Designing in a finite world: urbanism, architecture and resource-consciousness

Designing in a finite world: urbanism, architecture and resource-consciousness in teaching practices

Facing planetary boundaries, growing resource constraints, and increasingly complex socio-eco- nomic challenges, architectural and urban design education must evolve towards more ecolo- gy-grounded paradigms that critically address both the environmental and social dimensions of material resource use.

This seminar, hosted by iiTSE in Brussels, brings together educators and researchers who ex- plore resource-conscious design approaches in their pedagogy and research. The aim is to pro- mote debate on how concepts such as urban metabolism, circularity, exnovation and ecologi- cal transition are integrated and articulated in architecture and urban planning curricula. Through a hybrid format combining presentations and roundtable discussions, invited speakers from institutions including the Politecnico di Milano, ENSA Paris Est, and the ULB’s interdisciplinary research platform iiTSE (SUFI, AIA, LOUISE research labs) will share insights on how their design studios engage with material cycles, territorial dynamics, and the socio-material realities of de- sign efforts.

The seminar will highlight teaching methods that foreground resource awareness (from territori- al to urban design, architecture and materials agencies) and will question how design education can contribute to broader transformation of design paradigms.

Program Overview

• 13:30–14:00 – Coffee & Informal Networking
• 14:00–15:30 – Presentations by invited speakers
• 15:30–16:30 – Round-table discussions on key themes
• 16:30–17:30 – Wrap-up & Drinks

Invited Speakers

• Andrea Bortolotti – Arch. and Urban Studies, Politecnico di Milano
• Geoffrey Grulois – LOUISE, La Cambre Horta, ULB
• Jean Souviron – ENSA Paris Est
• Lionel Devlieger – Ghent University

Organised by

• Giulia Caterina Verga – Organiser & Moderator, SUFI, École Polytechnique, ULB (iiTSE member)
• Andrea Bortolotti – Organiser, Department of Architecture and Urban Studies, Politecnico di Milano
• Samia Ben Rajab – Organiser, École Polytechnique, ULB (iiTSE member)
• Geoffrey Grulois – Organiser, La Cambre Horta, ULB (iiTSE member)
• Ahmed Zaib Kahn – Organiser, École Polytechnique, ULB (iiTSE member)
• Camilo Paez – Organiser, École Polytechnique, ULB (iiTSE member)