Existenz is an organisation of the first year master students ‘Engineering-architecture’ from Leuven. The group aims to give an answer to the question of what architecture can offer in the widest meaning of the word. Each year the program looks different and gets a different interpretation. This year the first event was a kind of pop up bar located in the park at the castle of Arenberg. The space was created by constructing certain walls from foldable crates. A minimal effort for a maximal outcome as is the motto of Existenz.

Apart from two parties with a more undiscovered choice of music, the next major event was ‘café exposé’. An event where exposition of design and architecture was the point of focus. Lectures were given and design objects were exhibited. The events we organise build up to the climax of the Existenz-year: The Existenzweek. A week where our theoretic knowledge is converted into practice. An abandoned or vacant building gets transformed to revive it before it gets demolished. This year the project took place in an old school building. The classrooms were transformed into a bar and kitchen, the playground into a still playfull landscape of pallets, the former refectory into a lecture room with a big wink to superstudio and the old chapel was transformed into a colorful artwork. Architecture students were provided with space, electricity and internet so they could design on location. Freshly made food and beverages were available and the interesting spaces attracted people from the whole city of Leuven. Lectures were given with speakers like Leo Van Broeck, Jan Yoshiyuki Tanaka, James Ramesy and Julien De Smedt and workshops were organised. For more info you can always check the facebookpage or our website www.Existenz.be.

As the financial manager, I was part of a group of 3 people who lead Existenz and thus I was very closely involved in all the projects. For the Existenzweek I was co-responible for the design of the bar.