brussels bruxelles brussel

11 Koekelberg Koekelberg 1.2 18008

12 Molenbeek-Saint-Jean Sint-Jans-Molenbeek 5.9 16378

13 Saint-Gilles Sint-Gillis 2.5 20188

14 Saint-Josse-ten-Noode Sint-Joost-ten-Node 1.1 24650

15 Schaerbeek Schaarbeek 8.1 16425

16 Uccle Ukkel 22.9 3594

17 Watermael-Boitsfort Watermaal-Bosvoorde 12.9 1928

18 Woluwe-Saint-Lambert Sint-Lambrechts-Woluwe 7.2 7669 the ethical city 2022/23

19 Woluwe-Saint-Pierre Sint-Pieters-Woluwe 8.9 4631

The Ethical City

The Ethical City is on ongoing body of research conducted by the Stage 5 students and staff of the final diploma year at the Mackintosh School of Architecture in Glasgow. A different European city is studied each academic year in order to establish patterns and connections between these cities and Glasgow. in The fundamental aim is to learn from one another how we as architects and urbanists might circumnavigate the obstacles to sustainable regenerative urban repair, and to collate a tool box of powerful methodology to achieve long term positive urban change.

Final Design Thesis territories

1. Modernist territory

2. Industrial territory

3. Historic territory

Reflecting upon Glasgow in Stage 4 while discovering and absorbing a new city in Stage 5 at once invites comparison and contrast between cities, such as their geographic situations, topographies and climates as well as the potent political, economic, social and cultural aspects which shape their particular morphologies and character. As in any city, the relative constancy or shifting dynamics of these influential forces have informed a continuous process of urban repair, renewal, and sometimes reinvention. Finding meaningful architectural expression which harnesses anticipated change is one of the most creative challenges of any urban architecture, one which is truly relevant to place, purpose and people.

Stage 5 teaching team

Final Design Thesis

Miranda Webster - Stage leader

Jonny Fisher - co-pilot

With the ongoing threat of pandemics, artificial intelligence, food and energy insecurity, the climate emergency, and political upheaval across the globe (manifest in direct action, strikes and outright rebellion from ordinarily placid populations), we are asking the question, what is the future of our cities?

How can we mend the urban scars, how can we as architects support people in their daily struggles, and mitigate and send into reverse climate change? The choices that we make as urbanists and architects can no longer be separated from our ethical positions.

Studio design tutors

Charlie Sutherland founder partner of Sutherland Hussey Harris Architects

Stacey Phillips partner at Sheppard Robson Architects

The Final Design Thesis reveals a set of ethical questions, observations, issues and architectural responses. Each body of work evidences the gathering, organisation, analysis, synthesis and deployment of data, research and theory, thus generating an original intellectual position, and a creative, responsive architectural proposal.

Stage 5

Graeme Massie founder of Graeme Massie Architects

Thomas Woodcock architect at Elder and Cannon Architects

Architectural technology

Rory Corr - course lead

Stage 5 is designed to capitalise on the skills and knowledge accumulated by students in the previous five years of education and professional experience. It is a teaching program with increasing levels of self-directed and peer learning, culminating in a Final Design Thesis and Architectural Technology proposal.

Architectural technology tutors

The Final Design Thesis/Architectural Technology proposal is comprehensively investigated and resolved to a level sufficient to serve as evidence of its architectural validity. It requires that students demonstrate an ability to develop a personal line of inquiry, professional level of judgement, solve complex problems and address issues relevant to contemporary architectural discourse. It aims to consolidate a student’s architectural thought, allowing them to define for themselves what kind of architect they want to be and what kind of architecture they want to pursue in their career.

Rosalie Menon co-director of the Mackintosh Environmental Architecture Research Unit (MEARU), and studio design tutor

Colin Glover senior architect at Oberlanders Arch

Adrian Stewart founder partner of DO Architecture

Christine Halliday architect at DO Architecture

James Tait founder of JTAIT Archietcure with many thanks to our guests, reviewers and contributors

Students are expected to operate with professionalism, independence and self-direction in preparation for the start of their architectural career.

The Final Design Thesis (FDT)

The Final Design Theis is one of two major components to the Stage 5 year, (the other being Architectural Technology). It requires that students formulate and support intellectual positions with arguments that can be evidenced in an architectural proposal. This demands that students make strong visual, verbal and written arguments in support of their architectural intentions.

Doug Allard architect at XDGA - Xaveer De Geyter Architects

Ananelys de Vet designer, educator and researcher at Bureau Devet

Hugo Corbett architect at hugocorbett.eu

Katherine McNeil Head of Professional Studies, Mackintosh School of Architecture

Sally Stewart Head of School, Mackintosh School of Architecture

The thesis work uses the year theme of ‘The Ethical City’. The intention is to engage the student in debates around the role of architects and architecture in addressing concerns facing the city, such as sustainability, social cohesion and community resources, and how the city facilitates and nurtures society.

Elisabeth Schalenbourg architect at elisabethschalenbourg.be

Gideon Boie visiting professor at KU Leuven, Faculty of Architecture

Patrick Moyersoen expertise in teaching and design practice at KU Leuven, Faculty of Architecture

In 2022-23 the Stage 5 cohort worked in Brussels, using the specific urban, political, economic, social and cultural issues that occur there, to develop an ethical standpoint as the basis for the thesis investigation.

The FDT demands that risks are taken, processes are explored, unique artefacts are produced and the conversation around architecture expanded. It is not judged solely as a piece of architecture, but as a body of work, whose value is in the depth of investigation, the strength of the arguments, the judgement displayed, the intellectual context demonstrated, and the relationship of the architectural proposal to these things. Students are required to demonstrate their own personal and original intellectual exploration in their work.

Architectural Technology (AT)

The other major component of the Stage 5 year is Architectural Technology. This component of Stage 5 again builds on the architectural technology inputs from Stage 4.

While the FDT and AT are two separate courses, they are conceived as an integrated whole and consequently the thesis work is required to address both courses explicitly at all times. Students are required to develop architectural forms driven by and integrated with technical concepts.

00.

Final

Thesis territories

1. Modernist territory

2. Industrial territory

3. Historic territory

17 Watermael-Boitsfort Watermaal-Bosvoorde 12.9 1928

18 Woluwe-Saint-Lambert Sint-Lambrechts-Woluwe 7.2 7669

19 Woluwe-Saint-Pierre Sint-Pieters-Woluwe 8.9 4631

Final Design Thesis territories

1. Modernist territory

2. Industrial territory

3. Historic territory

Stage 5 teaching team

Final Design Thesis

Miranda Webster - Stage leader

Jonny Fisher - co-pilot

Studio design tutors

Stage 5 teaching team

Final Design Thesis

Miranda Webster - Stage leader

Jonny Fisher - co-pilot

Studio design tutors

Charlie Sutherland founder partner of Sutherland Hussey Harris Architects

Stacey Phillips partner at Sheppard Robson Architects

Graeme Massie founder of Graeme Massie Architects

Thomas Woodcock architect at Elder and Cannon Architects

Architectural technology

Rory Corr - course lead

Architectural technology tutors

Rosalie Menon co-director of the Mackintosh Environmental Architecture Research Unit (MEARU), and studio design tutor

Colin Glover senior architect at Oberlanders Arch

Adrian Stewart founder partner of DO Architecture

Christine Halliday architect at DO Architecture

James Tait founder of JTAIT Archietcure

Charlie Sutherland founder partner of Sutherland Hussey Harris Architects

Stacey Phillips partner at Sheppard Robson Architects

Graeme Massie founder of Graeme Massie Architects with many thanks to our guests, reviewers and contributors

Thomas Woodcock architect at Elder and Cannon Architects

Doug Allard architect at XDGA - Xaveer De Geyter Architects

Ananelys de Vet designer, educator and researcher at Bureau Devet

Hugo Corbett architect at hugocorbett.eu

Katherine McNeil Head of Professional Studies, Mackintosh School of Architecture

Sally Stewart Head of School, Mackintosh School of Architecture

Elisabeth Schalenbourg architect at elisabethschalenbourg.be

Gideon Boie visiting professor at KU Leuven, Faculty of Architecture

Architectural technology

Rory Corr - course lead

Architectural technology tutors

Patrick Moyersoen expertise in teaching and design practice at KU Leuven, Faculty of Architecture

Rosalie Menon co-director of the Mackintosh Environmental Architecture Research Unit (MEARU), and studio design tutor

Colin Glover senior architect at Oberlanders Arch

Adrian Stewart founder partner of DO Architecture

Christine Halliday architect at DO Architecture

James Tait founder of JTAIT Archietcure with many thanks to our guests, reviewers and contributors

Doug Allard architect at XDGA - Xaveer De Geyter Architects

Ananelys de Vet designer, educator and researcher at Bureau Devet

Hugo Corbett architect at hugocorbett.eu

Katherine McNeil Head of Professional Studies, Mackintosh School of Architecture

Sally Stewart Head of School, Mackintosh School of Architecture

Elisabeth Schalenbourg architect at elisabethschalenbourg.be

Gideon Boie visiting professor at KU Leuven, Faculty of Architecture

Patrick Moyersoen expertise in teaching and design practice at KU Leuven, Faculty of Architecture

1. Modernist territory

2. Industrial territory

3. Historic territory

4. Le Pentagone - the historic heart of Brussels, defined by the small ring inner ring road (see #19)

5. European Parliament

6. European Commission

7. Palais du Bruxelles/Royal Palace of Brussels

8. Parc du Bruxelles (royal park)

9. Le Grand Place (14th century civic square)

10. Palais de Justice (Belgian High Court)

11. Gare du Midi (train station)

12. Gare centrale (train station)

13. Brussel-Noord (train station)

14. Manneken Pis (17th century fountain)

15. Gare Maritime (converted 18th century railway station, offices/ arts spaces)

16. Parc Elisabeth (leading to National Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Koekelberg - off the map)

17. Atomium (off the map - approx 1 hour walk from heart of the city)

18. Canal de Bruxelles-Charleroi/Brussels canal

19. Le Petite Centure/the Small Ring (inner ring road, formally known as R20 and N0)

20. Marche aux Puces (flea market)

21. La Fonderie (Brussels museum of industry and labour - converted 18th/19th century foundry)

22. Ninoofsepoortpark/Parc de la Porte de Ninove (public park)

23. Pompidou Centre (art gallery and museum space)

24. World Trade Centre

25. MIMA (contemporary arts centre)

26. Saint Pierre Hospital

27. Porte de Hal (medieval history museum)

28. Mohammed Ali Sports Centre

29. City abattoir

30. Zennepark (public park)