Often, buildings are realized by not only their architects but by those who commission them, but the role of the latter tends to be omitted from the official account of how any given building is made. This issue of "Oase" addresses the commissioner's influence on how buildings or urban ensembles take shape.

This issue "OASE" looks at the theme of Context. It includes case studies by and about architects such as Miller Maranta (Switzerland), Biq, Monadnock and Korteknie Stuhlmacher (the Netherlands), De Smet Vermeulen and Huiswerk (Belgium), as well as critical essays.