Antwerp is working on moving its ring road underground and creating a huge city park on top. Groups of architecture and urbanism students like me get to redesign adjoining urban areas, such as former harbor areas that have become too small. We’re going to do a joint analysis and then design individual elements. I can’t wait!
It’s a challenging program and you do need to put in your hours. But there’s nothing like presenting the result of projects like these. I’m doing the combined track that will later allow me to register as both an architect and an urbanist. I’m looking for a career in urban architecture – planning on a large scale while still being involved in the design. Cities are increasingly redeveloping industrial areas, and designing something new that really fits with the bigger picture is a wonderful challenge.