Can we look at the city as a resource: the social, spatial, material, and intellectual breeding ground for a just and sustainable future? 

Fall 2024 semester urban design studio at RAVB. Project site: Schaarbeek-Vorming

︎︎︎ RAVB - Rotterdam Academy of Architecture 

︎︎︎ BMA - Brussels Bouwmeester Maître Architecte

︎︎︎ perspective.brussels

Cities are the place where today's interlocked challenges of climate change and social justice accumulate. At the same time, they are the perfect testing ground for developing new solutions. 

In the studio B(S)XL we decode the complexity of the urban and landscape system ​(XL) of Brussels. A system of interconnected elements and dynamics that requires the transformative action of design across multiple scales and domains of change. Starting from the micro-scale (S) of a single element picked on site, we develop the building blocks to transform an under-performing site into a future neighbourhood.




We challenge the current growth-driven urban design and architecture practices, exploring alternative development models for the city. We employ a low-tech approach to rethink how we live, work, move, and experience the urban environment.

With this assignment we address the power and the responsibility of designers in a post-growth culture – and invite you to develop your critical standpoint in the debate as the new generation of city-makers.





Research
B(S)XL explores urban degrowth and circular economy. Starting with an onsite element (a stone, plant, cup, cloth…), we transform an approach into a future neighbourhood’s building block, scaling from micro to macro. The studio includes guest lectures in Rotterdam and site visits in Brussels with local experts. The research is presented in a Material Flow Analysis (MFA) at urban scale with the aim to map the complexity of a circular development in the built environment.


Communication
Each student receives personalized communication guidance throughout the design process. Exploring the site, you learn to “sense” urban space and its dynamics, crafting a place’s story from its fundamental elements. Using the materiality of those elements, you express concepts in your unique language. The proposal is encapsulated in a Manifesto: a visually compelling statement on your ambitions for the future of Schaarbeek-Vorming.