Desycling Amsterdam strategy 2009: Desycle ‘at the table’ in Amsterdam New West

LSDP, the Desycle Foundation and the desycling coaches have been invited by Foundation Wilde Westen and Stedelijk in West to organize a desycling project for and with the neighbors of Geuzenveld-Slotermeer. The project took place in the location where Wilde Westen was executing “De kok, de kweker, zijn vrouw en hun buurman”, a project for het Stedelijk in West.

As a follow up of Desycling A’dam 08, LSDP organized a project in collaboration with the coaches in which we explored the habits and costumes of different cultures around the subject ‘Kitchens and Meals”. Around 50 people (children and adults) shared their cultural experiences and creative skills during the project’s activities.

The intensive collaboration resulted in specific products, like a large fruit bowl designed with recycled magazines and produced by a heterogeneous group of 40 people, plus concrete ideas which an enthusiastic group of women are willing to explore further and transform into further opportunities.

LSDP, in collaboration with the desycling coaches, and other organizations are searching for the resources to set up the development of these ideas into a business model which will benefit the personal development of the neighborhood women.



For more information about the project visit http://desyclingamsterdam.blogspot.com/

Sustainable architecture by children for children in Amsterdam!

Children are designing together with architects their ideal playhouse! This project is taking place in the innovative city of Amsterdam. We have designed and executed this project for our client Eigen Haard one of the largest housing corporations in the Netherlands who understands what our future cities need.

Mijn speelhuis (my play house) is simultaneously happening in Osdorp, Bos & Lommer and Slotervaart districts of Amsterdam New West. The ‘play house’ scale models will be exhibited in each district. We are looking forward to the second phase of the project where the children ideas can be realized in the neighborhood.

Follow the news about this project in the weblog (in Dutch) http://mijnspeelhuis.blogspot.com

Creative session at Syntrus Achmea

The dreamer recieving her dream

LSDP in request by Syntrus Achmea in Amsterdam organized the workshop under the title "Desycle your Dream'. The goal of the workshop was to remind the group how to find within their 'working teams' for the means to constantly improve their services to their clients.

Dream factories 'desycling' dreams

By implementing the creative process of the 'desycling strategy' the group was set into a different context from the daily working one. In this context they had to answer the question 'what is my retirement dream'. The teams became dream factories that had to satisfy the 'dreamers wishes' by designing and producing a desycled product that would represent these wishes.

During the exercise new questions were raised and the participants had to undertake different roles from the ones they have in their working environment. This experience allowed the group to reflect on the importance of finding and owning their role within team work.


For LSDP working with this large and heterogeneous group was very interesting. The differences in the group were not only cultural but also the participants attitude towards their job differed a lot from each other. During the whole process of the workshop we perceived that a lot more work on the communication/participation aspect of the group are needed to bust these team's enthusiasm to work together to deliver a better service to their clients.

Dreamers recieveing the products which represent their dreams

The creative process triggered the participants insight about their role in the company and towards their clients. One important aspect ‘humor’ and the ability to laugh at stressful situations helps to mitigate the unpleasant moments within the working environment.
At the end of the day we did see some sparkling eyes and heard some intense laughter throughout the activity which we expect the group will take further to their working environment.

Desycling De Regenboog Groep project

The Latin Sisters Design Productions (LSDP) are working on the setup of a desycling workshop and creating a new product design line in drop-in-centre Makom for De Regenboog Groep (DRG), an organization for homeless people and hard drug users. De Regenboog Groep welcomes them in drop-in centers and user rooms. To learn more about them look on their website: http://www.deregenboog.org/


Desycling is a concept developed by LSDP. In this strategy design, recycling and participation come together. The goal is to involve people, companies and public organizations in social and environmental theme’s and to stimulate to act and become aware. The desycle concept stimulates people’s creativity and encourages them to look different to garbage.

The pilot project
The pilot project is about setting up a desycling workshop. In this workshop Hi5-ers are producing design products. LSDP designs two products for the workshop. These products are made from garbage material, which are collected in the neighborhood from residents, companies and shops. The products made in the workshop will be sold in different shops in Amsterdam.

Hi5-ers
The desycling workshop is an activation projects for Hi5-ers. Hi5-ers are people who receive welfare and have lived for more than two years in Amsterdam. This pilot project is such a Hi5-project. The project offers the Hi5-ers to work with environmental issues and design.
A very important theme is the capabilities and motivations of the Hi5-ers. The production level and techniques are adjusted to their capabilities. Hi5-ers are a very wide group of different kind of people. Therefore research is done about this group of people.

Garbage materials & neighborhood participation
The garbage materials are collected by people who ride the ‘bakfiets’ in the neighborhood of Makom, the drop-in-center where the workshop is established. Residents of Oud-Zuid, organizations, shops and companies are asked to participate and collect some of their garbage. The type of materials that is used depends on the designed products, the availability and quantity of the supplied materials and its environmental aspects. The garbage of store chains, small shops and market stalls is explored.

To see the development and the results of the project check http://www.desyclingderegenboog.blogspot.com/

Feliz 2009!

Desycling Amsterdam 2008 a big succes!

Neighbors make trendy design products with their garbage

During 2008 LSDP organized a great project Neighbors from New-West in Amsterdam together with designers made a series of design products with their garbage which they self brought to the temporary ‘Desycle Center’.
During 4 months they worked together in workshops and transformed old cardboard boxes, plastic bags, old clothes and furniture in trendy bags, jewelry and hip wallets and lamps.
Other neighbors, shops and organizations worked together bringing their contacts for the project and supplying material, like the vegetable and fruits shop Emre and Juttersdok (well known second hand shop from Amsterdam) among others. As result there is a big local network that wants to continue desycling activities, like the 10 coaches that are now able to start training other people.

End of June all the results and the great design were exhibits in an event during 4 days in the famous Westergasfabriek in Amsterdam. The exhibition was also build with garbage and old materials; people were fascinated with the transformation. 7,000 pet bottles were giving form to the 4 pavilions where workshops and other desycling activities took place. The shop was always full of people who wanted to buy a desycling manual to transform their garbage in something new.

A public discussion was organized during the course of the event. It brought together people from different disciplines, like minister of Social Affairs of the neighborhood Westerpark, representatives of recycling companies, second hand companies, welfare organizations as HIVOS, designers and neighbors. They discussed themes as participation, recycling and the feasibility of a permanent Desycle Center to start in 2009. General conclusion was the willingness to work together in creating a better world, starting with local activities as Desycling Amsterdam.

We will post in the New Year more news about the plans for 2009! Look at the activities in the weblog: www.desycling08.blogspot.com

LSDP and Desycle at Droombaan

LSDP gave a great Desycle commission to the smart candidates of KRO’s television program Droombaan.

It was great to work together with the professional people of Eyeworks. Especially by the rushing Latin style that made us feel at home.

Watch for the results the program at Saturday August 10 from 20.05 – 20.40 hours at Nederland 3.

And further: http://www.droombaan.kro.nl/
http://droombaan.kro.nl/uitzendingen/seizoen1/uitzending5/20080803.aspx