Going Public: On Materiality - Questioning the architectural object

Going Public

Design can be uniting, soothing, provoking, pleasing or disturbing. In times when there are so many urgent societal and environmental issues in need of systemic change, spatial design can add some crucial insights in, and contributions to these complexities. The Faculty of Architecture of KU Leuven with campuses in Ghent and Brussels, is fully aware of its place in the current global arena. It is creating and disseminating knowledge on architecture, urbanism and the architect’s possible roles in society.

By showing the work done and testing ideas in an international context, the Going Public programme brings both international discourse to the faculty and -vice versa- internal discussions to the world. It consists of a lecture series, exhibitions and publications.

The programme is roughly organized around the four Engagements that form the design studio landscape of the faculty each with a specific focus and conception of what architecture can or should be. The four Engagements are: Craftsmanship, Legacy, Mediating Tactics, Urban Cultures. A fifth engagement The Brussels Way is only related to the Brussels campus. The engagements curators work with the pool of tutors to formulate their approach and highlight year themes.