Burak Pak
Housing, collective spaces and architectural research developed with residents and partner organisations.
Featured collaboration · Jette, Brussels
Co-designing eight homes
and shared space in Brussels
Residents, civil society organisations and university partners co-developed transitional housing on underused urban land. The pilot brought together eight homes, a collective space and a shared landscape in Jette.
I worked with Aurélie De Smet and Yves Schoonjans at KU Leuven, alongside SAAMO Brussel, CAW Brussel and the future residents. Through participatory action research, we connected architectural design and community-engaged learning with social guidance and co-construction.
The architectural system combines structural and technical modules with interchangeable façade panels and flexible internal partitions, allowing different dwelling layouts and site arrangements.
Read the Solidary Mobile Housing project account ↗︎Featured collaboration · Molenbeek, Brussels
Ten transitional homes
within an existing building
The first WoonBox pilot introduced ten modular homes into a vacant building in Molenbeek. The INSTA’BOX system, developed by SAAMO Brussels and Vandereyt Houtskeletbouw, allows housing units to be assembled within existing buildings.
I co-organised the community-engaged design course with Aurélie De Smet at KU Leuven. Students developed proposals through regular discussions with project partners; Vitor Breder’s design was selected and built.
Read the WoonBox project account ↗︎Applied work
My applied work includes participatory housing, community-based design and consultancy for public and creative organisations. Research and teaching have often developed through these long-term collaborations.
Through A-Place, artists, students and communities explored relationships between people and places. Activities in Brussels included work with Foyer Bodegem residents and A Just Expo at Grand Hospice.
KU Leuven project supervisor. A Just Expo was developed through work led by Rosaura Romero and City is our Playground.
An ongoing programme of architectural discussion and collaborative research in Elazığ. As a member of the organising committee, Burak Pak contributes to a process in which architects, researchers, students and local stakeholders identify questions about the city’s built environment. The opening gathering and participatory workshop took place on 9–10 October 2026.
Organising committee member and speaker. Hosted by the TMMOB Chamber of Architects, Elazığ Branch, with university partners.
Programme & organising partnersMy consultancy experience includes the Marmara Municipalities Union’s innovation plan, covering 188 municipalities, and advisory work for Wired Pieces and OpenProcessing. I founded the European Spatial Research and Design Accelerator in 2023.
As a certified CIRCO trainer, I bring circular design training into my professional practice. This complements my research and teaching on circular built environments, participation and the continued use of buildings and resources.