Levers as a pre-condition of Integral Education, An exploration of principles and transformative mechanisms of Service-Learning in the case of Doelland 

This research evaluates the impact of Service-Learning with regard to Integral Education, using the Doelland initiative, as a case study. 

Under threat from harbour expansions since the 1960s, Doel has become a ghost village, suffering from abandonment and vandalism. In response, a service-learning initiative named ‘Doelland’ was created by the Faculty of Architecture of the Catholic University of Leuven and part of the Academic Design Office (AOB), which specialised in developing design-based strategies for dysfunctional spaces. In this project, teachers, students, and community members come together to think of solutions to recover buildings in the village, maintain its rich culture, history, and traditional Flemish architecture, and make the place liveable again for inhabitants. This project ultimately involved a wide range of stakeholders, including NGOs, artists and politicians, and gained a recognised voice in the public debate and protests, which led to the official saving of the village in 2019. This case has, therefore, the potential to provide insights into how the Service-Learning methodology has impacted community members, students, and teachers across various dimensions of Integral Education, seeking to identify principles and mechanisms.

The research distinguishes five principles and mechanisms that can function as levers with transformative potential. Solidarity was identified as an overarching principle that grows through a circular process, resulting in even deeper connections and mutual support among educators, students, and the community. Applying the insights from this study to architectural education can allow students and societal partners to learn and experience how architecture can become a critical, inclusive, and situated practice.

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