Visit to the Old Brussels Hackerspace Location in Molenbeek - Robot Doorbel & Homemade FOSS Cash Registry System
Two days ago, I went to the TechTue event at the Brussels hackerspace with a couple of friends of mine. I'd actually never been to their current location and it was a little bit difficult to find. It was basically located at a building that looked like it was abandoned for a long time.
Once we found the entrance, we had to go up these long narrow stairs, as you can see in the picture below. Mind that it was around 8pm, so everything was pitch-black.
Once inside the space, we were greeted by a bunch of people who pointed us towards the main area, where everyone was enjoying a glass of freshly made GNUWhein. Which is a type of open-source cocktail consisting of red wine, white wine, rum, sugar & various spices. Quite strong, but really delicious.
When we got to talking to some of the other members, we occasionally heard a robotic voice that announced when a visitor entered the premises. Some of the members also had RFID tags that notified the system when they were in close vicinity of the space.
The bar inside the hackerspace was stocked full of beer and other beverages and you could scan your beverages to set up a tab at the bar. I've found a short Youtube video that shows the whole process. It's really interesting to see if you're into technology.
There seemed to be a very strong focus on everything open-source. One member was actively helping organize FOSDEM, a long running open-source conference in Brussels.
I was kinda wondering if this conference could be something that @utopian-io might be able participate with, since you get to talk to many different developers and maintainers of open-source projects there. I'd definitely be willing to spread the word about Utopian on that event, I've been attending the conference for years now, having also volunteered there.
One thing that also caught my eye, was the huge amounts of Club Maté that were present. If you haven't heard about Club Maté, it's basically a bitter caffeinated drink that's widely present at most hacker meetups in Europe.
It's definitely an acquired taste, but I've come to really enjoy drinking it.
In my previous blog about this hackerspace, I mentioned that I've supported them with their crowdfunding for a new space. Now that I've actually visited their current building, I'm even more excited about joining. It's pretty cool to see all the different hardware projects, something that I don't have any experience with myself.
I'll be writing more posts like these in the future, maybe talking about individual projects that I'll be working on. Heck I might even be able to do a livestream there, since I'll have enough space there and a relatively quiet environment.
I hope you enjoyed reading this post!
Hi Daan - do have a look at this one . It is in Cape Town, South Africa. Maybe you can give them some advice on crowd funding too. I think they will appreciate it. They do from bronze casting to setting up exhibition stalls at expos, while offering work space and advanced tools like laser-cutters, 3D printers, forging equipment, casting facilities, etc for crafters in need of it. They make special provision for students, even offer courses.
They are, like the one in Brussels, also in an old building in an old suburb of Cape Town.
Nice Post, thank you very much!
Yeah, will definitely check them out later when I have some free time ;) Thanks for mentioning it!
This is really cool. That is awesome about how you can order your drink like that. I have never heard of the caffeinated drink you mentioned, but me and caffeine don't really get along, so it isn't a surprise :) This looks like it is going to be a really exciting thing for you to be a part of.
Yeah the drink is pretty well known in Germany I think and I've seen it being sold at maybe one bar. Like I said, it's an acquired taste :P
I've heard a lot about these hackerspaces and seen lots of open invitations for them, but I've never really followed up and visited one. It looks really interesting though, perhaps I should try one... there seem to be quite a few "open days" in Amsterdam.
Yeah definitely do visit the one in Amsterdam if you can, it's also a very fun space, lots of really friendly, interesting people.
They'll also gladly help you with any sort of project that you have in mind. At least, that's the case here in Brussels.
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Sounds like an interesting event, the entrance sounds a bit dubious but seems lots going on once you get in
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