Living LAB 040

The way we build and live in the Netherlands today raises questions, especially when viewed in the context of current major issues: social cohesion in neighborhoods is decreasing, there’s a significant shortage of (affordable) housing, and current building practices often put a strain on the environment. Living LAB 040 brings together innovation partners, governments, knowledge institutions, and citizens to explore new ways forward.

About Living LAB 040

LL040 was founded by building innovators Monique Donker and Jos Lichtenberg. Jos focuses on improving the success of innovation processes and the technical aspects of innovation. He invented Slimbouwen® and is an emeritus professor of Product Development at the Faculty of Architecture at Eindhoven University of Technology. Monique focuses on the softer side of innovation, like how it becomes part of everyday practice. She’s a consultant in construction innovation. LL040 works closely with the Housing and Innovation team of the municipality of Eindhoven.

In addition to LL040, Monique and Jos collaborate in Off Road Innovations, which focuses on innovation in educational housing construction.

Check livinglab040.com for more information.

About the incentive

The construction sector can and must address today’s and tomorrow’s challenges. But this requires radical innovation on all fronts—from the earliest stages of planning and preparing land for construction to building completion, maintenance, and management. Engaging residents from the start and strengthening social cohesion are also crucial. A living lab like Living LAB 040 is perfect for this. It offers space for experimentation and learning and is a place to think about future scenarios. This fits well with Eindhoven, a city where innovation is in the DNA and where rapid growth presents challenges. What does a sustainably growing city of the future look like? That’s the central question of Living LAB 040, and smart, innovative solutions are needed to answer it.

The process

The idea
It is challenging to radicalize change within existing construction frameworks. Innovation requires courage, risk-taking, and letting go of traditional boundaries. This living lab is unique because it’s part of a real neighborhood where real people live in developed homes, contributing to the research.

In 2020, initiators Monique and Jos explored the feasibility of such a lab in Eindhoven after the municipality of Eindhoven invited parties to submit proposals for a lab. The municipality set guidelines and sought land for experiments in building and living. This is where Monique, Jos, and the city found common ground. After further feasibility studies, agreements, and signing contracts, Living LAB 040 began. Since 2021, pioneers in the construction sector have been experimenting for over 15 years on 8,500 square meters in Buurtschap te Veld in northern Eindhoven. Living LAB 040 rents the land from the municipality, which also facilitates and collaborates with the lab. When new experiments arise, the city often needs to take action, whether through regulations, ordinances, or policies. The municipality is also contributing ideas on key focus areas and research challenges for the lab, such as affordable housing, social cohesion in high-rise buildings, and circularity.

This living lab is unique globally. Market parties, not knowledge institutions or the government (as is often the case), initiated Living LAB 040. The research is market-driven, making it immediately relevant and applicable to the industry.

The plan
Living LAB 040 includes program partners, innovative partners, knowledge institutions, and a citizen think tank. The citizen think tank consists of engaged residents who contribute ideas to the innovation partners’ plans from a resident’s perspective and come up with their own ideas for experiments. The first homes are already occupied, and more are on the way.

Program partners provide feedback on future scenarios and the vision for the city of tomorrow. They also track lab results and learn from them. How can the City of Eindhoven stimulate innovation in this area? What does this require from city administration?

Innovation partners initiate experiments, such as Ferlem, a company working on a flexible, sustainable, and affordable housing solution that is also visually appealing. Or student team VIRTU/e, which developed a smart module to add an extra floor to existing homes, designed to be assembled, disassembled, and reassembled with minimal waste and time. The module has already been at other locations, so it has been disassembled and reassembled twice before. This also provides valuable lessons: how do you create as little waste as possible when dismantling, transporting, and rebuilding? With which logistical processes do you ensure a minimum dismantling and rebuilding time? And how do you optimally adapt the design to the environment at each location?

Innovation partners typically approach Living LAB 040. They learn about the lab through Monique and Jos's networks, other partners, or via construction (innovation)-related events and conferences. But there are also innovation challenges where Jos and Monique actively seek out suitable partners. For example, the grid operator Enexis, with whom they devised an innovative energy strategy for the future. This strategy reduces delays on construction projects and lowers the strain on the energy grid.

Innovation partners aren’t necessarily involved with the living lab for the full fifteen years of the project. A partner is welcome at the lab as long as they have a learning question. Once all their questions are answered, they make way for a new partner. The departing innovation partner takes everything they contributed with them. So, if Ferlem is done experimenting at some point, the company will dismantle its homes at Living LAB 040 and move them to another location. Residents will then move to another house within the lab or elsewhere. And they know this. But the residents don't see this as a hurdle. They consciously choose to be part of the living lab. Most often, they do this out of intrinsic motivation. They believe that construction in our country can be done differently and are eager to contribute to that transition.

The execution
Eventually, there will be over 100 homes in Living LAB 040. But when that will happen and whether all the homes will be built at the same time is still unclear. Living LAB 040 is, of course, not a typical residential neighborhood. Innovation is the priority: experiments start small, and as research progresses, the physical lab expands step by step. Each stage in the development of homes can be a learning moment. New innovation partners may also come forward to conduct their experiments at Living LAB 040. All experiments adhere to one or more of the lab’s five pillars of innovation: efficiently organized, spatially attractive, well-being as a foundation, taking responsibility, and agility as a strength.

One of the planned experiments, conceived by Living LAB 040 itself, is The Urban Village. This project consists of 24 homes attached to a structure made of concrete, wood, or metal, with a shared garden. It offers attractive elevated living in a green environment. A key aspect of The Urban Village is the foundation for an industrial approach, focusing on both quality and affordability. This allows innovation partners and citizens to explore the possibilities of elevated terrain. The city of Eindhoven plays an active role in this, serving as a driving force, ambassador, facilitator, and advisor in areas like legislation and regulations.

Currently, in collaboration with Fontys University of Applied Sciences, Living LAB 040 is exploring how to share the results in an engaging way using new technology—both on-site at the lab during tours or visits from interested parties, and beyond, through methods such as games, articles, or videos. Several results will be presented by Living LAB 040 at Dutch Design Week 2024.

Innovation partners interested in participating in their own R&D programs can contact Living LAB 040.

Artist impressions by KraiserVR and Living LAB 040.