639 DESIGN PROCESS AND SPACE SUITABILITY- A SEARCH FOR A REDEFINED FRAMEWORK AND TOOLS FOR THE NEW MOBILE ARCHITECT JOHAN NIELSEN 1 , KRIS SCHEERLINCK 1 , YVES SCHOONJANS 1 1 Faculty of Architecture, University Leuven, LUCA Campus Brussels/Ghent www.internationalmasterofarchitecture.be johan.nielsen@kuleuven.be, kris.scheerlinck@kuleuven.be, yves.schoonjans@kuleuven.be ABSTRACT In the last decades, the position of the architect in Western countries has radically changed. Contradictory phenomenons have induced this change such as desire for ground control and remote practices. These new forces that shape the profession (the so called “condition of remote practice”) must be taken into account to rethink how the design process occurs and what means such notion as “authorship” today. A new kind of practice emerges as a response to this paradigmatic shift: space suitability oriented practices. This idea of space suitability lies in an intimate relation between the development of the project and the afterlife of the built object, between design process and users response. A redefined framework and new tools are needed. It is presented by a contemporary interpretation of the work of philosopher Ricoeur (mimesis and configuration) and sociologist Thevenot (Objects in action & the action in multiplicity- on engagement). New tools can be imagined to grasp the intimate dialogue between the user and the intentionality embedded in the object and its afterlife. It will lead to a better understanding of the user response to design intention and of what can be a space suitability oriented practice. KEYWORDS Space suitability; remote practice; authorship condition; design process; social sustainability. INTRODUCTION In the last decades, the position of the architect in Western countries has radically changed. We hear more and more voices that the position of the architect as the author of a work is weakened 118 . Two different phenomenons have induced this weakening. Firstly an exponential rising of rules and regulations is happening. In an ever more judiciarized society, the importance of local urbanistic regulations and administrative processes has raised. Besides, the desire for high energetic performances and so to say zero risk environments have produced an important set of new regulations. Secondly the pressure of a unified architectural market has grown in importance. Mainstream fashion designed houses, standardized offices environment, economically profitable housing complexes and public space are supposed to follow almost always a priori planning. This state of affairs is clearly visible through the apparition of different project stakeholders (project managers, safety 118 Different sources: I. M. Eldemer: 2009, Globalisation challenges in Architecture, In Journal of Architectural and Planning Research, 26 (4); Scheerlinck, K., Schoonjans, Y., Greene, M.: 2012, The New Architect- Towards a shared Authorship. In: Boutsen D. (Eds.), Good Practice - Best Practise: Highlighting the compound idea of education, creativity, research and practice. Brussels: Luca - St Lucas Architectuur, 17-24. TRACK 7 — OPEN TRACK