Shared workshop spaces are places where tools, machines and knowledge are accessible to a wider community. They can be run by collectives, cultural spaces, local non profit organizations, the city or independent makers. They offer environments where you can prototype, build, repair, experiment and learn for a reasonable fee.
About
Tucked in inner courtyards, refurbished buildings or in old factories — Switzerland has a hidden world of shared workshops, fablabs and makerspaces, that welcome anyone to make and create. Most people have no idea they exist, and we understand why: they're not easy to find. We know this firsthand, and as designers and makers ourselves, we needed an easy way to find tools, machines and spaces to make our projects. But we couldn’t find one. So we made workshop matters.
Here, we help you find the perfect space for your needs to prototype, build, cut, repair, design, fail, learn, unlearn and make things yourself. With your hands, with machines, and with others. Because we know that just like us, other designers, artists, and creatives all need a place to get their hands dirty.
The process behind workshop matters has been a long journey of conversations, interviews and exchange on what it means to create objects yourself. We listened to the stories of workshop owners and workshop users alike: from professional designers and artists to hobby makers. We wanted to hear where, how and why they craft objects and what drives their passion. Whether it’s a prototype or a finished item, making things reminds us that an object’s value isn’t measured by price, but rather by process, purpose, longevity and by the stories it carries.
Whether you are a recent design graduate, an independent artist, or just passionate about craft, we encourage you to dive into the world of shared workshop spaces and make more things yourself. We see shared workshops not as factories of production, but as incubators of ideas—places where hands meet minds, and people come together. By exploring places of co-creation we celebrate design as a human act: tactile, imperfect, and deeply social.
workshop matters began during a research thesis in HGK Basel: an investigation of Switzerland’s open workshops, fablabs and makerspaces as places that allow for alternative design processes. Curious about how access to shared workshop spaces can change a designer's practice? READ MORE HERE ↗
workshop matters is supported by the pro helvetia Emerging Talents Grant.
Mission
"We should not give up on the workshop as a social space. Workshops, present and past, have glued people together."
— Richard Sennett, The Craftsman
Behind every object lies a story: about materials, places, people, and processes — stories that are too often obscured by mass overproduction. We started workshop matters because we aim to share with you less-known stories of small production, design processes and repair approaches. Stories that remind us that making is a long journey — and that every object carries a history of its creation and a life beyond the production.
Beyond bringing visibility and accessibility to workshop- and maker- spaces, our mission is to open a conversation about the value of making, crafts(wo)manship and alternative processes for designing and producing.
Our long term goals are to engage with events, publications and projects that create a shift in the relationships between designing and producing, especially by shifting the overconsumer’s narrative. We aim to share makers’ experiences, designer-maker’s insights and stories from the people who create and who use shared workshops—away from overconsumption, towards more intentional, connected and responsible ways of creating. Stay tuned and reach out if you resonate with any of this. We wish to ignite a growing community of designers, makers and curious practitioners — people who reflect on alternative ways of designing, producing and creating, and who find in shared workshops not just tools and machines, but places where hands meet minds, and where ideas take shape.
Manifesto
Human matters
We believe that making is an inherent human need. We help you reconnect with your inner maker. We know that crafty hands smell good and workshop outfits feel free.
Making matters
We recognise the importance of making in order to truly appreciate the value of things. We relate to designers’ need for making and crafting as part of the design process. We value objects for their stories, not for their price. We bring visibility to resilient bottom-up practices.
Community matters
We believe that making things together allows us to learn from each other. Sharing not only lightens the load, it also makes creative work more possible. We share the stories that we believe matter. We do not differentiate between professionals and amateurs: making requires passion, and unlearning is the superpower of the 21st century.
Story matters
We amplify the stories of designer-makers, artists, and amateurs who push the boundaries of craft. We want to see more responsible production and consumption, even if it is small-scale.
We believe in less waste and greater appreciation for how things are made. We raise awareness about existing degrowth practices. After shared gardens, shared desks, and shared kitchens, the time has come for shared workshop spaces to shine.
Play matters
We know that making is fun. We believe a sense of play makes design better. We believe in design for good. We have an infinite curiosity for craftsmanship. Digital and analogue, old and new.
Team
Victoria Paeva
[Project Lead & Creative Direction]
Erica David
[UI/UX and Visual Communication]
Giorgia Bandiera
[Project Management & Communication Strategy]
workshop matters was initiated as a research project by Victoria Paeva in Basel, Switzerland in 2022. Since 2024, together with Giorgia Bandiera and Erica David, our team has been working together on bringing visibility to shared workshop spaces as places for alternative stages for design and creation. We met during our studies at the Basel Academy of Art and Design (HGK) and connected through the shared belief that design has a social responsibility, and that understanding crafts is vital to creating meaningful objects.
FAQ
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You’ll find a diverse mix: some hold one workshop and specialize in print or ceramics, others have many rooms with a wide range of equipment for working with wood, metal, textile, or analogue photo development. We also include makerspaces and fablabs, which combine digital and analogue processes. Each space is different: some are professional, some community-driven, some self-organised, but all value making and sharing.
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Currently we do not offer this. We help you discover spaces, but bookings, memberships and courses are managed directly by each workshop. We recommend calling the workshop and directly asking them or booking a course through their website.
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Welcome on board! You can share your workshop by writing to us at support@workshopmatters.ch. We’ll get in touch to help you add your information and make sure your space is represented clearly and accurately.
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Pick up the phone or drop by! Most workshops prefer direct and simple communication. We recommend calling them or visiting during opening hours. These spaces are often run by very hands-on people who spend more time at the workbench than behind a computer, so emails and social media messages can get lost.
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We draw no line between professional or hobby maker. As long as you want to make and need a machine, it’s the place to be. What is important to know is that some places do not appreciate commercialized practice, while others are quite private and would only let you touch their machines if you have experience. In any case this is something to talk in detail with the workshop space you want to use.
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Yes. We are non-profit and free to use. IIf you’d like to support the project, you are always welcome to get us a coffee or engage with bigger financial support.
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No. We do not take commissions, fees or percentages. Our goal is to give visibility to workshops and inspire more people to make, repair or create — not to monetize them.
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It depends on the space. Many workshops require an introductory class or safety briefing before you can use their machines, while others operate on open-access or membership models. Because every space works differently, the best is to call the workshop directly or visit during opening hours to understand their rules and possibilities.
Contact
hello@workshopmatters.ch
+41 767236579
Sending us a postcard?
raw made collective
Efringerstrasse 80
4057-CH Basel
Projects like workshop matters grow thanks to people who care about our mission. As a non-profit project driven by passion, we believe that workshops, and the many ways of making, repairing, designing and rethinking consumption, deserve visibility: and we can only do it together!
We appreciate any kind of financial support for keeping our mission ongoing.
raw made collective
IBAN: CH11 0900 0000 1649 0411 9
POFICHBEXXX
Efringerstrasse 80
Basel 4057-CH
By supporting us, you’re also supporting a network of creative spaces that often stay hidden but make a real difference. Every gesture helps us keep this website alive, accessible, and dedicated to celebrating making in all its forms.
Special Thanks to
[SUPPORT & CONTRIBUTION]
Bosco Ferreira
Paloma López Grüninger
Stella Auburger
Saskia Haas
[WORKSHOP SPACES]
for the many hours of interviews and exchange with workshop spaces, particularly:
Tobias from macherschaft / Basel
Jana, Linda, Leon and Michele from freiwerk / Basel
Martin from TDS Textildruckerei / Arbon
druckwerk / Basel
meter / St. Galen
Jessica from MACO & Le Grand Atelier Geneve
makerspace Lausanne
Salem Imadjane from DYNAMO / Zurich
[DESIGNERS, MAKERS & ARTISTS]
Flavia Taschler
Katharina Fronhofen
Laura Kluge
Nicole Salnicov
Maria Beleva
Maria Alessandra Fratta
Vera Roggli
Yael Anders
George Foster
Kim Andre Lange
Marc Gertsch
Nils Rolli
Jonas Froetschl
Jan Zinnenlaufen
Rene Odermatt
Valentin Denkov #wormhole
Friends and family
HGK Basel
[FINANCIAL SUPPORT]
pro helvetia [Swiss Arts Council]
Foundation for Art and Design Basel
