative approaches and provide targeted support to start-up teams. With my experience in product development and design, as well as my creative work in pottery and goldsmithing, I bring fresh perspectives and valuable insights to the table. At FreiRAUM, I take on tasks in project management, event organisation and procurement – always with the aim of fostering ideas and helping teams move forward.

Ben: One thing that constantly motivates me is working with the local community. At FreiRAUM, I am primarily responsible for the makerspace – which means setting it up and maintaining it to meet the wishes and needs of the users. Here, students have the opportunity to create prototypes, build mock-ups or develop initial product ideas.

In my work at the Makerspace, I place great importance on collaborating closely with users and contributing my perspective as an industrial designer – not as ‘the one right way’, but as another tool in the creative process of those involved. Our aim at FreiRAUM is to boost users’ self-efficacy and encourage them to take their projects forward. I know the feeling of having lots of ideas and wanting to put them into practice – and equally the feeling of being overwhelmed when everything seems too big and confusing. Being able to help make these challenges more tangible for others fills me with joy. It is a special motivation to be part of an approach that follows the principle of social design.

FreiRAUM is celebrating its birthday on 5 December. What are you planning as a team?

Marta and Ben: A varied programme: between 3pm and 6pm, visitors can explore FreiRAUM and meet our founding teams, chat and network over coffee, tea and crêpes baked especially for our guests, and take part in lots of small activities in the makerspace. From 6 pm, there will be an official welcome, followed by the opportunity to take part in a Design Sprint for teachers and the Night of Creativity.

In the afternoon, everyone is welcome to drop by spontaneously; however, if anyone would like to take part in one of the two evening workshops, we ask that you register in advance.  Contact: freiraum@hs-bremen.de