Who gets to decide space? Including indoor as well!

So much unleashed energy, creativity, and inspiration lives in students’ minds that you can’t help but wonder how much of it survives once they enter the professional world.

A few weeks ago, we were invited by a group of students from the "ESA St-Luc Bruxelles" to join a small event they had organized. What intrigued us was that, although we usually engage with topics such as social justice and public space, these students were studying interior architecture.
While interior architecture is undeniably an important extension of architecture as a whole, we were positively surprised to see themes like gentrification, the right to the city, and inclusive spaces being explored through the lens of interior practice.
The event itself was thoughtfully set up. The students presented their work and shared insights around a large dining table. Our role was to move between the projects, reflect on them, engage in conversation, and help push their ideas a bit further.
We encountered a range of inspiring explorations—projects that wove together interior and exterior conditions, and that introduced spatial and societal qualities by carefully examining the relationship between architecture and everything around it. We learned about work investigating how sound and rhythm shape spatial perception, about phobias and their connection to urban environments, and about mapping space through materials rather than just drawings.
It was a real pleasure to witness such a burst of creativity.
After the presentations, we all sat down at the same table for a dinner prepared by the students. The table was covered with a long sheet of paper, and each participant had a marker. Different sections of the paper introduced specific topics, inviting everyone to respond not only with words, but also with sketches, diagrams, and illustrations. Our topic was: Who gets to decide space?
It was a truly enriching experience—one we genuinely enjoyed.
A special thanks again to all the students from "ESA St-Luc Bruxelles"  for the invitation and the inspiring exchange.