Open Call: Exchange in Practice 2026
Nieuwe Instituut and the Flanders Architecture Institute (VAi) invite 20 Dutch and Flemish architects to take part in the fifth edition of a joint exchange programme Exchange in Practice. Within the theme ‘Building Between the Lines’, architects address the question of how the profession can navigate and challenge the current systems and regulations.
17 February 2026
The two architecture institutes organise this exchange alternately in Antwerp and Rotterdam. This year’s edition will take place in Rotterdam on the 16 and 17 April. Each year, the programme centres on a theme relevant to both regions. The goal is to spark dialogue and cross‑pollination between Dutch and Belgian architectural cultures. Carefully chosen offices and thought‑provoking projects form the basis for a rich and productive exchange.
Programme 2026: Building Between the Lines
In a fast-changing world, architecture is continually challenged to respond meaningfully to complex social, ecological and technological developments. At the same time, architects must navigate a dense system of finances, certifications, regulations and entrenched power structures, which can make the built environment increasingly uniform. The practices that manage to rethink, stretch or reconfigure the discipline often do so by finding room between the lines: spaces where new conceptual, material and spatial approaches can emerge.
For this edition of Exchange in Practice, we are seeking architects who attempt to slip through the rules, or who use them strategically, to push beyond the system’s boundaries. How is a new generation questioning the disciplinary boundaries? Which norms or limits are they challenging? How do they envision the development of their practice, and which rules must be rethought, subverted or forgotten along the way?
How to Apply
The programme is open to architects based in the Netherlands or Flanders. To participate, please submit your application before 28 February 2026 via the form below. Please provide a short CV, one representative image of your practice, and a brief response to the following three questions: Which rule(s) do you encounter or try to challenge in your practice? What will you bring to the exchange programme? What are you looking for within the programme?
All applications will be reviewed by a joint committee from the Nieuwe Instituut and VAi. Selected participants will join the two‑day programme in Rotterdam on 16 and 17 April 2026. Travel and accommodation costs related to the programme will be covered by the organisers. The programme will be conducted in English, and attendance on both days is required.
Selected applicants will be notified by 16 March 2026.
For any questions, please contact Ania Molenda, Programme Manager at Nieuwe Instituut, at a.molenda@nieuweinstituut.nl.