Burssels, semester 1, 2024-25
Study programme: M.Sc. Architecture
Craftsmanship engagement
Teachers:
Wes Degreef
Ludovica Cassina
Helene Dorny
introduction
New times, New Heroes!
Thomas Lommee, Design Week Milaan, 2011
Today, we are faced with a changing climate that makes us more conscious about how we treat our planet. Studies show us that the construction industry is one of the most polluting factors in this context. It is responsible for up to 40% of C02 emissions, air pollution & use of raw resources and up to 50% of waste flows. We, too, have become more conscious that our stay on earth is not something that is absolute.
In this way, a new perspective on materials and advancements in ecological and environmental engineering is necessary for combating the warming of the earth. To stop this destructive cycle, new and innovative ways of building have to be explored to ensure our future. For this reason, our economy should be structured fundamentally differently: the narrative should no longer be about producing, demolition and waste but rather about a circular economy where products are reused. Where waste is turned into a „new“ material, locally sourced materials are widely used, and design is considered for the long term.
In doing so, architects should conduct studies on new or ecological building materials and plan the construction process just as much as the designed end result to contribute to the ecological shift in the construction industry. By doing this, we can create a more wholesome and cyclical ecosystem that benefits both people and the planet.
This transition is already on-going and very promising. In light of today’s context, the energy transition is driving change towards a circular economy. Long transport chains, limited resources and geo-political conflicts are making certain construction materials expensive. Which enriches the focus and interest towards residuals and waste. This provides new-discovered, shorter and closed production chains.
- Read the full studio description here.