Hylobouw: circular building of tomorrow, in the classroom today

Hybrid learning environment and modular building kit bring biobased and circular building to life in education

The construction sector of tomorrow
In 15 years, the construction sector will look very different. That’s why it’s important for young people (aged 10 to 14) to get to know the future of building today: modular, circular, and biobased. For safety reasons, it’s of course not allowed for young people to actually work on construction sites. That’s why the design studio of PG21, a postgraduate program specializing in spatial projects at Thomas More, developed a lifelike simulation. 

From physical to digital and back
Hylobouw consists of 2 physical spaces at Kamp C, the center for sustainability and innovation in the construction sector in the province of Antwerp. In addition, there’s also a digital building package and a physical circular construction kit with biobased materials. 

The students create a digital design remotely in SketchUp, using the digital building components. After the design phase, the young participants actually come and realize their project in the physical building environment at Kamp C. This creates a hybrid learning path that combines creativity, technology, and circularity.

Learning by doing
The construction kit was developed in close collaboration with teachers, material experts, and designers. Each component was chosen with reusability, simplicity, and biobased origin in mind. Think of reclaimed wood, natural insulation, and connections without glue or screws. By literally helping to build a circular future, the students develop insights and skills that can’t be found in any textbook.
The entire setup was awarded a Henry van de Velde Gold Award in 2024, in the category ‘Spaces’.