Activist Modelmaking

“This research emancipates the architectural model from conventional constraints, exploring its potential through the concept of Activist Modelmaking. By reframing the model as a performative storyteller and an activist instrument, the project instigates a critical revaluation of the contributions by women* to Belgian architecture.

Structured as a dialectic between theory and physical making, the first half, Making Through Thinking, establishes a critical foundation. Recognizing its inherent agency, the architectural model is repositioned as an autonomous, epistemic tool. The physical act of making becomes an active method of inquiry, transforming the model into an operative agent for producing knowledge and a catalyst for political agency that elevates marginalized perspectives. These insights culminate in a Manifesto that liberates the model from being a static object into a dynamic event, bridging to the second part, Thinking Through Making.

Here, a research-through-making methodology explores performative and relational interactions through a dramaturgical lens. Three distinct iterations stage the model within public spaces. First, Running the Streets leverages the public parade, turning models into protest instruments that provoke dialogue about women’s contextual contributions. Building with Trash then prioritizes the collective act of making over the final object, fostering tactile connections between spectators, makers, and the featured architecture. Finally, Folding the Pages reimagines the paper model as an intimate tool of empowerment. By transforming observers into active makers, this collective craft allows the public to tangibly inscribe these vital contributions into a reimagined, inclusive architectural canon.”