Chair Suzanne Generet for built heritage and well-being

The Chair Suzanne Generet for built heritage and well-being supports research on how the repurposing of buildings with heritage value can contribute to the quality of life of older people and other people at risk of isolation. It is supported by the Fund Generet, managed by the King Baudouin Foundation.

As the heiress of textile manufacturer Hubert Generet, Suzanne Generet wanted her estate to serve society. When she died in 2016, her will provided for the establishment of a Fund to be managed by the King Baudouin Foundation, with two objectives: the protection of our cultural heritage and support for medical research. The Chair Suzanne Generet for built heritage and well-being supports research and education at the crossroad of these two objectives.

The Chair supports research on how built heritage can serve as a bridge between generations and cultures, reducing the physical and social isolation of people in later life or otherwise at risk of isolation. Through educational activities in several programs – Master of Architectural Engineering, Master of Architecture, and Master of Conservation of Monuments and Sites – the Chair will also equip future design professionals to transform heritage buildings into places that welcome people of different ages, abilities, and cultures.

The Chair is a joint initiative of four research groups at the KU Leuven Department of Architecture: L/A\P, Perspectives on Architecture from the Distant Past, Research[x]Design, and Urban Projects, Collective Spaces and Local Identities. Chair holders Ann Heylighen and Gisèle Gantois work in close collaboration with Stijn Cools, Thomas Coomans, Negin Eisazadeh and Els Van Meerbeek.