At the end of a process, inaugurated by an open call in February 2019, 45 exemplary architectures of different typologies were designated for the first time by citizen juries: houses, grouped housing, workplaces, collective facilities, public spaces to be part of the book Inventories#3. These 45 buildings illustrate the strengthening of public policies (Brussels sustainable neighbourhood contracts, competitions, etc.), the ambitious commitment of a few private project leaders, the emulation provoked by the Dutch-speaking architectural scene, and the emergence of a promising new generation. The constructions were evaluated according to 4 criteria forged by the team in contact with the inhabitants: environmental, social, governance, aesthetic.

Editing: Ava du Parc - studio I love what you do!

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Initiated in 2010, the Architectures Wallonie-Bruxelles Inventaires # Inventories collection aims to draw up a portrait of contemporary architecture in Wallonia and Brussels every three years. Published by the Architecture Unit of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, in collaboration with the export agency Wallonia-Brussels Architectures (WBA), this collection illustrates the commitment of public authorities and private contractors in the search for an architecture that is in tune with the times and that participates in improving the living environment.

Approach

This 4th volume was entrusted to the curators Gilles Debrun (architect and teacher at the Faculty of Architecture of the UCLouvain) and Pauline de La Boulaye (historian and independent curator). They proposed to go and meet the inhabitants and to leave the traditional cenacle of architects talking to architects. The composition of their architect/historian pairing corresponds to this desire. Indeed, these two professions do not speak the same language, which was used as a strength by the curators. In order to broaden the debate and contribute to building a common architectural culture for all audiences, they devised a highly original process, in collaboration with the artistic collective Habitant-e-s des images, which has forged participatory tools for evaluating constructions.

During three stages in Tournai, Liège and Pont à Celles, the team inhabited the public space 24 hours a day by setting up caravans to meet the actors in the field, visit the buildings, question the architects and debate with inhabitants and experts. The aim of these camps in places of different scales (heritage city, urban metropolis, rural commune) was to arouse the curiosity of the inhabitants for architecture from the very beginning of the project and to provoke a debate between architects and non-architects.

They were accompanied in their journey by the expert architects Petra Pferdmenges, Olivier Bastin, Jean-Philippe Possoz and Philippe Madec. This inventory is intended to be a collective one, activating cooperation between civil society and architects, also in the most neglected territories.