Wildernis Invites is a collaborative initiative led by Belgian and Berlin-based members of Constructlab, in partnership with the local association Wildebras.

Together with children, neighbors, and an engaged network of creatives, we aim to establish a sustainable and long-term use of Wildernis – island in the heart of Kortrijk, Belgium, where Wildebras currently operates an adventure playground for kids. Through a multidisciplinary approach, the project fosters wild play, hands-on learning, and an open process of co-creation, bringing together children, teenagers, and adults in an ever-evolving space of exploration and community building.

Playing outside is crucial for a child to grow up. A group of friends based in Kortrijk (BEL) has been working voluntarily for many years to encourage and create outdoor playgrounds for children. It is not about classically designed playgrounds, it is about ‘wild’ places where children can test their limits, learn to assess dangers and follow their way of imagination. ‘Wildebras’, which means ‘wild child’, is part of the association LZSB, based in Kortrjik (BEL). A moated homestead, surrounded by water and hidden within a little forest serves as a homebase for the association. It is one of the many typical west Flemish islands that were created in the mid 19th century, primarily for farming. This little island, called Wildernis, is the context in which the project Wildernis Invites takes place. The city council of Kortrijk granted the association of Wildebras a ground lease for the entire island for the next 25 years. This perspective allows the association to preserve the site in the long term and to build sustainable structures.

In a first phase this means the construction and activation of a solid wooden structure – a pavilion – that can become a space for tools and materials to be stored, a working space and a space for a diversity of activities that are yet to unfold.

In fact, Wildernis Invites goes back to November 2022 and is linked to another Constructlab project: How to de-construct the German pavilion which was dedicated to the dismanteling of an existing wooden structure in Almere (NEL). The wood was transferred to Wevelgem, a small town only about 9km away from the Island of Wildernis in Kortrijk where it was stored for some time. In the meantime preparations for Wildernis Invites were taken. This meant especially two aspects: designing the wooden structure of the pavilion and organising a Culture Move residency program funded by the EU to activate the pavilion. In 2025 after serious challenges the storage was opened again followed by the Cut and Paint action, where the wooden beams were prepared for the construction: sorted, sanded, cut and painted.

It was a hands-on, collective effort that reignited the project’s energy. In a next step the proto-structure of the pavilion was built. The pavilion would grow step by step, beam by beam, column by column with many hearts, brains and hands involved. Later on – already during the Culture Move residencies  – the roof was finished in a collective effort.

Besides the construction of the pavilion the second objective of Wildernis Invites is the activation of the newly built space and its embedding into the neighborhood. This is the intention fueling the residency program Culture Move. Therefore – parallel to the construction – the organising team put a lot of effort in preparing for these residencies to create a welcoming space for those participating. The theme of play was hereby integral part of the Culture Move residencies and has been further explored by the 20 people from the Constructlab Network who joined the construction site for 2 -3 weeks working on various projects, exploring techniques, learning from and with each other. Their presence and activities were truly meaningful and left equally meaningful traces. Additionally during the timespan of the residencies (28th of April – 18th of May) the public was actively invited – through posters, a WhatsApp Group and maybe most importantly word of mouth – on Wednesday and Sunday afternoons to get in touch with the place and the people, to understand what is happening on this little island of Wildernis and to become part of it.

Within the context of these open days people from the network invited to different workshops which where thematically embedded in their activities. Topics were exploring sounds, clay as a material to sculpt and screenprint, spraypainting with stencils, engaging with various natural materials or baking waffles on the fire place. Apart from these open days additional happenings infused the space with liveliness and inspiration such as the presence of architecture students from Toulouse working on the floor of the pavilion for some days, presentations by Emma, Nicolas, Gonçalo, Diogo and by NomadCity, the visit of a school class and a follow up parade through the streets of Kortrijk or the visit of people from Constructlab Belgium and beyond. And always: all the people stopping by, playing on the island, having a chat or even just a curious peek on the island.

The pavilion made a lot of progress, however by 2025 it is still in progress. (Maybe it will always be?) It will grow further and so will the life inside it. Stay tuned!

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Photo credits: Archive of LZSB/WILDEBRAS, Simon Verschelde, Arthur Bed, Franka Fuchs, Jan Stricker