Jonge makers denkers dromers . IO-architecten

For two seasons deSingel and the VAi (Flemish Architecture Institute) are offering eight young architectural firms a platform on which to present their ideas on architecture, urban planning and landscape design. OPEN Wed > Sun 2 > 6 / with performances 7 > 11 CLOSED Mon/Tue and holidays The architects have been commissioned to carry out design-based research. The underlying idea is that these stimulating exercises may provide solutions to pressing social issues and intellectually challenging questions. The first up are Io architects, a group of architects, urban planners and interior designers in Sint Niklaas who work together on a casual basis. 'io' stands for the 'input - output' of the various parties involved in a construction job. The critical analysis of this information is the starting point of any spatial question that may arise. The test site for their study is the interfluvial region of the Leie and Scheldt rivers between Ghent and Oudenaarde. They will design a new model of rural collective housing for this striking landscape in the Flemish Ardennes. Thus providing an alternative to the compact housing estate or village flat in increasingly congested ribbon developments. For more information go to www.desingel.be or www.io-architecten.be