From the first fieldtrips for the design of a library in Burundi to involving over 150 workshop participants in the construction of a public building in Belgium, the stories compiled in this book tell how BC architects & studies engage in acts of building. BC believes that, in order to have a positive impact on our society, architects need to intervene beyond the narrow denition of the professional who designs and controls the execution of buildings. Hence, BC ventures into material production, contracting, knowledge transfer and community organization, which all inuence their design approach.

The book is structured around a collection of stories that take artefacts as points of departure. These tools, machines and formworks were used for the construction of four projects. Around them, a multitude of actors and processes come to the fore and, from there, the image of a hybrid architecture practice starts to emerge. BC’s take on the act of building progressively evolves from local and very specic experiences, as the stories bring forward a series of interwoven themes, such as the choice to work with local resources and skills, the interest for materials such as earth and hempcrete, the thrill of pioneering, the risks that come together with experimenting, the inscription into an existing building culture and network of builders, the organization of workshops or building camps, the need for fruitful collaborations, the necessary redenition of the professional boundaries, the direct engagement in material production and construction, etcetera. By describing the way BC designs and performs the act of building, the book suggests ways in which BC hopes architecture can contribute to our world in transition.