Biography

Dirk Somers (°1976) studied architecture in Antwerp and Milan and graduated in Urban and Environmental Planning at KULeuven. In 1999 he was Young Flemish Designer in the context of the first Meesterproef of the Flemish government architect. 

In 2001 he set up Huiswerk Architecten together with Erik Wieërs. As a passionate designer, he has built a repertoire with Huiswerk Architecten that receives both national and international acclaim. He regularly holds lectures on topics such as tectonics, materialization and urban architecture and often takes part at workshops and juries at universities in Flanders and abroad. Since 2003 Dirk Somers is teaching Architectural Design at Delft University of Technology. From September 2011 on he is also design professor at Ghent University. 

In October 2011, Huiswerk Architecten ceased to exist and Dirk Somers has set up a new office: Bovenbouw Architectuur. Bovenbouw Architectuur has recently had exhibitions at the Biënnale in Venice (2012), at the Architekturgalerie München (2013) and in 2014 in the Singel Antwerp. 

Expertise

2014

Article “A convincing reception. Visiting Asnago en Vender”, Oase (NL) nr.92 Codes and continuities; Lecture “Domestic Elements”, Interiors, Delft Technical University; Lecture on Bovenbouw, at LUCA School of Arts, Sint-Lucas Architectuur Ghent; Double lecture together with Fredi Fischli & Niels Olsen for UP at La Loge, Brussel; Lecture on continuity in Europese architecture on the occasion of opening of the Pasticcio exhibition in de Singel, Antwerpen; Dirk Somers takes part in a conference on the conversion of culture organised by Stadtbaukultur, Geisenkirchen;

2013

Lecture about John Soane, “Landscapes of Ar- chitecture”, Interiors, Delft Technical University; Dirk Somers takes part in the international jury of the “Euregionale Architectuurprijs 2013” in Hasselt; Design research about the transition of the regional policy of the Flemish Government in collaboration with AWB; Lecture about Bovenbouw at the Technical University of Kaiserslautern as part of a series of lectures organised by the Wüstenrot Stiftung; Dirk Somers participates together with Marcel Smets and Francis Strauven at a debate guided by Bart Verschaffel, about the work of bOb Van Reeth; Lecture about Bovenbouw at the “Universität der Künste” Berlin; Lecture on Milanese residential architecture of the mid 20th century, Ghent University (BE); Lecture about Bovenbouw at the Architectural Association of Ireland, Dublin; Lecture about Bovenbouw in Z33, house for con- temporary art, Hasselt (BE).

2012

Essay for monography about Sergison Bates ar- chitects, Buildings: “A kind of picturesque”; Participation in “Pasticcio”, an exhibition curated by Caruso St John at the Venice Biennale; Participation at an architecture salon, organised by Flemish Architecture institute in Flanders house, London; Lunch lecture at Delft Technical University about Villa Müller of Adolf Loos; Essay for Flanders Architectural Yearbook n°10 published by Flemish Architecture institute:” Gemeenplaats en classicisme”; Lecture together with Paul Shepheard, “Hoe ma- ken we Europa II”, de Singel, International Arts Campus; Lecture “Herneming, realisme en specificiteit”, ArtEz, Institute of the Arts.

2011

Member of the jury for the Rotterdam Architecture prize, November 2011; Setup of Bovenbouw Architectuur; Professor Architectural Design, faculty of Engineering and Architecture, Dept. Architecture and Urban Planning, Ghent University (BE); Member of the editorial board for Flanders Archi- tectural Yearbook 2012-2013; Expert architecture “Living in Flanders” commis- sioned by Architecture Workroom Brussels and team Vlaams bouwmeester; Lecture at the symposium „What’s up and where?“ organised by the Bund Deutscher Archi- tekten at the TU, München; Lunch lecture ‘Constructing facades’, Delft Technical University.

2010

Selected participant for research at Brede School ‘De Laren’ commissioned by the community of Almere and Stichting Mevrouw Meijer; Monitor of three students part of the Architecture Explore Lab, nominated Archiprix 2011; Lecture ‘Bottom up urbanism’, Delft Technical University; Lecture “Architecture as the art of portrayal”, at the Londen Metropolitan University, at the Rot- terdam Berlage Institute, in Teheran and at the TU München; Lecture about a competition entry “Giels Bos” part of a series “Pecha Kucha”, at the cultural centre, Turnhout (BE). 

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