Community workshop – The Owl’s Nest

About The Owl’s Nest

The Owl’s Nest is a project centred on making, repair, practical learning and knowledge sharing. At different locations you can get practically involved: for example by working on your own project or repair, learning a technique, taking part in a workshop, working with others or contributing to work that has value for more people.

The locations are real places that you can visit and use. What is possible differs from one location to another. One place may have more room for workbenches, machines and larger work, while another location may focus on electronics, digital work, precision repair, 3D printing or quiet project work.

The Owl’s Nest is therefore not a single building or workshop. The project is built around a shareable work model that can be carried out by different operators in different places. The precise practical form can differ from one place to another, while principles around sharing knowledge, responsibility, accessibility and learning by doing remain recognisable.

If you mainly want to know where you can go, see the locations overview.

Different locations, different possibilities

Not every location needs to offer the same things. A larger workshop may, for example, be suitable for woodworking and metalworking, machines and other forms of practical work. A smaller technical location may instead provide space for electronics, software, digital work, precision work, repair or quiet guidance.

Each location has its own facilities, access arrangements, capacity and responsible operator. This allows you to find a place that suits what you want to do and the way in which you want to take part.

See the locations overview to find out which locations are currently available, where they are, how you can access them and which activities and facilities they offer.

Making, repair and practical learning

You can, for example, bring a repair, an idea, a partly finished project or a practical question. Depending on the location, you can use tools and facilities, learn a technique, work together with someone who has more experience or take part in a workshop.

The aim is not simply to perform a task for someone. Where possible, we investigate and work together so that you remain involved, can see and understand what is happening and can continue with greater knowledge and independence.

Personal projects remain the projects of the people who bring them. They are not automatically documented or presented as projects of The Owl’s Nest. This leaves room to work on something personal without it automatically becoming public content.

Read more about using a workshop location or see the available workshops.

Human-scale support and participation

Practical work can also provide structure, confidence, contact and a manageable way to begin again. Some people need a quiet place, clear explanations or smaller steps. Others mainly want to work independently, with someone nearby whom they can ask when they get stuck.

The Owl’s Nest is not a medical practice, crisis service or replacement for treatment. It can provide a practical environment alongside education, care, coaching, reintegration or support from an employer. The person or organisation responsible for treatment or formal guidance remains responsible for that part.

Participation can take different forms: from a short visit or workshop to regular project work, volunteering, practical learning or a carefully coordinated programme.

Projects and public-benefit work

Alongside your own project, you can also take part in projects carried out together with others. This may be technical, educational or social work, but sometimes people also work together on the place itself, for example on its layout, equipment or other practical improvements needed to make it a good place to work.

There are different ways to contribute. You might take part in a project, share knowledge or experience, help with practical work, make materials or equipment available or contribute as a volunteer. What fits depends on the work taking place at that time, what is needed and what you yourself can and want to contribute.

Such contributions can, for example, make repairs possible, bring equipment back into useful condition, allow learning activities to continue, help knowledge to be passed on and enable local initiatives to begin or develop further. It is therefore not only about the contribution itself, but also about what it makes possible for others.

There are also longer-running public-benefit projects involving areas such as repair, free technology, knowledge sharing, participation and local infrastructure. Such projects may take place at one location, be carried out in several places or not be tied to any one specific location.

These shared projects are different from the personal work that visitors bring with them. Selected projects are described on the website when sharing the process or result also has value for others and when privacy, ownership and copyright allow this.

See Projects for examples of technical, social and public-benefit work. If you would like to contribute yourself, volunteering and contributing also includes examples, current requests and ways in which you can help.

Professionals and organisations

Schools, care providers, employers, referrers and other organisations can work with The Owl’s Nest when a practical environment adds something that a classroom, treatment room or ordinary workplace cannot provide.

This may involve practical learning, rebuilding rhythm and capacity, exploring interests and skills, taking part in a project or creating a suitable next step alongside existing guidance. The role, responsibilities and intended outcomes are agreed in advance.

Read more at For professionals and organisations.

Bring The Owl’s Nest to another place

The Owl’s Nest can also take shape in other places. If you would like to make a place possible in your neighbourhood, city, school or organisation where people can work practically, learn and share knowledge in this way, there is no need to copy an existing location exactly.

A new place can begin with the people, knowledge, space and resources already available locally. Another organisation can establish and sustain such a place, or, where appropriate, it can be developed together with ASK-Solutions. The precise facilities and activities may differ while the shared principles and responsibilities remain in place.

Read more about how to bring The Owl’s Nest to your place. The full shareable work model, HPL framework and further documentation are available through the international The Owl’s Nest website.