The International Design Seminar (INDESEM) has a long and fascinating history. Since the first edition in 1964, each INDESEM has brought students and professionals from all over the world together to explore relevant architectural issues of their time – in the form of excursions, competitions, and lectures. While INDESEM evolves and changes, depending on the people involved in its organization, each edition exposes current ideas and needs of the students: their views on architecture education, what they deem most relevant, and which designers inspire them. In return, INDESEM inspires educators and helps establish new ways of teaching in architecture.
REVIVAL In the 70s INDESEM dissapears, but it´s revival happens in 1985 due to Herman Hertzberger. The architect and professor, organized the event as a farewell tribute to his retiring colleague Aldo van Eyck. With support from his students and leveraging his professional network, Hertzberger invited 60 international students and notable architects to Delft for a week-long design seminar.

Unlike earlier INDESEM editions, which featured strong involvement from Team X, this iteration was shaped entirely by Hertzberger. He selected the participants, curated the agenda, and asked van Eyck to craft the design brief. The chosen topic—a truck stop at an imaginary crossroads—focused on the relationship between human scale and architecture, echoing themes from the FORUM group, but contrasting with the real-world challenges of earlier editions.

The event maintained the original setup of group work and close tutor-student interaction, with one tutor per group and a total of six guest architects guiding the participants. International students stayed in Delft, hosted by local students in their homes, creating a collaborative and immersive atmosphere. The seminar also introduced new elements, including public lectures and formalized international participation, with an equal ratio of Dutch and international students. Financial support from the faculty, amounting to 20,000 guilders, helped ensure the event's success.

The 1985 INDESEM was a resounding success, drawing significant interest from students worldwide and setting the stage for future editions, with Geneva hosting the next seminar in 1986.