Youth Shaping Viana STARTS: Creative Design from the University Campus in the Spirit of the New European Bauhaus

Designing Interior Spaces

Viana STARTS is a project aimed at regenerating the former municipal slaughterhouse to create a new space on the philosophy of drawing inspiration from ideas and insights of the local community. A key part of this community are the youth and students, with the Polytechnic Institute of Viana do Castelo (IPVC) being a pivotal institution in this ecosystem. In late 2024, a group of IPVC students took on a challenge set by the Municipality: to contribute to the realization of Viana STARTS by designing the furniture for the building.

The future vision for this space includes hosting a wide range of creative and collaborative activities, such as artistic exhibitions, workshops, maker spaces, coworking areas for entrepreneurs and creatives, and multifunctional zones for community engagement. Therefore, a creative challenge has been open to proposals suitable for all types of uses, covering everything from exhibition areas and ateliers or coworking areas and offices, calling for flexible, modular, and adaptive furniture solutions capable of serving diverse users and purposes.

Specifically, this challenge has been materialized through the Creative NEBLab workshop, an initiative integrated into the 2024–2025 academic curriculum of second-year undergraduate students at the School of Technology and Management of IPVC (ESTG-IPVC). It has been incorporated into the Bachelor’s Degree in Product Design, and was guided by professors Acácio Pereira, Guest Lecturer, and João Martins, Senior Lecturer.

The workshop involved 48 students organized into 24 working groups and ran for 8 weeks. It was integrated into the ‘Project/Workshops I’ module of the second year of the degree, and the assessment of performance at each stage contributes to the students' final grade. Each group developed a distinct proposal, resulting in 24 unique works through a phase of ideation and prototyping inspired by the principles of the New European Bauhaus (NEB).

Marta Monteiro, Head of the Project Division at the Viana do Castelo Municipality:

Creative NEBLab has the potential to bring a fresh and dynamic perspective to Viana STARTS. By involving the Academic community, the project opens new opportunities for collaboration, knowledge exchange, and creative experimentation, further enriching the project’s mission.

The IPVC's Bachelor's Degree in Product Design consistently seeks to integrate projects and partnerships with external organizations, although the nature of these collaborations may vary from year to year. These initiatives are highly valued for their ability to generate real-world impact within the community, for increasing student motivation by engaging them with meaningful, tangible challenges, and for fostering a sense of social responsibility. They are considered an integral part of IPVC's educational philosophy, designed to promote the holistic development of students and equip them with the human, social, and technical skills needed to become agents of change in a complex and demanding society.

The challenge for IPVC students

Student involvement in this particular project was notably high, as demonstrated by their commitment over the eight-week period and the effort invested in their final presentations. Moreover, the innovative and multidisciplinary character of Viana STARTS is believed to have sparked significant interest among the students, encouraging the exploration of creative solutions and facilitating collaboration between teams. Comparing with projects carried out in previous years, the scope and complexity of the theme required additional research and conceptual development from the students, a fact that was clearly reflected in the quality and variety of the proposed solutions.

Acácio Pereira, Guest Lecturer at IPVC:

By researching, analyzing user needs, and proposing solutions within the Creative NEBLab, the students shifted from external observers to active participants in the Viana STARTS vision. This proposal engages students, offering them a real-world challenge and deeply involving them in the project.

Students presented a wide range of innovative ideas, each aiming to enhance functionality, sustainability, and adaptability in the design. Some proposed structural systems for versatile furniture, for instance, utilizing simple rectangular shapes and combining plywood and aluminum profiles. They allow for easy adaptation to various needs such as benches, tables, and shelves, ensuring flexibility and stability. To meet this challenge, some students developed physical scale models, while others created 3D models, among other approaches, all aimed at designing a minimum viable product.

Others focused on creating modular, ergonomic furniture systems, emphasizing functionality and the promotion of collaboration in coworking spaces. In particular, to cite some examples, modular desk systems may provide comfort and practicality, with features like adjustable heights, magnetic surfaces or accessories such as hooks, while another concepts introduced panels and brackets, offering solutions such as dividers or shelves, all of which can be easily reconfigured to meet evolving needs.

Students also explored multi-functional designs, such as structural furniture systems that combine a table and easel in one adaptable piece. These solutions feature transformation systems ideal for evolving spaces, with a focus on easy transport and assembly. Incorporating sustainability, some proposals utilized cork, recycled materials, or other eco-friendly or repurposed components, ensuring both functionality and environmental responsibility. In addition to this, thanks to be designed for easy assembly and disassembly, these solutions promote collaboration among users and adaptability to their needs anytime through interlocking elements and folding mechanisms.

Game-changing proposals

Students presented their ideas to the Viana Municipality team during a session held at ESTG-IPVC in January 2025, using innovative formats such as short 15-second videos, scale models with practical demonstrations, and technical dossiers to illustrate their proposals. After this presentation, and carefully reviewing all students' submissions, two proposals were selected to advance to the next phase: Play with +Space and Uniwood.

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The Uniwood design utilizes perforated panels and versatile joints to create adaptable, three-dimensional structures that can be customized for various work and collaborative environments. Inspired by the concept of play, it promotes creativity and flexibility, enabling users to transform spaces using modular components such as workstations, privacy panels, and accessories. These elements are crafted from sustainable materials like PLA 3D printing, steel, and ABS plastic.

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The Play with +Space design introduces a structural system composed of seven pieces, including durable wooden boards, modular connectors for tool-free assembly, and a cargo strap for additional stability. This system allows the creation of various furniture configurations—tables, shelves, dividers, and benches—adapting to diverse workspace needs. Focused on modularity, space organization, portability, and multifunctionality, the system is made from plywood, 3D printing filament, and a stabilizing strap. It offers easy maintenance and potential for future expansion.

From Vision to Reality

In the next phase of the Creative NEBLab, the focus will be on analyzing the technical feasibility of the proposed designs, ensuring they can be constructed and manufactured.

The ultimate goal of this process is to ensure that, when the building opens in 2026, its interior furnishings will be ready and aligned with its intended use. This approach aligns with the concept of open innovation and co-creation of Viana STARTS, where the furniture itself becomes a participatory element in the activity of the building. Consequently, the furniture will evolve alongside the space, continuously adapting to the needs of the environment, its users, and the moment. This approach is also in perfect harmony with the spirit of engaging the community, fostering an environment that encourages collaboration and dynamic transformation.

João Martins, Senior Lecturer at IPVC:

We will explore the possibilities of manufacturing the selected prototypes to assess how they can be brought to life. To follow up on this new phase, we will work with the students to review the key components, materials, and technical requirements needed for prototype production.

The immersion experienced in Creative NEBLab initiative allowed the students to not only understand the real-world context for which they were designing but also to develop a sense of ownership and potential contribution to the future of Viana do Castelo. Working on a project with such clear local impact further boosted their motivation and engagement throughout the design process.

Professors are optimistic about the continuation and potential expansion of this collaboration with Viana STARTS, recognizing its value in offering students a practical, relevant experience and paving way for future collaborations. Moreover, the multidisciplinary approach and co-creation model demonstrated in this project hold great potential for adaptation to other contexts, enriching student education while contributing to regional development.