As part of the co-creation phase in Portugal, Exploring Bombarda invited CREA-UP participants to step outside the studio and into the streets of Bombarda, Porto’s iconic creative quarter.
Organized by CRU Creative Hub, the session was designed to immerse the participants in real-life practices of sustainable design, upcycling, and ethical curation.
Through a walking tour and a series of conversations, the group got to meet local entrepreneurs, explore creative reuse in action, and reflect on the intersection between art, commerce, and conscious consumption.
Home to CRU and a variety of design studios, galleries, and independent shops, Bombarda is a living example of how sustainability and creativity can coexist in commercial spaces.
From reclaimed materials to ethical sourcing, from small-scale production to bold conceptual design, Bombarda is where aesthetics meet ethics. And for CREA-UP – a project anchored in upcycling and co-creation – it was the perfect space to explore how these values are practiced beyond the workshop.
Over the course of the afternoon, participants visited three curated stops — each offering a distinct vision of sustainable design:
Loja Loja (@lojaloja.pt)
Founded by Susana Beirão, Loja Loja is a design store that blends Portuguese identity with a sharp curatorial eye and a commitment to responsible production.
From fashion to home objects, each piece tells a story of authorship, quality, and ecological awareness. The team shared insights about how to curate sustainably, how to balance aesthetics and ethics, and what it means to design for longevity.
L de Luz (@l.de.luz)
A poetic micro-universe created by Ana Losa, L de Luz is a lighting studio and boutique filled with lamps and objects made from reclaimed and repurposed materials.
From scrap metals to forgotten glass pieces, Ana transforms everyday waste into pieces of intimacy and atmosphere. Participants were especially inspired by her intuitive process and emotional connection to materials.
CRU Loja (@cru_loja)
More than a shop, CRU Loja is a collaborative platform that brings together dozens of independent Portuguese brands under a shared ethos: sustainable, small-scale, and handmade.
Curated by Virgínia França, the shop gave participants a window into micro-economies of creative production, where transparency and care are central to every decision, from materials to pricing, from packaging to storytelling.
Exploring Bombarda offered more than inspiration – it revealed how values like sustainability, collaboration, and care can be seen, felt, and practised through design.
Participants gained insights into how ethical practices are communicated in real spaces, the importance of authentic storytelling, and the value of working within local creative communities.We’re grateful to the shops and makers who welcomed us so generously. Your work reminded us that sustainability is not only about materials, but about relationships, choices, and intention.
As the co-creation phase progressed, this experience helped participants refine their projects, shaping not only what they made, but how they made it. Bombarda showed us that creativity with purpose is already alive in our cities – we have to walk, listen, and learn.
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