The Global Perspectives design studio addresses global issues through local solutions, fostering cultural exchange and collaboration among architecture students from around the world.

Since its inception in 2014, this international design studio has continuously refined its format to enhance its impact, reciprocity, visibility, and outcomes. Each edition focuses on a specific location, combining a unique partnership with a jointly defined challenge. The studios are named after the sites they address.

Initially, all students designed solutions for sites in the Global South. UH students traveled to these locations to collaborate with local peers, exchanging experiences, dreams, references, and projects. While this real-life collaboration provided invaluable learning opportunities, it lacked reciprocity—students from the Global South could not travel to Belgium. Additionally, transporting 25–35 students across the globe for a single assignment was unsustainable and misaligned with the studio’s values.

In spring 2021, Studio Global Perspectives adopted a more sustainable and equitable approach. Global challenges are now explored simultaneously in two cities through online sessions, creating a fully reciprocal exchange. Students design for a local or foreign context, while local participants act as sparring partners, contributing their unique insights and knowledge.

By 2025, the collaboration will evolve further, with mixed teams working on each site. This approach will deepen intercultural engagement and produce richer, more diverse design outcomes, showcasing a range of architectural intervention, with a focus on spatial quality, social relevance and sustainable development, informed by different perspectives and backgrounds.

We—Rudolf Perold, Dirk Naudé, Ludo Schouterden, and Peggy Winkels—presently serve as the founders and supervisors of the international design office, which operates through two branches: one in Cape Town and one in Hasselt.

Els Hannes is the coordinator of the academic partnership and Bart Cuppens streamlines the exchange of CAD-information.

The students, are our valued collaborators. Each member of the studio plays an equally important role, contributing proactively by sharing ideas, references, and constructive feedback. Together, we aim to elevate every design to the highest standard, while collectively enhancing the reputation of this research-by-design studio.

The studio is a hub of activity and interaction, where creativity and communicative expression come to life. With physical models, freehand sketches, paper drawings, reference projects, and inspiring images pinned to the walls, our goal is to bring architectural design back to its tactile, hands-on essence .

Our research-by-design journey unravels in 5 stages, over the course of one semester:

1  Mapping ... During the mapping phase, teams from UH and CPUT will collaborate to explore the two cities. 

The CPUT students, in their capacity as architectural technologists, will concentrate on producing precise 3D CAD models, 2D plans, schematic analyses, and relevant urban planning data.

Meanwhile, the UH students, as aspiring architects, will capture the ‘couleur local’- the unique atmosphere of the sites and their surrounding neighbourhoods. Their mapping will draw on literature reviews, interviews, site visits, and virtual streetview explorations. By delving into four lenses - daily life and hospitality, heritage and identity, public space and nature, and local economy and creativit - they will propose a series of thoughtful programmes designed to enrich the area and benefit its community.

2  Brainstorm week ... The first online workshop week is filled with lectures, discussions and presentations Here, the students will present their mapping, and familiarize with their teammates. In smaller teams, they will  brainstorm about the programmes, the sites and the notion of kanala-buurt maken, adding personal insights, knowledge and architectural references. Building further on the ViaVia concept. the goal is to conclude the week with a set of collages, ready to start the design journey.

3  Defining an architectural narrative and coming up with a first spatial concept to make ambitions ‘tangible’. 

With the mapping information - and of course the brainstorm week - as a guide to the city and its people, the students refine their narrative for a locally embedded ViaVia hub for Cape Town or Brussels. 

They start with the jointly defined local programme, adding the values of ViaVia and the concept of ‘Kanala - buurt maken’, to bring ideas to live. 

Embedded in its context, the hub is more than a café with backpackers facilities: it is an inspiring, welcoming place ran by locals, highlighting the beauty of the neighbourhood and empowering its inhabitants ... ; a place to make new friends and forge global bonds. Sustainability, respect for nature and culture are tangible in this building. 

The project looks beyond its borders as it kickstarts new initiatives and adds positive value to the entire neighbourhood, its (hi)stories and its future.  The architectural appearance and spatial setting give that homely touch.  Adding positive vibes to the city quarter, the ViaVia hub will soon be adopted as a new urban living room and place-to-be.

When developing a  narrative, the students are encouraged to think about the people that run the place, describe their ambitions and visions, elaborate their plans and ideas for the hub/neighbourhood/city and its inhabitants. They are aware of the power of the architectural appearance and spatial qualities of the project.

In between workshop weeks, the students refine their narratives and draw the first outlines of their projects' appearance (location, dimensions, expression, materiality).

4  Exchange week ...  In the second online workshop week, the students present the first draft of their projects to their team mates  They iscuss the viability and spatial expression of the projects and positively comment the other projects. They advise their peers as if they are the client, helping them to embed the project in the city.

Global Perspectives Architects is an international office, with two locations.  In this designerly research setting, the students work as one team towards the best results for our (imaginary) clients.

5  Refine the projects up till the architectural detail

The projects will be elaborated on all scales: organisation, spatial qualities, materiality, structural logic, bioclimatic aspects ...The architectural detail might even be the driver of the project. 

From the very beginning, the students are encouraged to design with materials and constructive logic in mind. In the end all project answers 4 ambitions; to be: connective, inclusive, regenerative and distributive.

This intensive but exciting research-by-design journey is wrapped-up in a final project presentation moment to an international jury. 

The jury is an interested team of stakeholders, representatives of the local administration, investors and neighbours to whom the students are pitching their projects as a design collective.

The 10 best projects will be part of the website and a local exhibition.