Lucas Desmet (°1997, Bonheiden) obtained his master's degree in engineering and architecture at Ghent University in 2021, majoring in urban design and architecture. In his thesis, 'Van verdichting naar dichterlijk wonen™' (‘From densification to poetic living™'), he investigated how an alternative approach to qualitative densification takes shape in Flanders and its villages: living closer together in combination with better quality. Lucas' summer internship at AR-TUR, where he collaborated on a catalogue about village architecture, has further strengthened his interest in and knowledge of Flemish villages. He wants to continue to develop this knowledge of urban development at Architecture Workroom Brussels. 

Since February 2021, Lucas has been a collaborator at AWB, where he is fully committed to the energy projects and research into the realisation of Positive Energy Districts. This technical transition will inevitably manifest in our daily environment and transform it, which at the same time brings opportunities to change that same living environment in a more sustainable way. In addition to this, Lucas investigates how the energy transition also involves a social and societal issue: how do you get residents to renovate their neighbourhoods together, how can you get neighbours to exchange energy in an energy community or ensure that renewable energy is available to everyone? Transdisciplinary cooperation with a variety of partners is crucial here. Within the project, Lucas uses both research by design and cartographic material to represent the shared task, and he helps to organise 'walkshops' as a cultural product, with the aim of launching a series of concrete actions in relation to the defined challenges.