Stijn Brancart is assistant professor of structural design at the department of Architectural Engineering & Technology. His research is focused on sustainable structural design and more specifically circular structural design, adaptive and responsive structures. Stijn teaches different courses on load-bearing structures in the BSc of Architecture.

Stijn's research interests are centered around sustainable and circular structural design, more specifically including design for change, modular structures, design for disassembly and biobased structures. Additionally, he has expertise in the design and analysis of spatial structures, with a focus on lightweight and transformable systems, including adaptive and responsive systems. Apart from structural design and analysis, Stijn uses different tools and methods, like computational modelling, parametric design and advanced manufacturing.

Trained as an architectural engineer, Stijn’s research and teaching activities are situated at the intersection of design and engineering. As a PhD researcher at VUB (2013-2018), he studied and developed rapidly and reversibly assembled bending-active structures, using the elastic bending capacity of materials like timber to generate complex geometries from initially linear and planar elements. This research led to the realisation of two full-scale demonstrators, the Undulatus and Reciplydome structures. As a postdoctoral researcher (2018-2021), Stijn continued his work on the manufacturing of bending-active systems and was involved in the European ‘Buildings as Materials Banks’ project (BAMB) and the Circular Retrofit Lab. This strengthened his expertise in circular design and construction, which he continued as a circular construction expert at VIBE, a small non-profit that supports and challenges building professionals in their transition towards a more sustainable construction practice.