Flanders Architectural Review N°16. Responses in Responsibility

Responses in Responsibility

The publication was preceded by a call for projects. Issued in June 2023, it highlighted architectural responses that critically address pressing themes such as social inclusion and today’s environmental issues. The editors explicitly sought out projects that not only meet regulations and economic constraints, but also proactively tackle ecological challenges, such as reducing construction waste and supporting biodiversity. From the more than 300 submissions, some 100 projects were selected which the editorial team visited on-site and carefully assessed. From these, the editorial board then chose 22 projects that provide ‘responses in responsibility’; they are complemented by projects that appear in the 11 essays.

A caring attitude

One of the most striking trends to surface is a common attitude of caring – for existing buildings and the environment, but also for the users of today and tomorrow. ‘The term “caring architecture”, developed by feminist thinkers in the 1990s, describes architecture that takes responsibility for the planet. This approach seems more relevant today than ever’, according to Sofie De Caigny and Dennis Pohl, the book’s editors-in-chief.

In this context, ‘shadow clients’ come into focus, stakeholders who are not directly involved in the decision-making but who experience the consequences of architectural decisions. This highlights the broader ethical responsibility of architects to look beyond the immediate clients and also take into account communities, local residents and even non-human organisms.

The work of people

In her essay, urban planner Els Nulens discusses the role of good commissioning. The repurposed Church of St Cornelius and community centre in Aalbeke (urbain architectencollectief), the Deelfabriek in the former fire station of Kortrijk (ATAMA), the Anapneusis community house for formerly homeless people in Schoten (Bruno Spaas Architectuur) and the M127 office building with public plinth in Berchem (ono architectuur and Universal Design Studio in collaboration with artist Philip Aguirre y Otegui and garden architect Ludovic Devriendt). They are examples of how participation is deployed, not as a trend or compulsory number, but as a genuine and effective collaborative process. Nulens: ‘Architecture is the work of people, behind which complex processes are hidden with fascinating and often entangled collaborations.’

The architect as multidisciplinary editor

‘The role of the architect is shifting to that of an editor, who works with existing materials and conditions and finds new solutions in them’, says architect and researcher Carlo Menon in his essay. Architects, he argues, must be able to go beyond false dilemmas, such as the apparent contradiction between affordable housing and the preservation of open space, or between the appreciation of heritage and the creation of climate-robust buildings. This requires social and intellectual agility and often a multidisciplinary approach. Menon: ‘Acting as an editor means accepting that the final result will not have your name on it in capital letters, as the result depends on many circumstances that you as an architect do not try to bend to your own idiom.’ Menon refers, among others, to the greenhouses in the Botanic Garden in Meise (NU architectuuratelier in collaboration with Archipelago) and the Cordonnier factory in Wetteren (De Smet Vermeulen architecten). In both projects, the architects edited the existing situation and added as little as possible. The result is buildings and spaces which, because of their continuity, are supported by their environment and users.

Towards a more inclusive, equitable architecture sector

This book argues for the greater involvement of different voices from our society in the design process. It also looks at the state of gender equality, diversity and the economic position of the profession. Architectural engineer Evelien Pieters, the founder of PAF (platform for architecture & feminism), notes that there is still a lot of work to be done: ‘More women than men are leaving the design profession. People with migrant roots are underrepresented.’ In her essay, she argues for greater awareness, more equal representation, more room for a diversity of voices, improved remuneration, and changes in training and the work culture. Regarding that remuneration, the position of young architects especially is particularly precarious, according to architect-researcher-artist Vjera Sleutel. As a young architect who has just completed her internship, she has mapped out the low pay and long working hours of beginning architects. Sleutel: ‘The fixed wages of beginning architects are often lower than the legally guaranteed income of €1,954.99 gross per month. Young architects therefore work long hours to be able to bill sufficiently at the end of the month.’

The political significance of architecture

The final essay, by Hülya Ertas, explores the political significance of architecture in today’s society. She calls on architects to have the courage to radically choose care, generosity and beauty in architectural design. Ertas: ‘The role of architecture goes beyond creating physical spaces; it is a means of addressing the major societal challenges of our time, from climate change to social justice.’ Architecture today can be a powerful signal of hope. This book shows that a redefinition of values is possible and that architects play a crucial role in making this change happen, not only for the current generation, but also for future inhabitants of our planet.

Six photo series

The editors also invited six photographers to take an anthropological look at how life takes place in the buildings discussed here. In doing so, we encroached directly on architects’ control over the image creation of their projects. To heighten the contrast, most of the photography they initiated is printed in black and white. With original photography by Kimberley Dhollander (Evenbeeld), Farah Fervel, Delphine Mathy, Nick Moons, Illias Teirlinck and Laura Vleugels.

About the Flanders Architectural Review

Every two years, a new edition of the Flanders Architectural Review is published. The series started in 1994 and has been a gauge of architecture in and from Flanders and Brussels ever since. To compile issue 16, the editors visited some 100 buildings, talked to clients and users, and studied many plans. In addition to the textual essays and the photo series, this intensive process led to a selection of some 22 projects, which are explained and extensively documented in the book. The design by atelier Haegeman Temmerman includes a cover that can serve as a poster.