One of the big challenges in RAW is that many solutions are at a low technology readiness level (TRL). They do not exist in industrial settings, which means that there is no data available. This makes understanding possible benefits, costs and risks speculative. In RAW, we experiment with different methods, rooted in the field of futures and foresight, to understand the impacts. One of the methods is science fiction prototyping, a method developed by a futurist of Intel more than ten years ago.  

In the second week of February 2025, one of the RAW researchers, Wendy Wuyts, had the chance to organise a five-day long workshop during the international design week of Antwerp University. The theme was whimsicality. Together with Esther Vandamme, they combined different methods like science fiction prototyping, forest bathing and lowtech material experimentation to understand the futures and possibilities with our RAW materials.  

On the first day, they invited 3 local experts - entrepreneurs from Belgium and one academic expert from Denmark - to introduce each material:  

1. Sam of Buurman Antwerpen told about the current realities of selling reclaimed timber,  

1. Axel of EXIE NV talked about hemp and the more accepted hempcrete solution, 

1.  Paul of CITA gave an introduction to biopolymers.  

The students were split in five groups, experimented and presented a 3D object and a SF prototype. Wendy held also separate sessions of SF prototype during this week, where students individually wrote out a vision with our RAW materials for Antwerp anno 2050. In total, she harvested more than 30 SF prototypes, which will be used in research.   

On our Instagram page (RAW project (@rawproject.eu) • Instagram photos and videos), you can find small video reels that were made during the workshop.  

Wendy Wuyts and Esther Vandamme wrote a longer abstract for a conference talk during a symposium on Integrative Design (for Biofutures) organised by Innsbruck University, late May 2025, where they will present insights on the educational practice review of combining science fiction prototyping, forest bathing and low tech material experimentation.  

Please visit the page of science fiction to learn more about this method.