Atlas of Proposals V: The Sheltering City
Instructor(s):
Arnout Van Vaerenbergh
Engagement:
Craftsmanship
Location:
Brussels (the studio will take place in BAC ART LAB, Leuven)
Language/Taal:
English
Semester:
Semester 3, Fall 2025
Description
Amid climate crisis, social unrest, and mental overload, the need for shelter—both physical and mental—is growing. The fifth edition of Atlas of Proposals explores the shelter not just as architecture, but as a social, sensory, and symbolic anchor in the urban landscape.
In collaboration with the City of Leuven, the yearly Atlas of Proposals design studio works on specific—but atypical—themes through public forums of dialogue, lectures, prototypes, and exhibitions. Past themes include The Silent City, Statues Revisited, (Con)temporary Town Hall, and The City and the Cemetery.
As the academic counterpart to Gijs Van Vaerenbergh, the studio bridges academic and professional practice from BAC ART LAB in Leuven. The first part of the studio focuses on collective research-by-design, followed by an elective studio that channels findings into diverse outputs.
Line of inquiry/Onderzoekslijn:
Practice as Study
Topic, Thematic Focus/Thema:
Public space, urban space, interventions, installation, shelters, climate
Research-by-design, active dialogue, expressive models, pro-active design
Key Questions or Provocation/ Centrale vragen en provocaties:
How can the existing space be evaluated through the concept of shelter?
What types of sheltering in public space are inherent, what is absent, and what is needed?
How can we enhance, change, adapt, or counter this through a new installation?
Methodologies or Formats / Methodologie:
Fieldwork, documentation, stakeholder dialogue, individual role in collective design studio, expression of ideas
Design / Expected Outcome(s) / Ontwerp / Verwachte Resultaten:
Weekly output and presentations: from collecting references, data, and initial idea sketches to individual design proposals
Deliverables / In te dienen documenten:
Full design proposals: drawings at different scales, concept note, visuals, and models