Upside-Down Lab
The Collective Foundation
Bulgaria
Shared public space is where democracy thrives, and its creative transformation directly empowers communities. Upside-Down Lab proposes the gradual activation of a rundown site in the Sofia Architecture University backyard into a collectively shaped social space.
Building a communal space for knowledge sharing, experimentation, negotiation, and cultural life – free from the institutional rigidity that often overlooks student voices in university decision-making – is crucial for fostering agency, ownership, and a more inclusive academic environment.
Upside-Down Lab envisions the transformation of a degraded space in the Sofia Architecture University backyard into a platform for learning, creative collaboration, and everyday social interaction. Hidden behind the school, the area is largely unused and does not function as a public space within the university context. We aim to turn this gap into an opportunity – by framing it as a shared learning environment for spatial practice and creative work. The process will begin with students conducting a survey to identify what shared space is missing in everyday campus life. Next, small interdisciplinary student teams will work alongside invited artists and mentors to develop the overall design and key elements of the future space. Creative architectural and artistic approaches will be integrated from the outset, shaping how the space functions, looks, and feels. In the subsequent hands-on phase, together with the involved students and artists, we will implement the planned spatial transformation, focusing on collective making, and learning by doing. The revitalised space will open with a three-day cultural festival, ensuring it quickly becomes visible and part of everyday school life.