Inge Bertels

University of Antwerp, Faculty of Design Sciences, Department of Architecture, Faculty Member

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Phone: T: +32 2 629 28 40 (secr)
Address: ARCHITECTURAL ENGINEERING LAB (AE-LAB)
Vrije Universiteit Brussel
www.vub.ac.be/ARCH/ae-lab/

Pleinlaan 2 | B - 1050 Brussel

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Papers by Inge Bertels

Instituut voor Tropische Geneeskunde

... Author: Bertels, Inge. Date: 2008. ... Recommended Citation. Bertels, Inge - Instituut voor T... more

Tussen verbeelding en beleving: de stad in de negentiende-eeuwse literatuur

Negentiende-eeuwers hadden het niet bepaald gemakkelijk om hun eigen steden te begrijpen. Hoe kon... more Negentiende-eeuwers hadden het niet bepaald gemakkelijk om hun eigen steden te begrijpen. Hoe kon het ook anders: industrialisering, technologische vooruitgang en verhoogde mobiliteit veranderden de toenmalige leefruimte in een onwaarschijnlijk tempo. Dat bracht bruuske perspectiefwijzigingen teweeg en steeds veranderende belevingen van de ruimte die op hun beurt weer tot tal van uitdagingen, maar ook spanningen en paradoxen leidden. Werd de stad de ene keer met vrijheid, rijkdom, spektakel en artistieke inspiratie geassocieerd, de andere keer merkte men slechts de ongezondheid, de eenzaamheid, de zedeloosheid en de herrie ervan op. In dit boek gaan historici en literatuurwetenschappers op zoek naar deze complexe beleving van de stedelijke ruimte in de negentiende eeuw. Door zowel het gedrag als de teksten van eigentijdse literatoren centraal te stellen biedt deze publicatie nieuwe inzichten in de negentiende-eeuwse spektakel- en amusementscultuur, in de relatie tussen stad en natuu...

The post-war construction site in photographs: The photographic collection of the Belgian contractor firm Van Laere (1938)

History of Construction Cultures, 2021

Since the 19th century, construction site photographs have been a means of documenting the buildi... more Since the 19th century, construction site photographs have been a means of documenting the building process. However, the way in which the photographs are created, how they are viewed and how they are used, creates a context that influences what can be seen in the image. The question of how this evolved after 1945 still remains largely open until today. By means of a case study into the photo archive of the Antwerp firm Van Laere (1938), this article attempts to convey how the context and evolution of the company influenced the creation of their visual archive but also the stories within individual images. The history of the company is interrogated through a series of interviews and analysis of their photographic collection. The paper aims to demonstrate that this context should certainly be taken into account in any further use of photographs as source material.

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Expressing Local Specificity: The Flemish Renaissance Revival in Belgium and the Antwerp City Architect Pieter Jan Auguste Dens

Architectural History, 2007

While globalizing trends stimulate the creation of entirely new regions, established regional and... more While globalizing trends stimulate the creation of entirely new regions, established regional and local identities remain. Architectural historians, among others, explore the ways in which regionalism has been — and continues to be — defined and redefined. Current issues in this debate include what regional architectural traditions might be; whether regions can be defined by architecture; and how regional traditions of architecture have been defined and interpreted by artists, authors and scholars. Nineteenth-century Belgian architecture is particularly relevant in this context. The formation of Belgian Art Nouveau’s style and identity have both been the object of numerous studies, but while Art Nouveau is probably the best-known creation of Belgian nineteenth-century architecture, it is hardly the only one, nor indeed the only interesting one. One of the sources identified for Belgian Art Nouveau has been the milieu of the so-called Flemish Renaissance Revival, which produced such ...

VL-ICOON: integration of iconographical databases of the built heritage

Proceedings Seventh International Conference on Virtual Systems and Multimedia

In this paper we would like to present the VL-ICOON project, a research project focussing on the ... more

Royers, Gustaaf

... tot het Flageygebouw; 2008). Hogere Zeevaartschool. Bertels, Inge (in: Architectuurbibliothee... more

Recensie: Cor Smit: Strijd om kwaliteit: de geschiedenis van de volkshuisvesting in de regio Leiden

... Author: Bertels, Inge. Date: 2007. ... Recommended Citation. Bertels, Inge - Recensie: Cor Sm... more

Gelieve de bouwwerf te betreden: aannemers voor openbare werken in het negentiende-eeuwse Antwerpen

... Author: Bertels, Inge. Date: 2006. ... Recommended Citation. Bertels, Inge - Gelieve de bouww... more

Topography and typologies

... Show full item record. Title: Topography and typologies. Author: Bertels, Inge. Date: 2009. .... more

De uitvoerders op het terrein: een braakliggend onderzoeksdomein

... Author: Bertels, Inge. Date: 2009. ... Recommended Citation. Bertels, Inge - De uitvoerders o... more

Entreprendre la démolition: la démolition des ramparts et des fortifications anversois du 16e siècle, 1859-1881

... Author: Bertels, Inge. Date: 2007. ... Recommended Citation. Bertels, Inge - Entreprendre la ... more ... Author: Bertels, Inge. Date: 2007. ... Recommended Citation. Bertels, Inge - Entreprendre la démolition: la démolition des ramparts et des fortifications anversois du 16e siècle, 1859-1881 - In: La fortresse à l&#x27;épreuve du temps / Blieck, Gilles . - Paris : CTHS, 2007 . - p. 243-259. ...

Gemeentehuis en Rijksadministratief Centrum te Boom

... Show full item record. Title: Gemeentehuis en Rijksadministratief Centrum te Boom. Author: Be... more

Documentation et conservation du mouvement (en Belgique)

... et al. [edit.]; 2009). Instituut voor Tropische Geneeskunde. Bertels, Inge (in: Architectuurb... more

Architectuur voor een Vlaams Archiefhuis: prospective en analyse van hedendaagse (inter-) nationale archiefarchitectuur

... Author: Bertels, Inge. Date: 2008. ... Recommended Citation. Bertels, Inge - Architectuur voo... more

Recensie: Patricia Spencer-Silver: Tower Bridge to Babylon: the life and work of Sir John Jackson, civil engineer

... Author: Bertels, Inge. Date: 2006. Citation: The Victorian, 23(2006.11), p. 25-. ... Recommen... more

Recensie: Valérie Nègre: L'ornement en série: architecture, terre cuite et carton pierre

... Author: Bertels, Inge. Date: 2008. Citation: Construction history:22(2008), p. 115-116. ... R... more

Hogere Zeevaartschool

... Title: Hogere Zeevaartschool. Author: Bertels, Inge. Date: 2008. ... Recommended Citation. Be... more

Tussen theorie en praktijk: opleidingen in de bouwsector in het negentiende-eeuwse Antwerpen

... Author: Bertels, Inge. Date: 2009. ... Bertels, Inge - Tussen theorie en praktijk: opleidinge... more

Antwerpen naar school: de bouw van de Antwerpse stedelijke scholen voor lager onderwijs, 1815-1880

... tot het Flageygebouw; 2008). Hogere Zeevaartschool. Bertels, Inge (in: Architectuurbibliothee... more

Building the city, Antwerp 1819-1890

... Show full item record. Title: Building the city, Antwerp 1819-1890. Author: Bertels, Inge. Da... more

Instituut voor Tropische Geneeskunde

... Author: Bertels, Inge. Date: 2008. ... Recommended Citation. Bertels, Inge - Instituut voor T... more

Tussen verbeelding en beleving: de stad in de negentiende-eeuwse literatuur

The post-war construction site in photographs: The photographic collection of the Belgian contractor firm Van Laere (1938)

History of Construction Cultures, 2021

Download

Expressing Local Specificity: The Flemish Renaissance Revival in Belgium and the Antwerp City Architect Pieter Jan Auguste Dens

Architectural History, 2007

VL-ICOON: integration of iconographical databases of the built heritage

Proceedings Seventh International Conference on Virtual Systems and Multimedia

In this paper we would like to present the VL-ICOON project, a research project focussing on the ... more

Royers, Gustaaf

... tot het Flageygebouw; 2008). Hogere Zeevaartschool. Bertels, Inge (in: Architectuurbibliothee... more

Recensie: Cor Smit: Strijd om kwaliteit: de geschiedenis van de volkshuisvesting in de regio Leiden

... Author: Bertels, Inge. Date: 2007. ... Recommended Citation. Bertels, Inge - Recensie: Cor Sm... more

Gelieve de bouwwerf te betreden: aannemers voor openbare werken in het negentiende-eeuwse Antwerpen

... Author: Bertels, Inge. Date: 2006. ... Recommended Citation. Bertels, Inge - Gelieve de bouww... more

Topography and typologies

... Show full item record. Title: Topography and typologies. Author: Bertels, Inge. Date: 2009. .... more

De uitvoerders op het terrein: een braakliggend onderzoeksdomein

... Author: Bertels, Inge. Date: 2009. ... Recommended Citation. Bertels, Inge - De uitvoerders o... more

Entreprendre la démolition: la démolition des ramparts et des fortifications anversois du 16e siècle, 1859-1881

Gemeentehuis en Rijksadministratief Centrum te Boom

... Show full item record. Title: Gemeentehuis en Rijksadministratief Centrum te Boom. Author: Be... more

Documentation et conservation du mouvement (en Belgique)

... et al. [edit.]; 2009). Instituut voor Tropische Geneeskunde. Bertels, Inge (in: Architectuurb... more

Architectuur voor een Vlaams Archiefhuis: prospective en analyse van hedendaagse (inter-) nationale archiefarchitectuur

... Author: Bertels, Inge. Date: 2008. ... Recommended Citation. Bertels, Inge - Architectuur voo... more

Recensie: Patricia Spencer-Silver: Tower Bridge to Babylon: the life and work of Sir John Jackson, civil engineer

... Author: Bertels, Inge. Date: 2006. Citation: The Victorian, 23(2006.11), p. 25-. ... Recommen... more

Recensie: Valérie Nègre: L'ornement en série: architecture, terre cuite et carton pierre

... Author: Bertels, Inge. Date: 2008. Citation: Construction history:22(2008), p. 115-116. ... R... more

Hogere Zeevaartschool

... Title: Hogere Zeevaartschool. Author: Bertels, Inge. Date: 2008. ... Recommended Citation. Be... more

Tussen theorie en praktijk: opleidingen in de bouwsector in het negentiende-eeuwse Antwerpen

... Author: Bertels, Inge. Date: 2009. ... Bertels, Inge - Tussen theorie en praktijk: opleidinge... more

Antwerpen naar school: de bouw van de Antwerpse stedelijke scholen voor lager onderwijs, 1815-1880

... tot het Flageygebouw; 2008). Hogere Zeevaartschool. Bertels, Inge (in: Architectuurbibliothee... more

Building the city, Antwerp 1819-1890

... Show full item record. Title: Building the city, Antwerp 1819-1890. Author: Bertels, Inge. Da... more

$Research paper thumbnail of The development of the complex urban landscape around Antwerp\textquotesingle s Museum of Fine Arts$

The development of the complex urban landscape around Antwerp\textquotesingle s Museum of Fine Arts

Historische reflecties : een gelaagde geschiedenis van het Antwerpse stadhuis

Shaping modernism in Brussels : through the lens of Victor Bourgeois, Adrien Blomme, and Paul-Amaury Michel and their personal residences

The patrimony of the Brussels Capital Region includes over 300 architectsu8217 houses designed by... more The patrimony of the Brussels Capital Region includes over 300 architectsu8217 houses designed by architects for themselves between 1830 and 1970. Several of these architects deployed their private homes as a tool to invigorate theoretical concepts of a new architectural style, to make a statement towards conservative policymakers within an ongoing architectural debate or even to implement innovative construction principles in practice. As a new trend in architecture is invigorated when new developments break through on the level of theory, policy and practice, it can be questioned to what extent architectsu8217 houses in the Brussels Capital Region have cleared the path for interwar modernism. In Brussels, the first u8216modernu8217 ideas did already sprout before the First World War. Pre-war modernists were either convinced that architectural ornamentation should solely originate from natural geometries, or even rejected the ornament at all. But, despite the fact that the heydays of the art nouveau were situated within the Belle \'{E}poque, the latter modern philosophy did not get off the ground before the First World war: during the World Fair of 1910 and 1913 \textendash respectively held in Brussels and Ghent \textendash no single example of modernist architecture was shown. Two years later, in reaction to the large-scale destruction in Belgium early on in the war, the International Garden Cities and Town Planning Association hosted a reconstruction conference in London in 1915, chaired by the Belgian minister for agriculture and public works; Georges Helleputte (1852-1925). No less than 300 Belgian architects participated. For young modernists, such as Huib Hoste (1881-1957), the conference offered an excellent opportunity to establish a professional network with international colleagues and to learn about innovative modern principles to rebuilt Belgium. These principles related to an unambiguous form of design \textendash often a cubical volume without ornamentation \textendash for which the used materials were limited and implemented according to contemporary technology. Though, upon their return to Belgium, neither the public at large, nor the government or influential architectural circles were open to the renewing ideas. What followed was an intense architectural debate between modernists and traditionalists. Nevertheless, the opportunities to realize modern ideas remained scarce. Until a new architectural concept emerged in the 1920s, namely social housing, which proved to be rather easily approachable for modernists by virtue of its novelty. However, already in 1925 the building program for social housing stagnated due to low premium offers for the acquisition of private land ownership. As a result, modernist architects were forced to refocus their actions. But, bourgeois clients were not yet convinced of the qualities of modern architecture. Therefore, modernists had to start colouring their portfolio with personal houses. In Brussels, Louis Herman De Koninck (1896-1984) was the first to construct his own modern residence (u8962 Ukkel, 1924), and at least 20 other architects followed during the interwar period, such as Pierre Verbruggen (u8962 Sint-Gillis, 1924), Victor Bourgeois (u8962 Koekelberg, 1925), Adrien Blomme (u8962 Brussels, 1928), Robert Puttemans (u8962 Ukkel, 1929) and Paul-Amaury Michel (u8962 Ukkel, 1935). These realisations often represented the manifestos of these modern architects, and consequently inspired contemporary befriended, affluential artists to share their mindset. For instance, De Koninck received multiple commissions for individual terraces and villas after the completion of his own private residence, such as the house for painter Jacques Lenglet (u8962 Ukkel, 1926) or art collector Philippe Dotremont (u8962 Ukkel, 1931). As such, a wider platform for modernism was slowly being created.

From maintenance to the conservation of buildings : Antiquity, Middle Ages and the Early Modern period

$Research paper thumbnail of Sarta Tecta: de l\textquotesingle entretien \`{a} la conservation des \'{e}difices. Antiquit\'{e}, Moyen Age, d\'{e}but de la p\'{e}riode moderne (Charles Davoine, Ambre D\textquotesingle Harcourt, Maxime L\textquotesingle H\'{e}ritier)$

Sarta Tecta: de l\textquotesingle entretien \`{a} la conservation des \'{e}difices. Antiquit\'{e}, Moyen Age, d\'{e}but de la p\'{e}riode moderne (Charles Davoine, Ambre D\textquotesingle Harcourt, Maxime L\textquotesingle H\'{e}ritier)

$Research paper thumbnail of Material wealth and standard practices : L\'{e}on Stynen\textquotesingle s oeuvre seen from the perspective of construction history$

Material wealth and standard practices : L\'{e}on Stynen\textquotesingle s oeuvre seen from the perspective of construction history

$Research paper thumbnail of Wanneer de architect zijn eigen opdrachtgever wordt: architectenwoningen in het Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest (1918-1970) / Quand l\textquotesingle architecte est son propre client: Maison d\textquotesingle architectes dans la r\'{e}gion de Bruxelle-Capitale (1918-1970)$

Wanneer de architect zijn eigen opdrachtgever wordt: architectenwoningen in het Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest (1918-1970) / Quand l\textquotesingle architecte est son propre client: Maison d\textquotesingle architectes dans la r\'{e}gion de Bruxelle-Capitale (1918-1970)

$Research paper thumbnail of From de l\textquotesingle Orme\textquotesingle s to Hetzer\textquotesingle s arch roofs : engineering the elegance$

From de l\textquotesingle Orme\textquotesingle s to Hetzer\textquotesingle s arch roofs : engineering the elegance

$Research paper thumbnail of Pour une historiographie de l\textquotesingle entrepreneur du b\^{a}timent (1400-2000)$

Pour une historiographie de l\textquotesingle entrepreneur du b\^{a}timent (1400-2000)

Royers, Gustaaf

Gemeentehuis en Rijksadministratief Centrum te Boom

Stadslandschap: ontwikkelingen en verwikkelingen van een stedelijke ruimte

Een stad is haar geschiedenis

Vergankelijke stedelijke ruimte: de afbraak van de Spaanse omwalling in de negentiende eeuw

De uitvoerders op het terrein: een braakliggend onderzoeksdomein

Het Internationaal Zeemanshuis te Antwerpen: van concept tot afbraak?

Antwerpen: het Centraal-Station, een spoorwegkathedraal

Instituut voor Tropische Geneeskunde

Hogere Zeevaartschool

Valerie Negre: L'ornement en serie: architecture, terre cuite et carton pierre

$Research paper thumbnail of Defunct defenses: Antwerp\textquotesingle s sixteenth-century fortifications$

Defunct defenses: Antwerp\textquotesingle s sixteenth-century fortifications

Intermingled interests : social housing, speculative building, and architectural practice in 1970s and 1980s Pune (India)

This article presents case studies of two apartment projects built in the Western Indian city of ... more This article presents case studies of two apartment projects built in the Western Indian city of Pune (formerly Poona) in the 1970s and 1980s. While their architecture is unassuming, the histories of their realisation provide a powerful account of how transformations in building policy shaped notions of professional architectural practice in India at the time. In particular, the cases illustrate how rank-and-file architects found themselves caught in the tension between, on the one hand, a socialist state eager to apply welfare measures but unable to execute them autonomously and, on the other hand, private-sector entrepreneurship looking for opportunities to satisfy increasing demands for home ownership. The article begins with an exploration of how this tension resulted in an intensification of the building bureaucracy. The second part investigates how modes of this bureaucracy, in turn, affected architectural patronage, the daily tasks expected of architects, and built architecture itself. Going beyond traditional architectural references, the study draws upon building regulation, oral history, and bureaucratic correspondence retrieved from the previously undisclosed archives of the architects. The narrative revealed by these sources challenges dominant notions of architectural expertise while highlighting the agency of paperwork\rule{1em}{1pt}correspondence, administrative forms, and plans\rule{1em}{1pt}as producers, rather than factual representations, of architectural form. As such, this inquiry into everyday local contexts of production offers a new perspective from which to evaluate buildings that are conventionally dismissed as derivative or lacking any critical thinking.

Urban industries and the production of urban form : a typomorphological analysis of urban productive spaces in the Jette-Koekelberg area in Brussels Capital Region

The proposed paper aspires to provide a typomorphological analysis of patrimony of industrial act... more The proposed paper aspires to provide a typomorphological analysis of patrimony of industrial activity in the urban fabric of a productive hotspot of the Brussels Capital Region. The research fits within a larger PhD-track on the sustainable retrofit of such productive activities in this region. Due to zoning policies and increasing real estate pressure on urban land, a major part of the space-extensive productive activities has disappeared from Brusselsu8217 urban areas, taking jobs and artisanal knowledge towards monotonous enclaves in the outskirts. Whereas European cities were rich in productive activities, they now mostly host consumption. This is problematic. Urbanists, architects and policy makers plead for the inversion of this process by reintegrating industrial enterprises in the urban fabric. Despite the observed shrinkage in the amount of active urban industries, a GIS informed hotspot analysis revealed a concentration in the Jette-Koekelberg area. The presented work therefore provides a typomorphological study of the patrimony of these remaining structures. In this light, the analysis is performed at different scales in order to bridge between the urban form and the architectural type. The studied area is therefore decomposed into the analysis of its urban fragments, building blocks and parcels. Informed by the logical classification of these productive urban artefacts at different scales, this paper aspires to obtain insights on their typomorphological setup. Deploying this approach which is mainly focused on the residential use, to a mixed-use area, unveils strongholds and alterations on basic types in the urban fabric. In doing so, this investigation attempts to inform the ongoing planning debate on productive cities and mixed-use development by looking specifically at the existing built environment: urban form and building types. Despite the large interest in productive cities, this has not yet been treated systematically.

Construction history editorial

Editorial

Construction history editorial

Construction History Editorial. International Journal of the Construction History Society 2020/2.

Urban industries and the production of space: a typomorphological analysis of the mixed urban fabric around the historical national road Jetsesteenweg in Brussels, Belgium

From the second half of the twentieth century, industries have moved from locations in urban area... more From the second half of the twentieth century, industries have moved from locations in urban areas to the monofunctional fringe due to zoning policies and rising real estate prices. More recently, high unemployment rates, lengthy commuting journeys and economic dependability have re-oriented the urban planning agenda towards the qualitative retrofit of small-scale production in vital inner-city areas. However, this reveals that designers seem to have \textquotesingle forgotten\textquotesingle how to spatially integrate industries in the city. As large industrial sites have remained in the mixed urban fabric of Brussels, it serves as a useful research object to explore this knowledge gap. This paper aims to retrace the role played by small-scale industries in the morphogenetic and typomorphological development of the city\textquotesingle s historically-important national roads. Hence, historical reconstruction and functional mapping are combined to unravel types of the industrial mix at different scales and through time. Through process typological analyses of the city\textquotesingle s mixed urban fabric, this research explores what can be learned from the logics underlying the path-dependency of urban industries.

Visitekaartjes in steen, hout en beton. De eigen woning van de architect als commercieel instrument

Architecten geven letterlijk vorm aan de maatschappij: de woningen, kantoren, winkels en scholen ... more Architecten geven letterlijk vorm aan de maatschappij: de woningen, kantoren, winkels en scholen die ze ontwerpen vormen het decor waartegen het leven zich afspeelt. Daarbij houden ze rekening met verschillende randvoorwaarden en stemmen ze de wensen van de opdrachtgever, het beschikbare budget, de heersende stedenbouwkundige regels en de geografische context op elkaar af. Maar wanneer de architect zijn eigen bouwheer wordt en hij een woning (ver)bouwt voor zichzelf en zijn gezin verandert de setting waarbinnen hij opereert. Meer dan bij andere ontwerpen kan hij zijn woning uitwerken als een stilistisch manifest, als toonbeeld van een nieuwe architecturale vormentaal of als materiaal-technisch experiment. Bijgevolg kan de architect zich met zijn eigen woning profileren naar toekomstige klanten en een levensgroot visitekaartje aan zijn portfolio toevoegen. De eigen woning, op de scheidingslijn tussen werk en priv\'{e}, vervult zo een bijzondere functie in het oeuvre van de architect.

The architectural production of Indiau8217s everyday modernism : middle-class housing in Pune, 1960-1980

The large-scale appropriation of modernist architectural features in everyday housing projects in... more The large-scale appropriation of modernist architectural features in everyday housing projects in postcolonial India is remarkable. This article examines how regional architects adapted their engagement with architectural modernism to the evolving circumstances of architectural production within the context of the developing world. Drawing on Pierre Bourdieu\textquotesingle s "field theory", it presents a detailed case study of two decades of residential work by Architects United, a medium-scale architectural practice founded in the Indian city of Pune in 1961. While the architects\textquotesingle earliest projects demonstrated an opportunity and desire for architectural innovation, this approach became increasingly restricted as new patterns for housing provision emerged, resulting in a more subdued and hybrid form of modernist architecture. The paper makes use of the architects\textquotesingle previously undisclosed archive and oral history to demonstrate that these architectural adaptations were the indirect result of governance practices and societal change, particularly the government\textquotesingle s stimulation of co-operative housing initiatives and the emergence of a postcolonial middle class with distinct housing expectations. As such, this "peripheral" case exposes some of the processes that have been overlooked in the rhetoric of Architectural Modernism as a Western import in India, which is primarily centered around the discussion of exceptional public building commissions by "global experts" or their Indian disciples. The paper further highlights the need to investigate the processes of architectural production, in addition to the built product itself, so that a pluralistic rather than romanticized understanding of architectural practice may emerge.

$Research paper thumbnail of Typology \& mixity : an approach to retrofit production in the city?$

Typology \& mixity : an approach to retrofit production in the city?

$Research paper thumbnail of La documentation et l\textquotesingle \'{e}tude du patrimoine industriel. R\'{e}flexions sur l\textquotesingle \'{e}volution de la recherche$

La documentation et l\textquotesingle \'{e}tude du patrimoine industriel. R\'{e}flexions sur l\textquotesingle \'{e}volution de la recherche

$Research paper thumbnail of The general contractor, the architect and the engineer. The contractors\textquotesingle path to become professional building practitioners in Belgium (1870-1960)$

The general contractor, the architect and the engineer. The contractors\textquotesingle path to become professional building practitioners in Belgium (1870-1960)

The turn of the twentieth century was a turning point for the Belgian construction sector. The em... more The turn of the twentieth century was a turning point for the Belgian construction sector. The emergence of general contractors enacted a re-examination of job responsibilities among general contractors, architects and engineers. This paper analyses four general contractors\textquotesingle periodicals in order to sketch the professionalization of Belgian general contractors, claiming their new position as organisers and executors of construction, and their interprofessional interaction with architects and engineers. The content and publication context of the contractors\textquotesingle periodicals is described and they are placed within the broad international research context of contemporary construction related periodicals. Their content analysis reveals the strong international embedding of the contractors\textquotesingle professionalization trajectory. Furthermore, it becomes clear that it took a very long time to capture the gradual shift of tasks legally. Belgian engineers succeeded first in the 1890s, followed by the architects in the 1930s and the general contractors in the 1940s and 1960s. This slow adaptation of the legislative context gave rise to many conflicts about job responsibilities, yet also collaborative actions were undertaken, by the joint arbitration committees for construction related disputes. This allows us to conclude that general contractors, architects and engineers mainly engaged in conversation with each other in order to identify and outline their changing functions and responsibilities.

$Research paper thumbnail of Un travail d\textquotesingle expert \`{a} la port\'{e}e de tous$

Un travail d\textquotesingle expert \`{a} la port\'{e}e de tous

Documentation et conservation du mouvement (en Belgique)

ISC/Registers 2005

Topography and typologies

Tussen theorie en praktijk: opleidingen in de bouwsector in het negentiende-eeuwse Antwerpen

Expressions of a local specificity : Antwerp city architect Pieter Jan Augustus Dens and the Flemish Renaissance in Belgium

Brno 2007

$Research paper thumbnail of The contractors\textquotesingle intellectual profile: knowledge and training of nineteenth-century public works\textquotesingle contractors in Antwerp, Belgium$

The contractors\textquotesingle intellectual profile: knowledge and training of nineteenth-century public works\textquotesingle contractors in Antwerp, Belgium

Voices from the Post-War Belgian building industry : a study of a general contractor and its involvement in building practices via oral history

Contractors are key actors in the construction process and take a leading role in the finalisatio... more Contractors are key actors in the construction process and take a leading role in the finalisation of a building. Researching the history of these contractors, therefore, not only provides information on the actor and their close involvement with the construction site, but also on the entirety of building practices within the site boundary. However, the preservation and accessibility of the contractors\textquotesingle archives is a stumbling block, and the builders themselves have also left very little source material. By including oral history in the research on a Belgian contractor Van Laere (\textdegree 1938), this case study aims to show how this gap in source material can be bridged to some extent. Interviews with five former employees of the company provide information about the historical evolution of the company, the interaction between different company actors and their activity on the site, allows the recognition and positioning of this actor within post-war Belgian building practice.

$Research paper thumbnail of The post-war construction site in photographs : the photographic collection of the Belgian contractor firm Van Laere (\textdegree 1938)$

The post-war construction site in photographs : the photographic collection of the Belgian contractor firm Van Laere (\textdegree 1938)

Since the 19th century, construction site photographs have been a means of documenting the buildi... more Since the 19th century, construction site photographs have been a means of documenting the building pro-cess. However, the way in which the photographs are created, how they are viewed and how they are used, creates a context that influences what can be seen in the image. The question of how this evolved after 1945 remains largely open until today. By means of a case study into the photo archive of the Antwerp firm Van Laere (\textdegree 1938), this article attempts to show how the context and evolution of the company influenced the creation of their visual archive, but also the story within individual images. The history of the company is in-terrogated through a series of interviews and an analysis of their photographic collection. The paper aims to demonstrate that this context should certainly be taken into account in any further use of photographs as source material.

La gare maritime de Bruxelles (1902-1910) : une structure de fer entre lu8217eau et la terre

$Research paper thumbnail of Lu8217Association des entrepreneurs belges de travaux de g\'{e}nie civil (1936)$

Lu8217Association des entrepreneurs belges de travaux de g\'{e}nie civil (1936)

$Research paper thumbnail of Les caract\'{e}ristiques constructives des d\'{e}p\^{o}ts \`{a} Molenbeek-Saint-Jean (1840-1930)$

Les caract\'{e}ristiques constructives des d\'{e}p\^{o}ts \`{a} Molenbeek-Saint-Jean (1840-1930)

$Research paper thumbnail of Le savoir-faire des constructeurs de charpentes en bois en Belgique au XIXe si\`{e}cle$

Le savoir-faire des constructeurs de charpentes en bois en Belgique au XIXe si\`{e}cle

Spatial analysis of timber construction SMEs in Brussels (1880-1980)

On the architecture, use and embedding of small-scale construction workshops in Brussels Capital Region (1894-1969)

$Research paper thumbnail of The construction details of Lucien-Jacques Baucher\textquotesingle s personal residence (Brussels 1965-66) : collaboration with Ren\'{e} Sarger and specialised craftsmen$

The construction details of Lucien-Jacques Baucher\textquotesingle s personal residence (Brussels 1965-66) : collaboration with Ren\'{e} Sarger and specialised craftsmen

$Research paper thumbnail of India\textquotesingle s Architects Act, 1972 : the triumph of identity work?$

India\textquotesingle s Architects Act, 1972 : the triumph of identity work?

$Research paper thumbnail of Built to stock : versatility of Hennebique\textquotesingle s urban warehouses in Belgium (1892-1914)$

Built to stock : versatility of Hennebique\textquotesingle s urban warehouses in Belgium (1892-1914)

$Research paper thumbnail of The construction of Ghent\textquotesingle s textile industry warehouses$

The construction of Ghent\textquotesingle s textile industry warehouses

This paper examines the wide variety of warehouses belonging to the textile industry in Ghent, an... more This paper examines the wide variety of warehouses belonging to the textile industry in Ghent, an important historical harbour city in Belgium, once called the "Manchester of the mainland". Different types of warehouses were built depending on the characteristics of the materials stored, the location of the warehouse and whether the goods stored would be used in manufacturing or were finished products. The specific architecture, construction and organisation of these warehouses are analysed, with special attention to the reasons for the prevalence of one construction material or another.

$Research paper thumbnail of The Belgian general contractors\textquotesingle struggle for legal recognition$

The Belgian general contractors\textquotesingle struggle for legal recognition

Cast-iron girder bridges of Belgian industrialist Charles Marellis (1798-1864)

Building specifications and the growing standardizing of public building regulation in nineteenth-century Belgium

Antwerpen naar school: de bouw van de Antwerpse stedelijke scholen voor lager onderwijs, 1815-1880

The contractors' intellectual profile: knowledge and training of nineteenth-century public works' contractors in Antwerp, Belgium

Built to stock : versatility of Hennebique's urban warehouses in Belgium (1892-1914)

Joining techniques in nineteenth- and early twentieth-century : Belgian timber roofs

$Research paper thumbnail of Gare Maritime (1902-1907) Tour \& Taxis : historisch onderzoek$

Gare Maritime (1902-1907) Tour \& Taxis : historisch onderzoek

Architectuur voor een Vlaams Archiefhuis: prospective en analyse van hedendaagse (inter-)nationale archiefarchitectuur

Towards a heritage development plan for Stanjel (Slovenia). Report on the RLICC-Council of Europe in Stanjel

Cultureel erfgoeddepots. Analyse van en bouwstenen voor de uitwerking van een programma van eisen voor cultureel erfgoeddepots in Vlaanderen

Gare Maritime (1902-1907) Tour & Taxis : historisch onderzoek

Towards a heritage development plan for Stanjel (Slovenia)

Bridging time : the renovation of the KMSKA Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp

Antwerpen: biografie van een stad

Construction History : proceedings of the 6th International Congress on Construction History (6ICCH 2018), July 9-13, 2018, Brussels, Belgium

7x5. 35 jaar opleiding ingenieur-architect aan de Vrije Universiteit Brussel (1979-2014)

Tussen beleving en verbeelding. De stad in de negentiende-eeuwse literatuur

Post-war building materials in housing in Brussels 1945-1975

ReUse

Post-war housing in Brussels : Student homes by Willy Van Der Meeren on the VUB campus in Elsene 1971-1973

The student houses on the university campus of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) in Elsene are... more The student houses on the university campus of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) in Elsene are an extraordinary example of a high-quality post-war housing estate in the Brussels Capital Region constructed with an industrialized building system. These houses, designed in 1971-1972 by the Belgian architect Willy Van Der Meeren, were built in 1972-1973 with a Swiss building system called Variel. This consists of open, three-dimensional prefabricated modules made of reinforced and post-tensioned concrete. Van Der Meeren combined these modules to create housing units for 352 students in the heart of the green campus. Although the construction technique was innovative and experimental, the architectural and urban quality of the housing complex are unparalleled. Yet today, at almost fifty years of age, the student homes are threatened by new building projects. Some modules have already been demolished. The time is now to look at the history of the housing complex and bring to light its special qualities, in order to safeguard its future.

Built to construct : learning from the architecture of construction workplaces in the Brussels-Capital Region.

The urban space of the Brussels-Capital Region, like many other cities, is dotted with remnants o... more The urban space of the Brussels-Capital Region, like many other cities, is dotted with remnants of a productive industrial past. The activities that took place there were generally not aimed at mass production for export, but at small-scale manufacturing in order to address the basic needs of the neighbouring city dwellers. As construction companies such as contractors, carpenters and merchants of building materials continue to meet the crucial demand for housing in an ever-growing city, their local anchoring must be safeguarded. Due to real estate dynamics, economies of scale and changing market conditions, the small-scale mixed urban fabric, in which the qualitative combination of various functions flourishes, is rapidly disappearing. As an operating base from which construction companies work(ed), the redevelopment of industrial heritage also threatens to displace the fundamental expertise and skills that have traditionally maintained the city in a sustainable manner. The ever-increasing levels of urban traffic congestion and unemployment rate these developments entail are persuading academics and urban planners increasingly of the need for a long-term local embedding of city-nourishing economic actors such as construction companies. Despite the observation that urban production predominantly leaves the city because of spatial incentives, it is precisely this dimension which appears to be lacking in the state-of-the-art literature. The present doctoral research therefore sets the architecture of the small-scale living-working fabric as an object of research in order to understand the spatial (adaptation) strategies of construction companies from a historical and contemporary point of view. Urban mapping, typo-morphological studies, in situ investigations and in-depth interviews with urban entrepreneurs were deployed to empirically substantiate the infrastructural needs and locational logics of Brussels construction companies. On the basis of these insights, a policy-preparatory framework is developed in view to preserve the local anchoring of city-supporting productive enterprises

Architect, engineer or builder? A history of professional demarcation through practice and discourse, Pune (India), 1930-1992

In India, qualified architects are the u8216youngestu8217 amongst several building professions in... more In India, qualified architects are the u8216youngestu8217 amongst several building professions in charge of the design and construction of buildings. Between their emergence in the early twentieth century and the economic liberalisation of the country in the 1990s, architects remained a proportionally small group vying for recognition. This multi-faceted historical study explores the multiple and meandering paths Indian architects forged in demarcating a professional identity that was both adapted to local circumstances and influenced by global professional networks and ideals. An intricate analysis of oral history, previously undisclosed architectsu8217 archives, and everyday buildings in the city of Pune brings the day to day preoccupations and encumbrances of Indiau8217s rank-and-file architects to light. By interweaving their personal histories with the political, regulatory and societal changes of twentieth-century India, the work sets out a nuanced picture of the broader context of twentieth-century architectural production in India. Such a picture invites us to question conventional ideas of architectural value and opens up possibilities of understanding the profession and its future relevance on more pluralist lines.

Building the city, Antwerp 1819-1890

Inge Bertels

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