Assistant Professor of Timber Architecture
Trained as an architectural engineer, Stijn’s research and teaching activities are situated at the intersection of design and engineering. As a PhD researcher at VUB (2013-2018), he studied and developed rapidly and reversibly assembled bending-active structures, using the elastic bending capacity of materials like timber to generate complex geometries from initially linear and planar elements. This research led to the realisation of two full-scale demonstrators, the Undulatus and Reciplydome structures. As a postdoctoral researcher (2018-2021), Stijn continued his work on the manufacturing of bending-active systems and was involved in the European ‘Buildings as Materials Banks’ project (BAMB) and the Circular Retrofit Lab. This strengthened his expertise in circular design and construction, which he continued as a circular construction expert at VIBE, a small non-profit that supports and challenges building professionals in their transition towards a more sustainable construction practice.