Public defense of the MASTER THESES in Architectural Engineering

We warmly invite you to attend the public defense of the Master theses by students of the MSc in Architectural Engineering (Bruface program). The sessions will take place on Monday 23 and Tuesday 24 June 2025 at Meeting Room ARCH, VUB campus. Everyone is welcome to attend. However, to ensure a respectful environment for the presenters and avoid disruptions, we kindly ask all attendees to remain present for the entire session they join. We look forward to seeing you there!

Stephanie Van de Voorde & Rika Devos, Presidents of the master thesis jury

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MONDAY 23 JUNE, 2025

MORNING SESSION
09h20 General introduction
09h30 Maaike Eeckhout: How can adaptive reuse strategies from traditional churches be reinterpreted for post-war churches with non-conventional typologies?
10h00 Michiel Huygen: Nation Under Construction: A visual history of construction labour in post-war Belgium
10h30 Louise Beckwith: Framing the Whole Earth Catalog and Countercultural DIY Practices
11h00 Judith Cools : Towards a circular turn in heritage: Spolia, a bridge between past and present in Brussels and Flemish contemporary preservation practices.

AFTERNOON SESSION 1
13h00 Mara François: Mycelium-based composites: Assessing standardisation and the impact of additives on compressive strength
13h30 Lucie Herrmann: Green solutions: enhancing cement sustainability with your daily cup of coffee or tea
14h00 Emilien Jeunieaux: Wrought Iron Frames with Cantilever and Riveted Crossbeams and Runners of Belgian Train Station Canopy between 1900 and 1914: The case of Châtelineau-Châtelet

AFTERNOON SESSION 2
15h00 Bao Pierson: Experimental Study on Aerogel-Cement Composites Reinforced with Innovative 3D Textile Structures
15h30 Lucie Maffessoni: Exploring the Reuse Potential of Formwork Wood in Structural Applications
16h00 Christophe Michiels: Sustainable mobility plan for towns : framework proposal and application to Willebroek

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TUESDAY 24 JUNE, 2025

MORNING SESSION
09h50 General introduction
10h00 Liese Van Holen: In-between demolition and reuse: Actor networks and urban logistics of salvaged materials between 1880-1960
10h30 Nicolas Boghossian: From Office to Housing: The Hidden Role of Structural Typology: How do structural and typological features influence the ease of reconversion from office to housing? A Qualitative Comparative Analysis
11h00 Seyed Mohammadmobin Shamsoddin: Pioneering and Developing Material-Wise Practices in Temporary Projects
11h30 Louis Perin: Reimagining Doel: Contemporary Approaches for Revitalization and Heritage Reuse

AFTERNOON SESSION
13h30 Hannelore Haeck: Affordable by Design: Circular Thinking in Office-to-Housing Reconversions
14h00 Vincent Joncour: How can the SAGA method be utilized to enhance the adaptability and generality of office-to-housing conversions?
14h30 Elias Desruez: Developing mycelium-based composites for the construction industry
15h00 Sara Beullens : Offices to Housing Conversion: The Development of an O.C.F. Framework for the Brussels-Capital Region

PROCLAMATION OF THE RESULTS
Approx. 16h30

17h00 SPREAD YOUR WINGS

- SPREAD YOUR WINGS
Lightning talks by 3 alumni. Tuesday 24 June 2025, 5 pm

Graduating students often experience stress when searching for their first job. Should I start an architecture internship? Do I want to pursue research? What exactly does a consulting engineer do? To support the master students in architectural engineering in this search, we invite three alumni with diverse backgrounds to share insights into their career paths.

This year the following alumni are making time for our students:
Marie-Caroline Kawa (architectural engineer at Studio Kawa)
Louis Vandenabeele (R&D scientist at Buildwise),
Marnix Coomans (Technical Director at Befimmo).

All master students in Architectural Engineering are welcome, Tuesday June 24, at 17h00, after the master thesis defences,
in the design studio at VUB. Special thanks to Reynaers Aluminium and MODULO architects for sponsoring the drink.