Sifais Lab

Sifais Lab was born from a partnership between local fab labs and a community foundation, with a clear goal: bring digital fabrication and innovation tools directly into a vulnerable urban neighborhood. What started as a pilot with young people from La Carpio quickly grew into a permanent space, supported by the community itself and shaped by real local needs. As the first digital fabrication lab embedded in a vulnerable urban community in the Americas, Sifais Lab works as an open, inclusive workshop where people learn by doing. Residents use the space to prototype everyday objects, develop products for social enterprises, and explore creative and cultural projects together. The lab’s participatory model builds skills, confidence, and shared ownership, while reinforcing local identity across generations. More than a makerspace, Sifais Lab functions as a living laboratory for urban regeneration, helping the community adapt, respond, and stay resilient in the face of social and technological change.