Stad Zonder Postcode

The City without a Postcode is a speculative townhouse that uses design research to question the traditional family as the foundation of society. Inspired by Donna Haraway’s thought ‘Make Kin, Not Babies’, the project explores new, inclusive forms of kinship that are not tied to the biological family. Six rooms embody various roles, each representing an essential quality that enables connection and encounters. The design challenges traditional family structures and acts as a research tool that discusses new ways of how we could live with others and forms of collectivity.

The jury on City without a Postcode:

The City without a Postcode uses design research to explore how alternative forms of kinship can inspire new spatial designs. The project questions the nuclear family as the dominant housing form and translates key roles that make a house a home into speculative spatial concepts. Using models, drawings and a utopian townhouse as research tools, the project opens up new perspectives on living with others, caring and connectedness in a changing world.

What does this award mean to you?

For me, this award confirms that I can continue to trust my intuition and imagination. The recognition of this project shows how urgent it is to break down existing patterns of thought and, above all, gives me the energy to further develop my research and gradually transform it into practice.

What makes your project so special?

The design consists of a townhouse with six rooms, each embodying a key role: Grandmother, Gatekeeper, Teacher, Supporter, Connector and Visionary. These rooms bring to life six essential roles that I believe are needed within a community. What is special about this concept is that physical family members are not necessary, as the rooms themselves take on the role. Anyone in need of a particular quality can connect with others who are present at that moment. The idea originated during my master's degree in Interior Architecture at KU Leuven in Ghent. I noticed how often designs are still based on classical family structures. From my own experience as a child of a composite family, I wanted to open up that way of thinking and move away from the familiar.

How does it contribute to a better world?

Overpopulation poses one of the greatest challenges of our time and forces us to rethink how we treat each other and our planet. In a world where hopeful futures are scarce, this project outlines an alternative way of living with others that is not driven by tradition or convention. Care and collective responsibility are key. At the same time, it makes people consciously think about how we use shared space and resources. This can contribute to a more sustainable life and invites us to jointly adopt a different view of the future.

Do you have any further plans for this project?

I see this study rather as a manifesto that seeks to go further than the actual design. It is just the beginning of a process in which I continue to learn and explore as a young designer. It invites us to not only understand, but to also apply transition mindset and radically rethink our habits, spaces and systems. I want to further develop this project as a line of thought that offers tangible steps and experiments so that it can encourage others who dare to imagine alternatives for how we live with others.