INDESEM (International Design Seminar) is a biennale, founded by a group of students in 1964 and reinitiated in 1985 by Herman Hertzberger. The biennale is hosted at the faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment of the Delft University of Technology. INDESEM has had the honor of hosting internationally acclaimed architects such as Aldo van Eyck, Adriaan Geuze, Rem Koolhaas, Wiel Arets, Ben van Berkel, Winy Maas, Daan Roosegaarde, Jean Nouvel, Shigeru Ban, Steven Holl, Greg Lynn, Peter Cook and Renzo Piano, and theorists such as Saskia Sassen, Bruno Latour, Anthony Vidler, Neil Leach and Michael Speaks. The programme of INDESEM consists of lectures, workshops, excursions and a design competition, all organized around a specific contemporary theme. Every edition of the seminar aims to raise awareness about this theme and its consequences for the architectural practice. INDESEM '23 took place from the 29th of May - the 2nd of June 2023 and explored the topic of ‘boundaries’ in the built environment: "As architectural students, we are constantly challenged with the boundaries of our craft. From regulations to social norms, advancing technologies to ecological limits, we are faced with a myriad of factors that shape our designs. But here's the thing: while these factors are important, they should not be the heart of architecture. Our creativity should not be limited to the challenge of ticking the correct box and solving problems. We should dare to look beyond the physical and social boundaries of our field, beyond the limits of our materials, technological design tools, and ecological constraints. We should ask ourselves: what can we add to these fundamentals? How can we use these boundaries to grow and expand, rather than limit ourselves? So, let us come together and transcend these boundaries. Let us inspire each other to think outside the box, and create something exceptional. The future of architecture depends on it."
