The Space that Talks Back takes shape for Dutch Design Week 2026
From design to reality: the first circular CLT frames for The Space that Talks Back have been milled. This brings Urban Climate Architects' interactive installation for Dutch Design Week 2026 an important step closer. What began with a question about the future of our living environment is now becoming increasingly tangible in wood, space, and interaction.
Circular CLT as the foundation of the design
The milled frames will soon form the spatial structure of The Space that Talks Back. The installation is being constructed using circular CLT and brings together material research and spatial experience.
For Urban Climate Architects, this aligns directly with our work on circular constructionandresearch and innovation. It is not just the final form that counts, but also the question of where materials come from, how we use them, and what value they can retain afterward.
How do we divide our limited space?
The Space that Talks Back starts from a recognizable spatial challenge. We want more housing and more greenery, space for work, and protection against water. But what happens when all those interests compete for space at the same time?
In the installation, those choices become tangible. Visitors experience how their decisions influence the space and the possibilities for others. A choice that seems logical from one perspective can have very different consequences elsewhere.
In doing so, the project touches on a broader design question that is central to our vision of nature-inclusive urban development: how do we make room for living, nature, climate adaptation, and social interaction without treating these interests in isolation?
From digital design to wooden frames
The fact that the first CLT frames have now been milled also makes the manufacturing process visible. Digital design models are translated into physical wooden components that will soon come together to form the installation.
It is precisely in this step that our experience with timber architecture in the Netherlands together with research into circularity and interactive design. In this way, The Space that Talks Back becomes not just an installation about spatial choices, but also a tangible experiment with a different way of building and using materials.
Experience The Space that Talks Back in Eindhoven
The Space that Talks Back can be visited during Dutch Design Week 2026 at Ketelhuisplein in Eindhoven, from October 17th to 25th, daily from 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Admission is free.
The installation is being created in collaboration with partners including TNO/BioBuilt, Kiss the Frog, and the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations, along with the broader project team.
For more information, please contact UC Architects or view our projects.
