Madrid has become a European powerhouse, attracting investment and tourism, yet faces a deepening housing crisis. Following the 2008 financial crash, abandoned neighborhoods symbolized unchecked speculation. Now, amid Spain’s economic boom, luxury property prices have surged, fueled by wealthy Latin American buyers. Rents and housing costs have skyrocketed, pricing out residents. Governance favors ultraliberal policies, with little investment in social housing. While initiatives like Cooperativa Entrepatios offer hope, widespread frustration persists, especially among younger generations. Overtourism exacerbates the crisis, highlighting the need for stronger public intervention. Will political leaders act, or is history repeating itself? [...]@en

Spain’s 8,000 kilometers of coastline host diverse ecosystems, support 40% of the population, and attract millions of tourists but face severe threats from climate change, over-tourism, and urbanization. Rising sea levels could displace 1.5 million people by 2050. Urgent action is needed to integrate nature-based solutions, protect biodiversity, and ensure public access. Coastal regeneration must prioritize resilience, inclusivity, and regenerative economies, transforming coasts into spaces of coexistence, connection, and sustainability for a viable future.@en

In Aboriginal culture, "country" embodies a deep spiritual and cultural connection to the land, integral to the Wurundjeri and Boon Wurrung peoples of the Kulin Nation. As Melbourne’s suburban sprawl accelerates, integrating Indigenous values into urbanism becomes increasingly vital. While projects like Nightingale Village and landmarks such as the William Barak Tower acknowledge this heritage, they highlight tensions between cultural respect and commercial priorities. Moving forward, embedding Indigenous knowledge into planning and design is essential—not just as a symbol, but as a guide for sustainable, inclusive urban growth in a changing climate.@en

Post-apartheid Johannesburg remains deeply divided, with affluent northern suburbs contrasting starkly with neglected areas like the historic CBD and southern townships. The city's fragmented urban form, shaped by apartheid planning and a depleted mining belt, poses challenges to spatial integration and environmental sustainability. Regeneration initiatives like Maboneng and Soweto's revitalization efforts show progress but highlight persistent disparities, such as gentrification and enduring poverty. As Johannesburg grapples with its legacy of segregation and mining exploitation, the challenge lies in uniting these fragmented territories into an inclusive metropolis that balances renewal with equity and addresses its environmental and historical scars.@en

The 2024 Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale, titled After Rain, explores themes of renewal and transformation through global artistic expression. Held in Riyadh’s revitalized JAX District, the event addresses urgent issues like climate change, migration, and political unrest while reflecting Saudi Arabia's cultural and social shifts under Vision 2030. A standout piece, Women of Riyadh by Christine Fenzl, challenges norms with intimate portraits of Saudi women, symbolizing broader societal changes. The biennale exemplifies the potential for art to influence local contexts while integrating Saudi Arabia into the global cultural discourse.@en

Lusail, Qatar’s ambitious new city north of Doha, aims to showcase modernity, sustainability, and global connectivity. Designed for over 450,000 residents, it features luxury towers, public spaces, and smart city technologies. Yet, questions linger about its social integration, environmental impact, and community life. Built on reclaimed land, Lusail faces challenges like marine ecosystem disruption and reliance on energy-intensive systems. Its grandeur risks overshadowing inclusivity, raising concerns about becoming a display of wealth rather than a lived-in city. Lusail’s future hinges on balancing its vision with social and environmental realities.@en

Riyadh, a sprawling car-centric city, faces challenges of rapid urbanization, traffic congestion, and limited public greenspaces amid a growing population projected to reach 10 million by 2030. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's Vision 2030 aims to address these issues through transformative projects like a 176-kilometer metro network, King Salman Park, and Green Riyadh, which will plant 75 million trees. While investments in infrastructure and green spaces promise a more livable city, true transformation requires shifts in mindset, encouraging residents to embrace density, public life, and sustainable urban living. Small, community-driven initiatives like Diriyah’s Shamalat Cultural Center highlight the potential for localized change.@en

The Green Dip offers ways to reintroduce nature into our cities, by critically examining architectural strategies and green solutions.

The research group The Why Factory (Delft University of Technology) has produced a series of visualizations of various greened cities (Hong Kong, São Paulo, Dubai and many more). These visualizations respond to the analysis and calculations made for each of the biomes in which the cities are located. The visualizations are accompanied by sets of objective data, from the amount of oxygen that can be produced, via the gallons of water than can be stored, to the number of birds that can be provided with a habitat.

Ultimately, The Green Dip provides an innovative method to calculate the environmental benefits and estimate the costs of greening our cities. The research offers ways to reintroduce nature into our homes and claims that agriculture, forestry and organic production can be the catalyst for other ways of making the metropolis.@en

The exhibition Marina Tabassum: building with the Delta explores the work of Marina Tabassum, an architect whose practice is profoundly connected to the social and environmental dynamics of Bangladesh. Since gaining independence in 1971, the country—located at the confluence of the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers—has confronted challenges such as climate disasters, population displacement, and rapid urbanization. Tabassum’s projects reflect a landscape in constant flux and stand as significant responses to these challenges.

Organized into three chapters—Water, Shelter, and City—this exhibition highlights key moments in Tabassum's career, from symbolic national landmarks to her innovative housing solutions for vulnerable communities. Her architecture draws on local materials, traditional techniques, and community-driven processes, always with a focus on how the built environment can strengthen social resilience.

Whether through low-cost modular facilities for Rohingya refugees from Myanmar or civic projects like the Museum of Independence, Tabassum’s work merges architecture with social responsibility, offering valuable examples for a world facing environmental and humanitarian crises.

Through models, drawings, and audiovisual documentation, this exhibition opens a window into the cultural and environmental richness of Bangladesh, shaped by the country’s waterscapes and the lives they sustain. The works on display not only showcase Marina Tabassum’s significant contributions to architecture but also convey a message of resilience and hope from Bangladesh, demonstrating how architecture—as well as Indigenous Intelligence(s)—can address both environmental and social challenges.@en

The shortage of adequate housing is one of the significant challenges facing the Netherlands today. This exhibition addresses this issue as a essential piece of a grand spatial puzzle where housing interweaves with energy transition, climate adaptation, circularity, industry, agriculture, infrastructure and nature in new, symbiotic ways.

Creating living spaces must be a harmonious integration of housing, workspaces, areas for nature and food, energy hubs, and liveability in face of the climate threat. We firmly believe this integration is not just a necessity, but holds great potential for creating diverse, liveable, and future-proof living spaces.

TU Delft’s Vision Team Wonen, a multidisciplinary expert group appointed by the Rector Magificus of TU Delft, has gathered recommendations on the Dutch housing challenge. This led to two the advisory report “Ruimte voor Wonen: Naar een integrale aanpak van de Nederlandse woonopgave” (Space for Living: Towards an integrated approach to the Dutch housing challenge). Accompayining the report is the exhibition Room for housing, providing a visual representation of the integrated future that these recommendations can lead to.

The heart of the exhibition lies in four visionary visualisations commissioned to recent graduates from our Faculty by the Vision Team — Future-proof spatial planning, Resilient neighbourhoods, Diverse forms of living and Circular and modular ways of building—, each a fusion of housing with other essential uses.

Room for housing envisions an optimistic future of an integrated, future-proof space for life in the Netherlands—one characterized by enhanced spatiality and flexibility, with a stronger relationship with the environment, where each individual is offered a protected space and, simultaneously, capable of promoting interrelation and cohesion between neighbours.@en

Spanning the 400-kilometer stretch of Interstate 85 between Charlotte and Atlanta, Charlanta is a dynamic megaregion shaped by economic growth, sprawling urbanization, and deregulation. While Charlotte densifies its downtown, Atlanta embraces its BeltLine, both cities reflect contrasting urban trajectories. Leapfrog development, suburban sprawl, and projects like Greenville’s Bon Secours Wellness Arena highlight the interstate’s role in shaping this corridor. Future transformations include high-speed rail ambitions and innovations like VTOL drones, which may further decentralize growth. Charlanta’s evolution balances densification with sprawl, navigating technological advances, economic shifts, and regulatory challenges in a landscape of interconnected contradictions.@en

The Strait of Gibraltar, a 13-kilometer passage linking the Atlantic and Mediterranean, is a nexus of ecological, economic, and geopolitical flows. It supports vital ecosystems, migratory species, and global shipping routes, while hosting a complex interplay of nations, including Spain, Morocco, Gibraltar (UK), and emerging powers like China.

Tangier, the region's focal point, is transforming through projects like the Tanger-Med Port, Africa’s first high-speed railway, and waterfront developments, solidifying its role as an industrial and tourism hub. Yet, beneath its global ambitions lies a web of local stories and socio-ecological challenges, reflecting the strait’s dual identity as a space of both global significance and local resilience.@en

Cranes, towers, infrastructure, plazas, parks, hotels, rooftops and cocktail bars; Skanderbeg, star architects, international competitions, developers and a Bentley; 2030, Europe, NATO, the next Vienna, the new Belgrade, and the next city-state; tourists, beaches, an airport and Airbnb. Albania’s capital Tirana has undergone a metamorphosis in recent years. The cityscape is being reshaped with the roll-out of infrastructure projects and old buildings making way for high-rises. Is this rapid urban development what progress, modernisation and “Europeanisation” are about? Does it come at the cost of erasing Tirana’s memory? Gentrification, displacement and inequality are denounced by some as too high a price to pay for this regeneration. […] @en

In May 2024, torrential rains devastated Porto Alegre, displacing thousands and exposing deep socio-economic and environmental vulnerabilities. Wealthy neighborhoods on higher ground fared better, while low-lying communities suffered severe losses. The Guaíba River, once a symbol of natural harmony, now underscores the urgency of addressing climate impacts. Grassroots initiatives and civic activism have emerged, reflecting the resilience of residents. Rebuilding Porto Alegre offers a chance to rethink urban design, integrating climate-resilient infrastructure, equity, and nature-based solutions to create an inclusive, adaptive city ready for future challenges.@en

With nearly 34 million residents, Chongqing stands as one of the world’s largest urban areas, defined by its steep terrain and unique verticality. This southwestern Chinese city integrates architecture with natural topography, creating interconnected pathways, towering structures, and multi-level transportation systems. Known for its “cyberpunk” aesthetics, landmarks like Raffles City and Hongyadong blend modernity with heritage.@en

Namibia, independent since 1990, thrives on mining critical minerals and emerging oil and gas industries, poised to become Africa's fifth-largest oil producer by 2030. Ambitions include global green hydrogen export and expanding port infrastructure in Walvis Bay and Lüderitz. While foreign investment, especially from China, drives growth, it raises concerns over unemployment, resource control, and environmental impact. Urbanization centers on Windhoek, where apartheid-era planning persists, marginalizing township residents and exacerbating inequalities. Addressing these disparities and fostering spatial justice is vital to ensure inclusive development amid economic and environmental challenges.@en

The Wasatch Front, home to 80% of Utah’s population, faces rapid urbanization, water scarcity, and environmental challenges. While Salt Lake City densifies its downtown to improve walkability and reduce sprawl, excessive water consumption threatens the Great Salt Lake, exposing toxic lakebeds and posing severe health risks. Mining activities, like the Bingham Canyon Mine, exacerbate ecological issues despite remediation efforts like the Daybreak development. With Utah's population projected to grow 66% by 2080, urgent measures are needed to cut water use and ensure sustainable growth in this vulnerable region.@en

This exhibition reflects our commitment to integrating art into the Faculty’s Public Programs. This time, we have chosen to explore the theme of intimacy, departing from the conventional link between art and urbanism. While art interventions in the public realm, particularly common in architectural education, hold undeniable value, we also recognize the importance of exploring alternative paths for design to interact with art, ones that extend beyond architectural practice itself.

Intimacy is a concept that transcends mere secrecy or personal depth. Rather, it can be seen as a form of communication that not only includes but also requires a sense of community.

Sharing intimacies showcases the works of five diverse artists, all with backgrounds in architecture, each sharing a perspective on intimacy in its various forms, bringing a distinct spatial sensibility to their exploration of the self. The power of human connection, the relationship between body and identity, the importance of empathy, and the transformative potential of sharing stories are central themes that resonate throughout the exhibition.

Together, Emin Batman, Elia Castino, Zemen Ariane Schaper, Harley Swedler, and Alicia Velázquez offer a rich array of human emotion and experience. Through their diverse mediums and personal perspectives, they invite visitors to explore intimacy and its complexities. From contemplating the essence of space and existence to challenging perceptions of the human body, exploring the raw realities of tragedy and loss, celebrating the beauty of imperfection and uniqueness, their works intertwine to create personal explorations into human connection, vulnerability, and resilience.

Sharing intimacies is the result of a collaboration between BK-Public Programs and the TU Delft Library, aiming at disseminating artistic practices beyond the walls of our Faculty, extending the appreciation of art to all members of our University.@en

The exhibition 'Diversity? You tell us' will be on show from 13 June until 5 September. The show seeks to understand diversity and inclusion as experienced and reflected upon by students and faculty members of the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment.

Diversity is everywhere, and the world is trying to come to terms with it.

Be it through the Diversity Group at our own Faculty; governmental initiatives to encourage the involvement of various categories of minorities in education or at the workplace; and the very recognition that the task of designing (built) environments necessitates a reflection on the diverse range of individuals and collectives who will interact with those spaces.

But what does ‘diversity’ mean? In a profession where the cis-white male has occupied a hegemonic position, is it a queer woman-of-colour who champions queer feminist discourse? In the Netherlands, a former colonial power, is it descendants of the formerly colonised who bring forward decolonial philosophies? In a secular democracy, is it religious ideas that contribute to diversity? Diversity inherently has diverse meanings, nuances and significances for everyone. Paradoxically or not, the goal is to include them all.

More often than not, issues pertaining to one facet of diversity & inclusion are related to other facets in ways that tokenistic D&I campaigns, reliant on simplified labelling exercises, fail to capture. Postcolonial theory might have a relationship with gendered wage gaps in design practice which could affect intergenerational and international spatial relations in the future. These intersectionalities demonstrate a richness of knowledge that diversity & inclusion champions and from which it is useful to learn. But, of course, every individual has had unique interactions with intersectionality, diversity and inclusion.@en

“There is one place in which all these questions of equity, resources, race, hope and fear converge and coalesce. Africa. At an anthropological level, we are all African. And what happens in Africa happens to us all.” - Lesley Lokko, Curator of the 18th International Architecture Exhibition. Venice, 2023

In her introduction to the upcoming International Architecture Exhibition in Venice titled “The Laboratory of the Future”, Lesley Lokko affirms: “Africa is the laboratory of the future. We are the world’s youngest continent, with an average age half that of Europe and the United States [of America], and a decade younger than Asia. We are the world’s fastest urbanising continent, growing at a rate of almost 4% per year. This rapid and largely unplanned growth is generally at the expense of local environment and ecosystems, which put us at the coal face of climate change at both a regional and planetary level.”

Following Lokko’s invitation to bring Africa to the frontline of speculation(s) on the future, BK-Expo launches this open call for contributions to the upcoming exhibition “BK Africa: A Laboratory of the Future?”, to be opened in the Oostserre of our Faculty on the 30th of March, 2023.@en