An unfinished building. A shared future.

Start with work people can do together

In 2016, local volunteers and partners including Belgium’s Toestand worked to turn an abandoned industrial structure into a community space. The European Endowment for Democracy’s account describes an initial ten-day effort using recovered materials, followed by negotiations over permission to use the building.

Repair did not end with the first opening. The same account describes a community fundraiser for the roof and later improvements to facilities. Workshops, music, cooking and other activities gave people reasons to return and contribute, rather than treating the building as a completed architectural object.

Keep the space open through organisation

Termokiss describes itself as a community-led place for non-profit, educational activity. The EED’s 2020 profile records regular meetings and shared decision-making. A later KCSF grant factsheet documents a July–September 2025 project focused on improving the space’s security. Together, the sources show why stewardship involves continued practical work as well as a founding idea.

Our reading: the transferable idea is to connect the repair of a place with the people who will use and care for it. Tools and a room create possibilities; clear responsibilities and permission to remain make those possibilities more durable.

That also sets a limit on the example. Volunteer energy cannot by itself resolve building safety, long-term access or running costs. A new project would need to negotiate those conditions in its own city. The useful question is what people can start together, and what support lets them keep going.