This in-person intensive two-week course with the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich) hosted in Brussels seeks to foster a curiosity and solutions-driven mindset through a series of actions — open dialogue, consultation, exploration, and reflection — and to create a dynamic feedback loop that leads to transferable and scalable outcomes.

ETH Zurich will host the fourth cohort of the Holcim Foundation Fellowship in Brussels in September 2025. Open to students enrolled at universities across Europe, this fellowship enables participants to collaborate with lecturers, tutors, and industry partners working in the field of adaptive reuse—the renovation and transformation of existing buildings rather than their demolition and reconstruction.

Throughout the fellowship, students will engage with a broad range of stakeholders, including architects, clients, developers, investors, construction firms, industry representatives, and politicians: Learning about their methodologies, engaging in dialogue about key challenges, observing projects on site, and analyzing the underlying processes and dependencies. By critically examining existing norms, narratives and systems, participants will develop interdisciplinary strategies for designing incentives that drive change.

The fellows will produce final projects that will be presented as part of a public event during the fellowship and documented in a digital publication that will become a reference for future students and professionals worldwide. Upon completion of the program, selected Fellows will be chosen to take part in the next step of the journey—the Holcim Foundation Emerging ChangeMakers.

Join us in Brussels for the Closing Event of the ETH Zurich × Holcim Foundation Fellowship!

From September 1–12, our Fellows — emerging talents from diverse disciplines — will immerse themselves in Brussels through site visits, stakeholder dialogues, and critical reflections on how we build, reuse, and adapt our cities. At the public closing event, they’ll share their insights in conversation with leading voices from the construction sector:

Introductions

• Saba Carmel Meidany, Holcim Foundation
• Kristiaan Borret, former Bouwmeester-Maitre Architecte of the Brussels Capital Region

Moderators

• Olaf Grawert and Josiane Schmidt, Department of Architecture (D-ARCH) ETH Zurich

Panelists

• Arno Brandlhuber, Professor, ETH Zurich and Co-Initiator, HouseEurope!
• Thibaud Demot, CEO, Democo Group
• Sébastien Leclercq, Managing Director, Whitewood Asset Management
• Cédric de Meeûs, Head of Public Affairs and Social Impact, Holcim
• Ruth Schagemann, President, Architects’ Council of Europe (ACE-CAE)

• Expose final year professional degree students within the built environment to realities of practice on building sites and the end-user’s experience – bridging the gaps between academia, the profession and society.
• Foster the adoption of a humble posture of learning among professionals and students as a way to close the knowledge and execution gap.
• Empower students by equipping them with the skills required to succeed as catalysts for industry transformation in their studies and future careers.
• Support career development, continued learning, mentorship, and collaboration through future participation in Holcim Foundation international programs, events and networking opportunities.

• 15 candidates from across Europe will be selected as Holcim Foundation Fellows to take part in this unique program – September 1-12, 2025 hosted in Brussels, Belgium by the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich).
• Participants will engage in focused lectures, discussions and talks on relevant themes, led by ETH Zurich faculty and other guest interdisciplinary experts, lecturers and building industry practitioners.
• Participants selected for the Fellowship will be provided with housing and travel assistance for the duration of the program and receive full tuition for the course.
• Learnings will be shared in discussions with professionals aligned with Holcim Foundation’s goals and principles.
• Selected participants will embark on the next phase of the journey as a Holcim Foundation Emerging ChangeMaker and open the door to a transformative experience that could shape their future and contribute to the transformation of the industry.

Partnering Firms

Site visits of real projects will provide an immersive experience, exploring user needs, planning requirements and innovative construction methodologies, in collaboration with &bogdan, Democo Group, noAarchitecten, 51N4E, Whitewood and inputs by ACE (Architects’ Council of Europe) and SHL (Schmidt Hammer Lassen).