archiweek, annually organised by Urban.brussels, aims to raise awareness and introduce the public to quality contemporary architecture. The archiweek will take place from 15 until 23 October 2022 and BC is the curator of this edition. Together with Urban BC will organise guided tours in contemporary/renovated buildings, open days at architecture offices, symposia, workshops, conferences and exhibitions in the Brussels Capital Region. All these events will be free and open to all.

BC has proposed the following theme/vision for the archiweek :

BRUSSELS IS MINE
MIJN BRUSSEL
BRUXELLES LA MI(E)NE

For archiweek 2022, we want to focus on architecture that draws its inspiration from available resources. The extraction or harvesting of locally available raw materials is our guiding principle. We want to make Brussels - the city, the contemporary & traditional architecture, the surrounding landscapes – to be “read” from the story of these raw materials. On the one hand, we want to focus on the rich history of managing resources in Brussels: Brussels used to have mines on different parts of its territory. Saint-Gilles, Le Sablon, the Kauwberg,… The use of such mines represents the hyperlocal use of materials & can provide us with clues on how to manage our resources today. Secondly, we want to explore the potential of new systems in the construction world where extraction is thought from regenerative materials & 'urban mining', instead of the destructive linear model.

In line with this vision, the mission of BC also consists of selecting about 30 projects in Brussels Capital Region to be shown to a general public, considered interesting in terms of its theme. Subsequently, twenty selected projects will be presented to the general public through guided visits during the weekend of October 22 and 23, 2022, according to the consent of the owners and in consultation with Urban;

VISITS:
We would like to use the topics of geo-sourced materials, bio-sourced materials and urban-sourced materials as the common thread for a range of visits. In order to link past, present and future, we distinguish three types of visits :

• Visits about the sourcing of materials & rediscovering specific former mining sites
• Historical architectural building, in which the evidence/traces of the past shine through
• Contemporary architecture projects that offer an exemplary & original showcase in large scale re-use & revalorization of (waste) streams

-> We are sure that you also have knowledge of pearls that we can include in our list of possible projects to visit in line with the theme. Therefore we are launching this call !!!!
Please find our proposals and the general criteria below and here is the link to submit your proposal before 13 may 2022. Please mention your name so we can discuss.

Criteria for possible project:

• To be subject to BC’s chosen theme: geo-sourcing, urban sourcing, and bio-sourcing.
• Intellectually accessible and understandable to a great number of people.
• Interesting enough, there must be definitely something to see (e.g. construction site).
• The project must be located in Brussels Capital Region.
• The project can be a historical, present or future project, but also sourcing (e.g., Utube) or a research project.
• Give as much context as possible as to why the project is interesting.
• If they you know of a personal contact linked to the project, please include tel/email.