The intricate process of architectural design is explored in an exhibition at Plymouth's Roland Levinsky Building

The process of turning an architectural brief into a home is explored through the work for husband and wife architectural team Tomas Nollet and Hilde Huyghe. The pair from Brussels have whom several national prizes for their terraced houses and other buildings, and it’s the designing of the terraced house which is central the work at Plymouth University’s Roland Levinsky Building.

Tomas Nollet teaches architectural design at Saint-Lucas School of Architecture, Brussels, and it is the process for formation, with a particular interest in the process of formation. The exhibition shows three of their projects for terraced housing in Belgium through this particular design process and the final results.

In the design process the influences of the other arts is essential for Nollet and Huyghe. The sketch and the drawing therefore have a special status.

Tomas said: “To judge from the glossy magazines and similar publications on architecture, it looks as though the architect has a very easy and attractive profession.

“You get a commission for an interesting project, and many years later the building is delivered; if all is well it will be published and lauded as exemplary of its genre. When it is exposed to a wider audience, consisting mainly of professional colleagues, you receive criticism and you take your lessons from the experience. While going through this process, or maybe just after, it starts from scratch.

“People are not usually aware of the years of intensive research that are needed to reach the final result. You have studied a program of functions and you must at the same time allow for changes it may undergo over the years. You have collaborated with building engineers and you have presented your design several times for the benefit of the clients, target groups, local residents etc. You have investigated various options and made thousands of drawings.

“We assume that the methods we use in our own studio are not unlike those used in other firms. We are not referring to the eventual ‘style’ that these result in, but in the modus operandi. I hope that through my study, people will obtain a better picture of everyday practice in an architectural studio.”

On the opening night, Thursday, February 24, there will be talks by Tomas Nollet on his doctoral research and by architect and writer Marc Dubois on his research on Belgian terraced housing.

The exhibition is made in collaboration with ed.projects – Edith Doove and the Plymouth Architectural Trust/Plymouth Branch RIBA/School of Architecture Design & Environment University of Plymouth/Ibstock Bricks.

Exhibition Tomas Nollet & Hilde Huyghe: Designing The Terraced House, is at the Plymouth University’s Roland Levinsky Building from February 24 to March 11