We are CIVIC. We design public architecture.

It looks like it, yes. We believe that societies thrive when there is room for different perspectives and lively conversations. We internalized this belief by having four equal captains on the Civic-ship. In each project two partners are directly involved with the work, and the other two reflect on the project in-house. We share the authorship together.

No. But also: Yes. We believe the profession of architecture is per definition a public task and therefore should show responsibility and accountability towards societal themes and public impact. This is true for all types of architectures. That’s why in each project we design and engineer with public values in mind, whether we are working on urban plans, residential buildings, university buildings or museums.

This notorious society consists of spatial design companies and individuals with a common history in Eindhoven, and a shared perspective on the societal role of spatial design. The members share inspiration and now and then collaborate for projects. We worked with Studio Matters on the exhibition of the BookFair Pavilion and the graphical artwork on the Tolhuiskade apartment building, for instance, and with Bright on the Willem-II-Passage and the Piushaven Pavilion.

We understand that it’s fairly difficult to grasp this nontraditional design process, with so many collaborators as LocHal had. Trying to keep it simple and clear: The team of Braaksma&Roos, InsideOutside and Civic design the whole building together. Basically, all the things which are fixed: The concrete, steel, glass, big textiles, wooden flooring and staircases and all parts of the historic architecture you see. Civic was lead architect, Braaksma & Roos was responsible for the renovation of the existing, InsideOutside developed the concept for the interior design and designed the textiles. Mecanoo elaborated the interior design of the library and offices: basically, everything you can take out without cutting or sawing, and the plaza café.
Here is a GIF that shows it in the simplest possible way. And here is another one.