Fab Lab Barcelona


Fab Lab Barcelona is a laboratory for digital fabrication and part of the global Fab Labs network. It was established in 2007 as the first Fab Lab in the European Union. The lab was founded by the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC).
Located in the El Poblenou district of Barcelona, the facility occupies a former industrial building that has been adapted for research, education, and production activities. Fab Lab Barcelona is part of an international network of fabrication laboratories that share knowledge, tools, and practices related to digital fabrication and maker culture.
Fab Lab Barcelona operates as a research and fabrication facility engaged in EU-funded initiatives that explore alternatives to centralized mass production. The lab investigates distributed design and local manufacturing ecosystems as potential models for production and innovation. Its research focuses on environmental monitoring, circular design principles, and socially engaged technologies, positioning the lab at the intersection of technological development and societal challenges.
The laboratory is integrated into the global Fab Lab network, coordinated by the Center for Bits and Atoms at MIT. Through this connection, Fab Lab Barcelona shared methodologies, tools, and research outcomes with other fabrication laboratories worldwide.
The lab supports experimental research that connects digital fabrication with urban innovation, education, and policy-oriented design research through the partnership with the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia.
The lab has been involved in various projects integrating digital fabrication with education, community participation, and research. Notable initiatives associated with Fab Lab Barcelona include the Smart Citizen environmental sensing platform and the Distributed Design platform, which connects European designers and makers who work on alternatives to mass production.

Smart Citizen Project

The ‘’’Smart Citizen’’’ project is an environmental sensing initiative that originated from Fab Lab Barcelona. The project centers on citizen participation, open data practices, and the use of open-source technologies to monitor environmental conditions in urban areas.
The project was developed to allow individuals and communities to collect, visualize, and share environmental data using affordable sensing devices. Smart Citizen monitors air quality, noise levels, temperature, humidity, and other urban environmental indicators. The platform combines three main components: hardware in the form of open-source sensor kits, software for data management, and a digital platform where data can be uploaded and accessed publicly.
The project supports environmental awareness and informed decision-making at the community level by providing accessible monitoring tools. The project enables citizens to participate directly in the environmental data collection and analysis.
Smart Citizen has been spread in multiple cities worldwide and used in educational programs, community-based research, and urban planning initiatives focused on sustainability and smart city development. The data collected through the network contributes to ongoing research and policy discussions related to urban environmental conditions.

Prizes and awards