Life Cycle Design Studio
Instructor(s):
Johan Cordonnier (Coordinator), Jan Wurm, Joris De Greef
Engagement:
Craftsmanship
Location:
Brussels
Language:
English
Semester:
Semester 2, Spring 2026
- View the presentation (pdf)
Description:
This studio explores integrated design strategies for the renovation, retrofit, and reprogramming of existing buildings. With a focus on preserving embodied carbon and minimizing demolition, students will develop adaptive reuse proposals that extend the life cycle of architectural structures. The studio engages with Brussels’ “Good Living” vision and the EU Renovation Wave, aiming to create spatial, social, ecological, and economic value through circular and reversible design interventions.
Line of Inquiry:
Material Reality
Topic, Thematic Focus:
Adaptive reuse, carbon neutrality, building layers, reversibility, renovation strategies
Key Questions or Provocations:
How can existing structures be adapted to new uses while preserving their embodied carbon?
What design strategies support reversible and circular architecture?
How can architecture contribute to long-term ecological and social sustainability?
Methodologies or Formats:
Case study analysis, technical assessment, iterative design development, scenario planning, carbon impact evaluation
Design / Expected Outcome(s):
Students will develop a technically integrated design strategy for the renewal of an existing building, including structural reuse, retrofit of envelope and interiors, and future lifecycle planning. Designs will be reversible and carbon-conscious, anticipating future adaptations.
Deliverables:
Design strategy and architectural proposal
Plans, sections, elevations (scale 1/200)
Detailed façade and interior interventions (scale 1/20)
Lifecycle extension and disassembly strategy
Operational manual for low-carbon building use
Assessment of embodied and operational carbon