The Institute of Placemaking is a collaboration between Pieter Grandry,  Jia Gu and Valentina Karga. We are three young designers currently working at the intersection of art and architecture. Our work is straightforward: we believe simple design is good design.  We are tinkering with new methods of engagement, not only with people but with objects and spaces between. We are trying to understand people, society, its values, and we are trying to create new knowledge and new encounters.

THE TEAM

Pieterjan Grandry, Jia Gu, Valentina Karga with contributions from Chris Lewis, Andrea Sollazzo, Rosario Talevi and Louisa Vermoere. 

A very big thank you to the people of Eme3 who gave us the opportunity to do this project, the collective Re-cooperar for their support, and to our local team, Laura Torello, Marina and Juan Ramon Porta and Ana Spivak for their dedication to the project.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We dedicate this project to our dear friend Matthias Rick, who left us too suddenly. He was one of the bravest and most talented of his generation, who opened up a new approach to architecture and urbanism and shared the path with others. His ideas and spirit live on in our work. We loved him and we will deeply miss him.

This project would not be possible without generous support from

John Arroyo | Rachel Bar-Gadda | Eike Bodo-Benkert | van Borrego | Samuel Sebastian Holden Bramah | Samuel Carvalho | Donald Coates | Sarah Colobong | Philippe Chanelet Dardenne | Andrea Dietz | Ifigeneia Dilaveraki | Shane Fallon | Chris Gassaway | Melina Girardi | Kael Greco | Nathan Gulick | Gottfreid Haider | Stefan Hensel | Adam Kahan | Mina Keyes | Boseul Kim | Remy Kroese | Alex Kwong | M. Maher | Anna Meloyan | Christina Pascarzi | Marjetica Potrc | Dora Quach | Danielle Rago | Cody Rank | Cristian Recabarren | Kate Rouze | Carolyn Sam | Mark Sandelson | Daniel Schmerse } Kristen Schwarz | Mark Simpson | Jonas Smets | Andrea Sollazza | Ana Spivak | Florentina Busques Talevi | Daniel Tannenbaum | Lisa Kristin Trapp | Seth Spector | Wim Winton | Brian Wittbold | Kunik Valentin | Marco Zaccara | Gjerbi Zyba