Bnieuws 50/04 - Interconnectedness (2016/17) by Bnieuws

INDEPENDENT PERIODICAL OF THE FACULTY OF ARCHITECTURE AND THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT TU DELFT

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Colofon

Bnieuws Volume 50 Issue 04 14 December 2016 Contact Room BG.Midden.140. Julianalaan 134 2628 BL Delft bnieuws-bk@tudelft.nl Editorial Board Nadine van den Berg Arjan Boonstra Ruiying Liu Noortje Weenink

SPEAK 19

Three and one stories

Home Attitude

Editorial Advice Emily Parry Contributors Grijze Ei Marthe van Gils Jamal van Kastel Pim Pelt Michael Tija

CREATE 14

Cover Xmas in Delft by Ecaterina Stefanescu Editorial Advice Board Robert Nottrot Pierijn van der Putt Marcello Soeleman Ivan Thung Linda van Keeken Next Deadline End of January Bnieuws Volume 50 Issue 05 20th January 2017 Illustrations only in *.tif, *.eps or *.jpg format, min. 300 dpi Printed by Druk. Tan Hek 1.350 copies ÂŠ All rights reserved. Although all content is treated with great care, errors may occur.

Meaningful or Minor?

LEARN 10

The Origin of Complexity

EXPLORE 06

Office Plant

Doorgroetjes

Eten op de campus

Editorial

INTERCONNECTEDNESS

A reform in the Finnish educational system suggests a radical change in its form by scrapping the traditional way of learning by subject. Conventional subjects will be replaced by more complex cross-subject topics such as the European Union, which would cover maths, geography and economics. With Finland radically reforming the way in which children are taught, we are inspired to rethink what interconnectedness means beyond architecture and within our Faculty. It sheds light upon the constructed separations that perhaps do not actually exist. The distinctions that enabled us to better understand the world have apparently become restrictive. Or have they always been restrictive to begin with? We see this issue of Bnieuws as a collection of stories that are part of the ecosystem that is the faculty. It is a complex organism that breaths, walks and eats whatever we feed it. The stories are, like the departments, inseparably related and therefore rely on each other like the elements of an ecosystem. This issue touches upon the plants in the Faculty that provide us with oxygen and fresh thoughts, to reflect upon personal experiences we have during our studies. And traditions that seem to continuously change in appearance, but actually stay the same. Bnieuws aims to provide some food for thought during the Christmas break. Besides the end of the year, this Bnieuws also marks the departure of three of us: Arjan, Marthe and Michael. We are delighted to have been part of this journal, which has physically transcended the existing framework of delineated departments. Or pantries and pigeonholes. Our special thanks go to Ecaterina Stefanescu for the magic she adds to this issue with her Delft Christmas drawing on the cover. Happy holidays!

IN MEMORIAM LARS HARTNACK

13.05.1983

18.11.2016

Tentoonstelling / 25 JAAR ARCHITECTUURBELEID Sinds 1991 maakt het Rijk beleid voor architectuur en ruimtelijk ontwerp. Maar wat heeft dit ons eigelijk opgeleverd in de afgelopen 25 jaar? Vanaf 12 december staan de belangrijkste ontwikkelingen tentoongesteld in de BK Expo. Oostserre / 13.12.16â&#x2C6;&#x2019;09.01.17

Ontwerper, beeldadviseur en wetenschapsillustrator. Oud redacteur Bnieuws. Creatief, vriendelijk en warm. Een collega en vriend. Onze gedachten gaan uit naar zijn familie en vrienden.

Lecture / MORE BRICKWORK In this lecture Jonathan Sergison will present a number of recent projects that continue to pursue their earlier investigations into forms of brick construction. He will discuss them in relation to strategy and detail, notions of tolerance and accuracy and, at a more abstract level, Sergison will explore the cultural and experiential aspects of buildings in brick. Room K / 13.01.17 / 12:45

#Bnieuwd

Drinks / END OF THE YEAR DRINKS 2017 is near and so are the traditional end of the year drinks. All students and employees are invited to end 2016 on a high note together in the orange hall. Orange hall / 22.12.16 / 16:00

To Do / RONDLEIDING IN STADSSCHOUWBURG Na een grondige verbouwing en de opening van een nieuwe state-of-the-art theaterzaal in 2009 is de Stadsschouwburg klaar voor de toekomst. Tijdens de rondleiding wordt verteld over de geschiedenis en alles wat zich voor én achter de schermen afspeelt. Amsterdam Leidseplein / 20.01.17 / 13:30

Lecture / A FAT HOUSE FOR A THIN MAN AND

Information Centre / FUTURELAND Want to take a look around the Maasvlakte 2? This is your last chance to visit the FutureLand Information Centre for free. Here you’ll find everything you need to know about the developing port.

BEYOND Lars Lerup, professor of Architecture and the Dean Emeritus at Rice School of Architecture, will visit our faculty with his lecture ‘A Fat House for a Thin Man and Beyond’. From the early 1970’s he made series of drawings and paintings and built an arsenal of strange objects with an interest in defamiliarization and object−oriented philosophy. The lecture at The Berlage will cover some fifty years of his work emphasising three extensive projects: the Fat House, the Berlin Wall and Strange Objects and ends with his latest work at the Experiment Zone at Humboldt University in Berlin.

Rotterdam Maasvlakte 2 / till 30.12.16

Room K / 27.01.17 / 12:45 - 14:00

In focus

OFFICE PLANT Words and images Michael Tjia

Throughout the building, hydroponic trees are scattered to beautify our workplaces and conference rooms. Although they work hard for our visual and respiratory needs, these green colleagues are often overlooked. This is a visual tribute to the faculty ficus.

Explore

THE ORIGIN OF COMPLEXITY Words Ruiying Liu

October, 2017 will see BK City become the melting pot of cross-domain dialogues tackling the topic Emotion, Feeling, Consciousness & Imagination (EFCI) as cognitive scientists, philosophers, zoologists, designers and planners from around the world gather at the 3rd Delft International Conference. As part of the organisation, I was able to find out from the two co-founders of the conferenceâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Juval Portuagli, professor of human geography from TelAviv University, Israel, and Egbert Stolk, assistant professor in the department of urbanismâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the stories behind the theories and the paths that have led to the synergy that traverses domains, scales and time.

The Delft School of Complexity Theories of Cities In the recent two decades, the domain of A+BE has been trying to come to grips with their tasks of unprecedented scales and unpredictability. The baffling phenomena of countless local actions giving rise to macro-level patterns and their erratic transformations challenged the foundations of deterministic thinking. This realisation opened the door for complexity theories from science to enter the study of cities. Technical theories and computational models were popping up here and there, but generally lack an affinity towards the reality of cities and their inhabitants.

< Egbert’s interpretation of Juval’s city game. Image by Roberto Rocco.

‘Our tasks require the understanding of complexity, but people—an indispensable part of the city—are not mindless particles as in physics,’ Egbert says. In his search of theories addressing complexity in cognitive context, he found the book on it by Juval Portugali,1 and introduced it to Prof. Han Meyer, who was also tackling similar issues in his delta research. Once the three of them met up there were no other plans but to fan the spark into a wider discussion. And thus came to pass the 1st Delft International Conference (2009), laying the foundation of the complexity— cognition and cross-domain conversation approach. Given its explorative endeavours alongside a deep commitment to the content of A+BE, the Delft School has certainly distinguished itself among the various complexity theories of cities. Now at the closure of the 2nd conference with the publication of their works,2 it’s time to identify new frontiers. Cities of the Past, Present and Future In what is now termed the Fourth Industrial Revolution,3 cities and citizens are being ushered onto the path of smartification, (many believe) heading towards the smart city vision—but what is really meant by smart? At face value, smart implies every other city is a dumb city; yet, as far as history goes, cities have always been smart, adapting and sustaining life and culture. ‘One cannot begin to understand what smart really is, or should be, without studying the nonsmartified parts—how they came to be, how they already exist together and so on,’ Juval says. In other words, the meaning of the future rests with the present and the past. Juval’s works often take on a broad perspective with a deep caring for history— something shaped by his background in archaeology. As he studied theories on cities and cultures while excavating ancient structures in the field, Juval learnt

what he calls ‘reverse architecting’: reconstructing the cities from ruins with theories and imagination. ‘In archaeology you develop a sensitivity towards artefacts,’ he explains. And to him, the city is a unique kind of artefact—of a long life span dating 5000 years back—made by generations of human societies, embodying their intentions and cultures.1 In the previous era, cognitive studies set the brain as the boundary of cognition and negated the role of artefacts in thinking processes, and the mind was the holiest temple independent from material construction. The contrary view, held by the Delft School and many others, is that artefacts—including artificial environments—are extension of thoughts, shaping and shaped by the thoughts they contain.1 Otherwise, how can archaeologists contend that their excavated artefacts have anything profound to say about human minds and cultures? The artificial space is an artefact across scales. For mechanics who practise the art of motorcycle maintenance, their messy workplace is their mind unfolded in space and each relies on the other to work as they do. Another case of such interaction is the Green Heart: as a pattern emerging from society’s artefact, it has come to direct the thoughts of society, which shapes the Heart in return. The EFCI Ingredients to the Making of Cities Across cultures and history, our artefact cities take on various forms, but are given a recognisable face by an invariable essence—qualities of humanity. This obvious fact gains significance as one entertains prospects of cities made with/by AI—they could be an entirely different breed. For example, human minds can imagine entities that have no physical borders, cannot be directly perceived by the senses and are comprised of diverse opinions and information, such as neighbourhoods,

cities and regions.4 Without such imagination, people would not be able to navigate in cities and designers would not have a thing to design about.

The complex mind learns, creates and reflects; but how many minds are open enough to embrace the past and present, humanities and sciences?

Their ‘gut feelings’ reveal subconscious knowledge to them and they make sense out of chaos. Without emerging feelings, the mind will be overwhelmed by environmental input that it must compute logically.5

Aiming to expand his knowledge in archaeology, Juval studied planning to understand cities better. This eventually led to a strange job combination as he made a living working as an archaeologist and a modern town planner at the same time. One can only speculate as to what a fantastic perspective came out of crossing a time span that buries and re-creates civilisations—maybe the divergence, in the end, all courses back the theme of humanity.

Their consciousness allows them to become aware of what happens and rise above the situation.5 Without it, they will be limited to the same level of doing and seeing things like zombies or natural swarms. Their emotion is the foundation for their ability to form affective bonds with places and other people.6 Without these bonds, social structures and geographical patterns would not be the same.

Human thinking has a much wider influence on urban forms than generally believed: both end users and designers engage in design thinking, consciously or unconsciously, as they shape the city.7, 8 Without the human qualities in their thinking, their product, the city, could have a very different face. Thus the exploration of urban complexity arrives at E, F, C & I: when AI joins urban systems, the need is greater than ever to know more about human cognition and how smart things can contribute to creativity and other valued qualities of humanity. Although traditional theories in the A+BE have digested these topics over and again, they have never been united under one roof. Science has yet to step out of its lab system to address the phenomena in real world settings. Luckily, designers have a unique advantage: experience with socio-spatial entities—an inexhaustible source of complexity. The Complexity of Open Systems If you isolate a city from its environment, it will die: complex systems are adaptive because they are open.

His second wave of knowledge intake connected him to the ‘hard’ sciences. An incredible accomplishment seen from today’s perspective, but in its own context, it is one of the many great achievements of a generation, represented by Christopher Alexander, among others, striving to combine design with mathematics and science, whose influences end up in many more domains and last up to this day. At UC Berkeley, centre of the zeitgeist, Juval did his postdoc and came across works of David Bohm (physicist and philosopher) through his wife, Nili, who was a colleague of Alexander. Eventually Juval reached out to Bohm, and another brilliant theoretical physicist, Hermann Haken, who inspired him to write his first book, where he applied complexity and cognition theories on socio-spatial analysis of IsraeliPalestineian conflict.9 That, along with his friendship with Haken, led to the maturity of his approach. Savouring the stories of Juval’s career, one cannot help but wonder where the zeitgeist is today to wake up the education industry from knowledge compartmentalisation and utilitarian pursuit. Connecting Knowledge, Time and Lives Deeper than the boundaries of the mind is the boundaries of knowledge domains. The development of A+BE theories is characterised by tensions and paradigm shifts between two cultures—the positivist

Friends in knowledge and friends in life. Image provided by Egbert Stolk

approaches and the social-theory-guided approaches1—resulting in more than half a century’s separate efforts. ‘Complexity Theories of Cities is the third way that has the potential to reconcile their differences,’ Juval says. ‘Since the inception of modern rationalism at the hands of Descartes and Newton, their theories and influences have kept emotion and imagination out of mainstream science for centuries. Still, another line of thinking stood against the trend, including names like Giambattista Vico, Karl Marx, Jurgen Habermas... and in this domain, Jane Jacobs and Christopher Alexander.’ So, the rift between our two cultures is in fact inherited from the science domain—which has only recently come to recognise the value of things beyond the grasp of rationality. Architects and designers certainly know better than to negate emotion and imagination; but now they are faced with a challenge: can they explicate and communicate to other domains their knowledge of EFCI, and make sure the future city is built to support, rather than suppress or replace them? However, the knowledge disadvantage that designers must contend with is related to something deeper: the knowledge growth pattern. Designers’ life-long

expertise fades as they retire and the mysterious monuments some manage to leave behind are far from conveying the full extent of their knowledge. That’s how individual knowledge rises and falls in rapid cycles, while public knowledge is stabled by a common reservoir. But the stories here reveal a middle scale, where knowledge slowly spreads alongside social relations one person at a time; it attains a dual complexity and, curiously, resilience. Through Nili’s experience at Alexander’s research centre, Juval learnt of David Bohm’s philosophy; Hermann Haken became a close friend and they collaborated in many pioneering works; Egbert waded out his PhD under Juval’s inspiration and now teaches the idea to younger minds here in BK— in the process, bringing me into the fold as well. After all, connecting lives is part of the human knowledge enterprise. But when something is too obvious, people fail to see its significance. That’s one more gap we can bridge, as our quest for the origin of complexity embrances the human qualities: emotion, feeling, consciousness and imagination. Sources can be found on the online page 36: issuu.com/bnieuws.

Impression of the BK Street at the old faculty building by Broek and Bakema.

Impression of the drawing hall at the old faculty building by Broek and Bakema.

Recycle the tradition

MEANINGFUL OR MINOR? Words Marthe van Gils

Images The New Institute

Whether you’ll visit the Weihnachtsmarkt in Köln, or spend an evening “gourmetten” with your family: Christmas is upon us and so are the traditions it brings along. While this year’s Piet-discussion subsides, there arises the opportunity to reflect upon the value of tradition, and to consider the traditions we have within our faculty. What happened to the Beaujolais? Traditions seem to constantly change, to emerge and to vanish. Is it a liberation or a loss?

In the beginning of November the model hall started to feature model making moms. It characterized a particular period of the year: the P5’s are coming and so another bench of students are on the cusp of graduation. It’s a moment that unites general practitioners, teachers and businesspeople in our faculty in supporting their daughter or son to the finish of their study. This is a tradition that began unconsciously; it seems to have originated under the condition of synchronized graduation deadlines. Where former students used to help each other, they’re now consumed by their own deadlines. A tradition that evolved from a change in policy, turned into a joyful recurrence for those on their way to lunch at the Ketelhuis. Other traditions seem to be less tangible, albeit even more meaningful for those aware. These traditions are consciously taken from a former place or time in order to enhance future significance. Take for example the BK Street, which seems to characterize this faculty’s building. In fact it is part of a greater tradition, because it continued the street of the old faculty that burned down in 2008. The street was the central element in the design by Broek en Bakema. The same applies to the tradition of beers and reflection at the Bouwpub, in the former faculty a hidden treasure in the basement and now a beautiful additive at the East entrance. So the traditions within our faculty exemplify that they’re inevitably subject to change, but can create value when continued in a different form. The arguments “because it’s a tradition” or “traditions are only there to change” put forward in the Piet-discussion reveal the contrary perspectives in the way we think about traditions. On one hand there’s the non-sexy connotation of tradition, related to a viewpoint eager for innovation and progress, on the other there’s the cramping way that wants to hold on

to the past. Towards a definition We think that we know what tradition means, but is that true? Tradition is one of those concepts that deceives us, just because we’re so close to it. Let’s take a step back and define this concept. Max Weber, the founder of sociology, refers in his work Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft(1918-1920) to tradition in relation to the four different motivations for actions. On the one hand you have the more conscious and rational forms of action: you act in order to achieve a specific objective, or because you think the act in itself is worth it. On the other hand, there are two less conscious practices. Firstly there’s the affective act in which we act just because it feels good. Secondly the traditional act: we act in a certain way just because we are accustomed to it. Weber’s definition of traditional action reflects a kind of autopilot, which might be useful for everyday life, but doesn’t really have something to offer. 16

‘WITHOUT TRADITION THERE IS NO PERSPECTIVE, AND THEREFORE NOTHING OF VALUE.’

Nevertheless there’s another story to tell about tradition. According to another German theorist, Hans-Georg Gadamer, tradition is an essential part of who we are. It gives us a particular perspective on the world and in this way it can make the world meaningful. Without tradition there is no perspective, and therefore nothing of value. If there was no tradition, then all people were to be equal, and the world would appear to us as a meaningless mass of unconnected facts and events. Tradition enables us to identify certain aspects of that mass as being valuable and meaningful. This means that tradition holds our position in the world. But that

doesn’t mean it has to stay the same. We can also step out of our tradition, through contacts with other people and cultures and create something new; a new way of thinking, or, for example, a new way to create art or architecture. As Gadamer says, this can only be done by understanding your own existing tradition. In order to create a new perspective on the world, you must first and foremost be aware of the perspective that you already have. Who doesn’t understand the own tradition is doomed to confirm his or her own unconscious perspective over and over again. Gadamer’s vision on tradition leaves a remarkable result. As mentioned before tradition provides us our perspective on the world. But that world in itself can again affect this perspective, and so it’s able to change it in some way. That means that a tradition over time is continually evolving. Gadamer calls this process Wirkungsgeschichte, or operation history. Of course all of this happens very slowly and often even unnoticed, but over several generations it can cause major shifts. This understanding of tradition can be compared with the continuous replacement of broken parts on your bike. After a number of years your bike is repaired so often that all the original parts of the bike have been replaced. It seems to be the same bike, but all the original material is no longer there, and so the bike might have a completely different appearance. The process of tradition, where your values and perspectives inherit the previous generation, lives on. Because ultimately, as Gadamer says, without tradition, we are nothing. Even today, in times of renewal artists and architects still learn the trade from their teachers, inherited certain techniques and therefore there training is informed by certain beliefs.

Impression of the BK Street and meeting hall at the old faculty building by Broek and Bakema.

So tradition becomes especially relevant when we become aware of our own traditions and the values they reflect. Not everything that is new is automatically good. Not everything used to be better. We have to decide which elements of our own tradition can be cast off, and which ought to be retained. By providing a framework to better understand a particular perspective on the world, tradition becomes a powerful tool. And certainly for an architect. It enables one to not only reinvent the

wheel, but also to overcome the specificity of context or the architectâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own vision by placing a design in the wider tradition of building. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s because the essence of a tradition is always something that is shared. So examine your traditions, and hold on to what is good. In this way the ongoing process of recycling the tradition becomes both meaningful and minor. The sources for this article can be found on the online page 36: issuu.com/bnieuws

Long read

THREE AND ONE STORIES Words Noortje Weenink

Three stories that happen in completely different parts of the world, yet they all share a common theme: the experiences of the main character lead from a complexion of prejudice and displeasure, to surprise and reflection. Three stories, ending in a call for a new moral.

ABOUT A WOMAN For the third time today, I checked my Facebook newsfeed. Nothing interesting (as usual) until I scrolled down and saw a picture of a friend whom I hadn’t seen in ages. It was an old photo. He was smiling, with a kaki scarf randomly wrapped around his head. ‘R.I.P.’ the caption read. Nine days later his body was buried. Waiting for the bus heading home, my cheeks suddenly turned wet. A woman—about 5’5”, mid thirties, thick accent, pink jacket—was loudly calling a friend. She saw me heading outside, hung up her phone and came to check on me. Not wanting to be disturbed, but at the same time appreciating the effort, I told her that I just came from a funeral and was having a small breakdown. She asked who I had lost, and not wanting to eleborate I merely said: ‘One of the best people in the world.’ Then the questions came: if he was a friend, how old he was, how he died —precisely the kind of questions you do not want to answer when you just came from a funeral. ‘It is very sad,’ she told me multiple times. ‘It is, but I will be fine,’ I insufficiently tried to end the conversation. I told her how I didn’t know him very well, but that he was one of those people who would go out of their way to make sure you felt good. The kind of person that would take the time to listen and explain the advantages of spiritual chanting when the general ‘hey, how are you?’ at the supermarket resulted in an ‘to be honest, I’m not so great.’ Someone who’d bring organic food to random meetups for everone to share.

By far one of the friendliest, inspiring, colourful people I’d ever met. And now he was gone and it was surreal and upsetting and infuriating. ‘It is very sad,’ she repeated. ‘All the best people pass away, and all the bad ones stay.’ She started talking about her own life. How the Netherlands was a difficult country to survive in as a foreigner. How she was raising her two kids without a job because of her accent, how people didn’t take the time to care for each other anymore. How the world, at this very moment, was a sad place for her since she felt like she didn’t belong. I wasn’t sure how to react, so I nodded in agreement and complimented her on her jacket. Her face lit up. ‘Do you like it? Thank you so much! It was only 15 euros, from Primamarkt.’ The charm of her mispronounciation was startling. She started a monologue about people who wear brands that feel the need to express their richness, but that she just loved cheap clothes. I wanted to say something about people in other countries trying to survive on a terrible salary thanks to Western consumerism, but decided that it wasn’t the time, nor place, nor the person to throw my white privilege stories at. Our bus arrived. The woman walked in front of me, but I didn’t join her. I told her ‘thank you and goodbye,’ and for the next ten minutes I was staring blankly out the window, holding my breath to not start crying. Five minutes later, to my own surprise, I cracked a smile.

ABOUT A MAN

While taking a nightly walk through the streets of Rotterdam, I spotted a relatively well dressed man in an 80s bomberjack, a full black beard and a grey, cable knit beanie on his head. The ultimate hipster. The man struggled to get on his bike (which, amazingly, had lights). ‘He must be drunk,’ I figured, and I looked away hoping that he wouldn’t harass me. Ten seconds later I saw him walking towards me, slowly, struggling with his bike between his legs. ‘I’m extremely sorry to bother you.’ ‘Here we go,’ I thought. ‘Can I ask you a very difficult question?’ the man asked. ‘Of course,’ I replied slightly annoyed, eager to continue my walk. My thoughts silently continued: ‘It’s not that difficult. You want my money. Just ask it already.’ ‘Can you believe a person in a country such as the Netherlands could be very hungry?’ he interrupted my thoughts. ‘Of course,’ I repeated. ‘I have not eaten since 9 a.m.. I have never stolen, nor would I ever. But I am very hungry.’ I noticed he avoided the question. ‘I will only use it on food, I promise.’ I interrupted his story with the statement that I didn’t have much money. Looking at my spare change, I immediately realised how stupid it sounded, having at least fifteen euros in coins alone. I accidentally grabbed a two euro coin, hoping it would only be one, and made the same mistake again. ‘Four euros is a bit much,’ I thought and hesitated for a second. But feeling awkward, I decided to give the man the four euros anyway. ‘Thank you so much.’ ‘No problem, sir.’ Having fulfilled my duty, I prepared to leave. ‘Can I ask you another difficult question?’ I stopped. ‘I’m obviously homeless, and usually I sleep in the basement of a friend’s house, but today he wasn’t home and the temperature will fall below zero tonight.’ Slightly panicking my mind started spinning. ‘Shit, he’s going to ask to sleep at my place. I’m going to say no, friendly but firmly, however guilty I might feel. He cannot expect me to say yes, can he?’ Instead he asked if he could please use my phone to contact his friend. A burden fell off my shoulders, but as I reached for my phone, I contemplated about how he now knew the location of every valuable I had on me. It wasn’t difficult for him to grab my bag and cycle away; promises mean nothing when you’ve got nothing to lose. Seemingly aware of my thoughts, he told me to keep my phone in my hands and put it on speaker after dialing the number. ‘I would never ask you to give your phone to me. And even if I would, I’m still telling you: don’t do it.’ The awkward and guilty smile that his words put on my face must have looked ridiculous. ‘Thank you so much’, he repeated. ‘I have been asking people all day and no one wanted to help me. And now I find you, and you help me with everything. Thank you.’ I told him it was no problem at all, since I was in a good mood. What a terrible thing to say. A quick phone conversation later, he hung up the phone that was still in my hands. I asked him, as respectfully as possible, what happened for him to become homeless. Turns out he wasn’t a drunk. He was just illegal.

ABOUT A CITY

According to the Safety & Security training, I would’ve died a couple of times already, but although I (sometimes accidentally) didn’t confine to any of the rules—don’t go out alone, don’t take a cab on the street, don’t take pictures of governmental buildings, get home before dark—so far I didn’t get robbed, stabbed, or raped. Yet, being alone in an unfamiliar city was tiring. The sunset around 6 p.m.—the mountains blocked the sunlight—daily provided me with a welcome cue to head back to the hostel. Having been stuck for days on analysing courtyards in downtown La Candelaria, I realised that the beautiful wooden balconies and the colourful stucco facades weren’t exactly useful in gaining some kind of understanding of the metropolitan. I walked to a Parque Santander, hoping to expand my working field and gain some useful insights. In the five hundred metres from Museo Botero to the park, the contrasts of the city became evident. I passed the fountain in the centre of the Plazoleta del Rosario, which was filled political graffiti and students. On top of the three steps around the borders of the square, facing Eje Ambiental, dozens of well-suited men (emerald traders) occupied the space. After crossing the street without having to pay attention to the massive Transmilenio buses that normally occupy the Eje Ambiental—sometimes road works do have perks—, I sat myself down underneath the canopy of Museo del Oro and started sketching. The park (or rather a small square with few trees and an empty water basin) was covered with people trying to make a living of selling their goods: colourful jewellery spread out on black carpets; books burying wooden tables. Shoe shiners were polishing the footwear of the emerald traders, and tourists merged with Bogotanos on the ledges of the water basin. It was a lively spectacle to observe from the safe confinements of the museum, but in order to draw a proper plan I needed to blend in. It was getting late, so rather than drawing a plan and some sections, I took a leap of faith. Trusting that my battery wouldn’t die on me I decided to capture the place in photos. I concentrated on my LCD screen, and wandered through the square. Not paying attention, I almost stumbled upon a person—dirty face, worn-out shoes, wrapped in orange tarp—. The man was lying on the cobble stone floor, protected by the ridge of an elevated green space. I was puzzled, but decided to ignore him. What else could I do? In order to get a better view of the square, I walked past the man and jumped on the ledge. I tried to focus on capturing a picture that was both all encompassing and visually attractive. Again, I almost tripped over a human being lying—same characteristics, different person. This time I couldn’t ignore him. Without the safe screen of my camera, I started looking, really looking. Five minutes later I’d counted twelve individuals wearing nothing but shabby clothes and a plastic sheet to protect them. ‘Where do they come from?’ I wondered. I realised that an infamous area called ‘El Bronx’, a mishmash of three streets where at least 1500 people used to live, recently got evicted. With nowhere else to go, the homeless had infiltrated Parque Santander, just in front of the office building of Banco de la Républica, the state-run central bank of Colombia—the irony was staggering. So much for problem solving.

LIMPIEZA MORAL

In certain parts of the world, there is a phenomenon called ‘limpieza social’. It is the act of social cleansing: killing the lower classes of society, motivated by the idea that these people, are draining the resources of society. The undesirables, also referred to as ‘los desechables’ (the disposables)—homeless people, criminals, drug addicts, prostitutes, but also the elderly and street children—supposedly do not contribute to society, and are merely a burden that needs to be eradicated. As humans, we have the tendency to abstract knowledge and project it as a form of understanding to our opinions and daily lives, only feeding our existing concepts. We cling to what we know—habits we stick to, places we are familiar with, people with whom we have most in common—and try to fit in new knowledge within our existing beliefs. Architects and urban planners do this all the time. We analyse context by abstracting its history, demographics, the ratio of public and private space, et cetera, and project these abstractions into a design that supposedly will improve the current conditions. Although this is not necessarily a bad thing (without it our brains would overflow), it is important to become aware of the manner. As Aldous Huxley states: ‘Knowledge is acquired when we succeed in fitting a new experience into the system of concepts based upon our old experiences. Understanding comes when we liberate ourselves from the old and so make possible a direct, unmediated contact with the new, the mystery, moment by moment, of our existence. […] Knowledge is always in terms of concepts and can be passed on by means of words or other symbols. Understanding is not conceptual, and therefore cannot be passed on. It is an immediate experience, and immediate experience can only be talked about (very inadequately), never shared.’1 In the past decades economical and political trends have fed us with the belief that we are in charge of our own destiny. Capitalism provides us with everything we could ever wish for, and neoliberalism ensures that everyone gets the same opportunities. It has led to the deeply rooted notion that we are ourselves at fault if we do not conform or live up to to society’s standards. With this victim blaming and pointing fingers, we have created a society of distrust that is not only visible in social cleansing, but in all aspects of our current time. It has become a self-fulfilling prophecy: the more media keep feeding us the negative notions of terrorism, corruption, racism, et cetera, the more divided and polarised our society becomes. The built environment is also a setting example. Empty plazas, designed with the idea that the undesirables will be unlikely willing to find shelter there, are ironically most likely to attract these people, while places that are attractive for everyone (street furniture, greenery) are far less problematic.2 Yet spikes are placed in corners, benches are designed as bumpy or too short to sleep on, bridges are illuminated: everything to keep the undesirables from staying at a certain place. Just like Dutch writer and former politician Jan Terlouw recently plead to have faith again, in each other and in politics,3 I plead for a new morality. We do not need social cleansing, we do not need to eradicate the bad from the good. We need a moral cleansing— to gain a morality of trust rather than distrust; one of commons rather than differences. Because below the surface—underneath the political differences, the generalisations,

(mis)judgements, prejudices, and the gut feelings—there is a huge plateau of common ground. No one will question why you want what is best for yourself and the people you love, or why you prefer a safe and durable planet for your children and grandchildren. Perhaps it is not possible to gain unconditional understanding of each other, but we can certainly try to expand our knowledge base. If we all (more or less) have the same goals, what is stopping us from reaching them? If we all want to create a better world, the only thing that is left is figuring out the means to do so. The opinion on the means might differ, but this is where conversation, discussion and debate come in. By conversing, discussing and debating the why (why people think a certain way: where do they come from, what has happened in their lives?) we can create a society where everyone’s opinion matters, and eventually end up at the how (how to transform this knowledge into a common ground that is fruitful to change?). We have the power to change our moral by from looking at our differences to start looking at our common ground. For example: in the past few months over 300 American communities accomplished the rerouting of the controversial Dakota Access Pipeline.4 In a joined protest for water protection and against fossil fuels, they looked past their differences and fought for a bigger goal. The battle is not over yet, but the achievement brings hope in a society where people feel powerless against capitalist corporations and governments. If we want to look at a smaller scale: as architects and urban planners we can contribute to an inclusive environment. Research has long shown that inclusive environments are more likely to be perceived as safe than exclusive spaces, so as architects and urban planners we have the opportunity to create an inclusive environment, rather than one that pays no attention to the undesirables. Instead of designing benches that are too short or too bumpy for the homeless to sleep on, or fences to keep out criminals, we could design a space that welcomes everyone; design not to solve a problem, but rather to create something to add to the current situation. Next week, try to be aware of your limited understanding, your prejudice. Try to tackle your own behaviorial and thought patterns by expanding your conceptual knowledge. You do not have to become a protestor or activist (although I would be the last person to discourage you); one small action can create the energy to start a ball rolling. Give that homeless (wo)man at the supermarket some spare change, or support their enterprise by buying their newspaper for two euros. Say hello to the person next to you on the train. Ask them a question, gain some insight. Let go of the fear of other people, or what they might think of you. Because once the ball starts rolling, there is no stopping it. 1

Huxley, A. (2002). Knowledge and Understanding. Retrieved from: vedanta.org/2002/

monthly-readings/knowledge-and-understanding-part-1/ 2

Whyte, W.H. (1980). The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces. NY: Project for Public Spaces.

In Dutch TV-show ‘De Wereld Draait Door’, episode 30-11-2016.

Wong, J.C. (2016). Dakota Access Pipeline Permit Denied Standing Rock. From: theguardi-

an.com/us-news/2016/dec/04/dakota-access-pipeline-permit-denied-standing-rock

Connect the dots

REAL ESTATE POWER CHANGES THE ENVIRONMENT Illustration IllustrationHet HetGrijze GrijzeEi Ei

In gesprek met

DOORGROETJES Tekst Arjan Boonstra

Beeld Dorothy Berghahn

Het maken van een maquette is een manier om onderzoek te doen, een manier om te ontwerpen en een manier om je plan vervolgens te verbeelden: een vanzelfsprekendheid op Bouwkunde. Menig student van deze ‘knip-en-plakopleiding’ besteedt dagen in de maquettehal en als je hulp nodig hebt, is daar het team van het machinepark om je uit de brand te helpen. Bnieuws sprak met Dorothy ‘Doortje’ Berghahn, onderdeel van dit team, om eens kennis te maken.

Hoe zit het team van het machinepark in elkaar? We werken hier met zijn vieren: Rina, Frank, Max en ik. We zijn allemaal één dag in de week vrij. Mocht het heel druk zijn of er is iemand ziek, springen we in. Iedereen moet hetzelfde kunnen dus. Natuurlijk is de één wat beter in draaien, de ander wat sterker in vacuüm trekken, enzovoorts, maar iedereen kan in principe hetzelfde. Wat is jouw specialiteit? Vroeger zat ik ook nog in het CAM-lab, daar heb ik met 3D printers gewerkt. Tegenwoordig ben ik altijd in het machinepark te vinden. Misschien is mijn specialiteit wel vacuüm trekken, maar misschien ook wel het adviseren van studenten. Dit laatste is ook meteen het leukste onderdeel voor mij. Het is een uitdaging: hoe kun je iets maken? Studenten denken erover na en als ze er niet uit komen, komen ze naar ons voor een oplossing. Als ik het dan niet weet, vraag ik een collega. Zo komen we er altijd wel uit. Eén van de leukste onderdelen vind ik het bedenken van een idee of een oplossing en dat het dan vervolgens werkt. Dat je hiermee studenten kunt helpen en blij kunt maken is erg mooi. Natuurlijk moeten ze het meeste zelf doen, maar mochten ze hulp nodig hebben, kan ik met machines en trucjes vaak nog inspringen. Hoe lang werkt je hier al? Sinds 2001 werk ik hier officieel in vaste dienst. Daarvoor heb ik negen jaar in een ziekenhuis gewerkt en weer daarvoor heb ik voor Maarten van Wageningen gewerkt, daar heb ik stage gelopen en ik heb hier daarna dus nog een paar jaar gewerkt. Dat lijkt mij best een grote verandering, van een ziekenhuis naar Bouwkunde.. Bij het ziekenhuis was ik timmervrouw, dus dat valt mee. Het ligt in hetzelfde straatje. Wat houden je werkzaamheden hier in? Voornamelijk studenten adviseren hoe ze dingen kunnen maken. Hoe ze die het

26 v.l.n.r.: Rina Moesbergen, Dorothy Berghahn en Frank Krowinkel.

makkelijkst kunnen maken. Daarnaast speel ik politieagent. Dit vind ik minder leuk, maar ik moet wel goed opletten hoe ze met machines omgaan. Gaat dit wel eens mis? Nou, ik moet zeggen dat de meeste pleisters en verbandjes die studenten komen halen (drie keer afkloppen) voor stanleymesongelukjes zijn. We letten heel goed op of ze een staart in hebben en een bril op hebben. Als je er een beetje op tijd bij kunt zijn, gaat het meestal wel goed. Ben je zelf nog veel met de machines bezig? Voor studenten wel ja, voor mezelf niet. Ik zit nu zo lang in het vak dat ik alles wat ik wilde maken al wel gemaakt heb. Dit zijn vooral meubeltjes voor privĂŠgebruik. Vroeger deed ik dit wel, toen ik nog in de bouw werkte.

Hoe is de sfeer onder studenten? De sfeer is altijd goed en gezellig. Studenten komen van andere faculteiten naar onze maquettehal omdat ze het zo gezellig vinden. Ze vinden het hier leuk en ze vinden dat we veel machines hebben. Soms moeten we zelfs mensen wegsturen omdat het te druk is. Dit is niet ons doel natuurlijk, maar Bouwkoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s gaan voor. Kom je ook veel gestreste studenten tegen? Ja, maar als je wat ouder wordt, word je ook wat rustiger. Soms als ze naar je toe komen moest het gister al klaar zijn en daarmee leggen ze een soort druk op je om het zo snel mogelijk af te maken. Nu denk ik dan: ja, dan had je daar eerder over na moeten denken, hier had je iets in je planning anders moeten doen. Ik ga me niet voor jou stressen omdat jij stress hebt.

Kijk je vaak naar het werk van studenten? Als het druk is heb ik daar niet de tijd voor. Wat wel grappig is, is dat ik mensen dingen zie zagen en dat ik later dat onderdeel weer terug zie in de maquette. Als ik vervolgens tijd heb en ik doe een rondje denk ik: ‘hey!’ Voor P5 doe ik overigens zeker altijd een rondje, dat vind ik altijd erg leuk om te doen. Wat is jouw favoriete type werkstuk? Hoe ziet dat eruit? Dat kan ik eigenlijk niet zeggen. Elk jaar zijn er wel een paar waarvan ik denk: wauw. Bij de ene student denk ik: daar is magnifiek over nagedacht, maar een simpele maquette kan ook heel mooi zijn. Als ik hier langs de maquette van het oude bouwkundegebouw loop dan denk ik wel: ‘awww’, maar dat heeft meer ook met emotionele betekenis te maken. Hiernaast is hij natuurlijk ook erg mooi gemaakt. Wat zou je graag veranderd willen zien in de maquettehal? De ruimte. De maquettehal is qua opslag te klein. Studenten kunnen niet eens hun jas ophangen of hun tas kwijt. Ik zeg dan altijd tegen studenten: ‘klaag maar bij de FSR, want als je niet klaagt, gebeurt er niks’. Wat er nog meer kan veranderen? Een grotere hal misschien? Extra machines? Op drukke dagen staat er echt een lange rij om binnen te komen. Het zou mooi zijn als we meer mensen tegelijk zouden kunnen helpen. Wat zijn je passies naast Bouwkunde? Muziek maken vooral. Ik speel basukelele en een gewone ukelele. Zingen vind ik ook leuk, maar dat doe ik alleen als ik een biertje op heb [lacht]. Nee, ik zing af en toe en ik sport nog elke dag. Ik schaats één keer in de week en ik doe aan telemarkskiing, oftewel free-heel skiing. Ik ga dan ook vaak op wintersport. Daarnaast ben ik begonnen met golfsurfen. Ik heb veel topsport gedaan, dat was in het basketbal. Ook heb ik nog vechtsporten gedaan. Allemaal op hoog niveau. Nu wordt het lijf wat ouder en ja... Vroeger deed ik ook nog weleens klusjes qua

timmerwerk. Nu doe ik het alleen nog als ik leuk vind. Het is klaar nu. Ik neem aan dat bij jou thuis alles al perfect getimmerd en gezaagd is? Nee, dat is toch niet zo. Dat komt omdat ik op mijn werk natuurlijk altijd al veel getimmerd heb. Ik heb nog in de bouw gewerkt en daarnaast heb ik dus in het weekend nog veel getimmerd. Dan is het klaar. Ik heb wel een lekker huis hoor, maar het is niet zo dat ik door het huis loop en kan wijzen: ‘dit heb ik gemaakt, dit heb ik gemaakt, enzovoorts’. Een paar dingetjes heb ik natuurlijk wel gemaakt en daar ben ik ook heel trots op, maar nu vind ik vrije tijd ook heel lekker. Heb je tot slot nog een gouden tip voor studenten voor het maken van een goede maquette? Bereid je goed voor en als je het niet weet: vraag het eerst voordat je het gaat maken. Vraag het aan ons. Vaak zijn er studenten die wat maken waarna ik vraag: ‘waarom heb je het niet zo gedaan? Dan was je nu al klaar geweest’. ‘Ohja’. Plan goed en vraag het. Vragen vragen vragen. Daar zijn we voor. Zin om met meer mensen van de faculteit kennis te maken? Zie Bnieuws02 2016-2017 voor het interview met Manpon van de Copiesjop of Bnieuws07 2015-2016 voor het interview met Wendy van de Espressobar.

Artifact

VULPOTLOOD Artifact Luc Willekens

Hiernaast een van mijn dierbaarste bezittingen: het vulpotlood. Het origineel kocht ik als beginnend bouwkundestudent bijna 30 jaar geleden, geheel volgens het voorschrift van mijn toenmalig docent handtekenen, Jan Verbeek. Een potlood met 3B stiften en een heel klein puntenslijpertje verborgen in de knop om de stift uit het potlood te laten komen. Scherp moest de punt zijn om zo dun en fijn mogelijk te kunnen tekenen. Hoe dunner de opzet, hoe vaker je de lijnen over kon trekken om te komen tot een goede tekening, waarin verhoudingen, perspectief, licht en schaduw goed waren getroffen. Eerst de lijnen, het vierkant, dan de kubus, dan het perspectief en dan voor het echie naar buiten om na te tekenen. Jan was een geweldig docent, zoals hij kon niemand tekenen, hij leerde ons ruw opzetten, niet gummen, langzaam lijnen aanzetten en heel belangrijk: wat is het voornaamste dat je wilt dokumenteren en laten zien. Dat alles in een heel prettig relativerende sfeer, waarin de goed getroffen lijn werd geprezen, de wat mindere met een lichte aanzet opnieuw werd opgezet. Daarnaast stelde hij steeds de vraag, welke lijn moet er in, welke is niet belangrijk: de kunst van het weglaten en vooral nog een stapje verder, het abstraheren. Zo bracht hij ons spelenderwijs de vaardigheid van het tekenen bij: we kregen het in de vingers, en met de vaardigheid stimuleerde hij het embodied learning: door te doen zouden we vorm, materiaal en compositie in ons eigen ontwerpen intuitief kunnen inzetten om te komen tot iets moois.

Voor de volgende Artifact zou ik graag Egbert Stolk nomineren. < Vulpotlood. Afmetingen: 705 x 200 x 32 mm (lxbxh).

Eet smakelijk

ETEN OP DE CAMPUS Tekst Nadine van den Berg

Waar zit jij meestal tijdens de lunch? In het Ketelhuis met een warme maaltijd, bij de Espressobar met een kop koffie, of in een van de pantries met je eigen lunch? Of zorgen de naderende deadlines ervoor dat je je boterham met kaas achter de computer opeet? Wat je favoriete eetplek ook is, ontdek wat de universiteit nog meer te bieden heeft. Bnieuws heeft verschillende mogelijkheden om te eten op de faculteit en campus uitgezocht.

Je kent het gevoel waarschijnlijk wel: deadlines komen dichterbij, veel werk moet nog gedaan worden en je bent lange uren aan het maken. Ergens daartussen, in je krappe agenda, moet je tijd zien te vinden om te eten (en als dat niet lukt, dan wordt het boterhammen eten van achter de computer). Het studentenleven kan erg druk zijn, maar het is altijd van belang om toch een kleine pauze in te plannen en wat voedingsstoffen in je systeem te krijgen om je productiviteit op peil te houden.1 30

De faculteit Welke mogelijkheden om te eten biedt de faculteit aan? Ten eerste staan er bij de koffieapparaten op de begane grond magnetrons. Hier kun je gebruik van maken door bijvoorbeeld de pasta die je nog over hebt van gisteren op te warmen. Zo hoef je geen eten weg te gooien én heb je een goedkope warme maaltijd op de faculteit zelf, die je de avond van tevoren hebt gemaakt. Dan is er het Ketelhuis, maar het eten daar is best wel prijzig en de keuze in vegetarische maaltijden is beperkt. Bij Sterk kan je terecht voor een broodje, maar niet voor een complete maaltijd. Zou de faculteit meer aandacht moeten besteden aan haar voedselaanbod? De eerste stap is al gemaakt door het assortiment van de snackautomaat aan te passen. Veel automaten bevatten nu gezonde snacks waar ook het aantal calorieën op vermeld staan. En op de automaat zelf staat beschreven wat je moet doen om de energie van die snack te verbruiken. Maar dit is helaas ook een prijzige keuze. Een nieuwe start Per september 2017 stopt het contract met Sodexo als cateraar van onze universiteit. Dit is het moment om een verschil te maken. Tot nu toe heeft de werkgroep ‘Horeca in BK City’ drie aandachtspunten geformuleerd voor een nieuwe cateraar. Namelijk een goede verhouding in kwaliteit en kwantiteit, verse producten en een groter vegetarisch

aanbod. De faculteit heeft nu de kans om ook nog andere veranderingen door te voeren. Voor ieder wat wils Maar kijk ook eens verder dan de faculteit. Gezond en gevarieerd eten en drinken van goede kwaliteit en rekening houdend met verschillende budgetten. Dat is wat de TU Delft wil realiseren, samen met meer ontmoetingsplekken verspreid over de campus. In plaats van grote kantines variëren de nieuwe horecavoorzieningen qua grootte. Ook wordt het aanbod veelzijdiger, internationaler en gezonder. Er staan verschillende toekomstige horecavoorzieningen op de agenda van de TU Delft. Er zijn plannen voor onder andere een Grand Café met brasserie (Faculty Club) in de Aula, een supermarkt en meerdere espressobars verspreid over de campus. Op het plein voor het nieuwe onderwijsgebouw Pulse komt Coffee & Bikes, waar je terecht kan voor een kopje koffie én een fietsreparatie. Foodtrucks Op de campus kan je tijdens de werkweek tussen 11.00 en 15.00 uur ook eten halen bij verschillende Food Trucks. Hier worden afwisselende internationale lunchen aangeboden, van snack tot complete maaltijd. Deze Food Trucks staan naast de aula en voor de faculteit Technische Natuurkunde. En nu? Dit zijn een aantal mogelijkheden waar je misschien nog niet eerder aan gedacht hebt. Ontdek nieuwe eetplekken door in je pauze een frisse neus te halen en een kijkje te nemen in een van de andere eetgelegenheden op de campus. En als je ideeën of vragen hebt over de vernieuwing van de cateraar voor de universiteit, neem dan contact op met werkgroep-horeca@tudelft.nl. Bovendien heeft Bnieuws voor jullie een selectie recepten gemaakt op de volgende twee pagina’s om kookinspiratie op te doen. Van een veganistische maaltijd tot nacho’s uit de oven. Sommige sites geven ook het budget van de maaltijd aan, waardoor je van te voren al kan inschatten hoeveel het gaat kosten. Dat is ook altijd handig om te weten. 1

Friedman, R. (2014, 17 oktober). What You Eat Affects Your Productivity. Harvard Business

Review. Geraadpleegd op 01 december 2016, van https://hbr.org/2014/10/what-you-eataffects-your-productivity

vis

Snelle pasta pesto Deze pasta is een gebalanceerde combinatie van eenvoudig en goedkoop. Tegelijkertijd is het ook nog eens goed vullend. Voor minder dan drie euro kan je van deze pasta genieten met twee personen.

Italiaanse bonenschotel (vegan) Voor een veganistische maaltijd kan je bij De Groene Meisjes terecht. Veganistisch eten hoeft niet duur te zijn, en dit is daar een voorbeeld van. Hun website staat vol met nieuwe, inspirerende gerechten.

Recept van receptenvoorstudenten.wordpress.

Recept van degroenemeisjes.nl/groen-zonder-

com/2013/01/06/snelle-pesto-pastasaus

poen-italiaanse-bonenschotel

Risotto met kruidenroomkaas Risotto is een Noord-Italiaans rijstgerecht dat een stuk smeuïger is dan ‘normale’ rijst. Hoewel je er wel even voor in de keuken moet staan, is het een perfect weekendgerecht.

Ovenschotel met vis en doperwten Vis met doperwtenpuree is een geschikte combinatie en ideaal als je voor een grote groep gaat koken. Ook kan je eraan denken om ernaast nog gestoomde groenten of aardappelen te maken.

Recept van debontekeuken.com/risotto-met-

Recept van jamiemagazine.nl/recepten/

kruidenroomkaas

ovenschotel-met-vis-en-doperwten

Griekse pastasalade Deze vegetarische salade is snel en gemakkelijk te bereiden. Op de website worden alle recepten gerangschikt op prijs. Perfect voor als je niet teveel geld wilt uitgeven. Deze salade kost 3 à 4 euro p.p.

Nacho’s uit de oven Dit makkelijke recept is ideaal om te serveren met andere kleine hapjes of voor op een brakke zondag. Lekker met kaas en een dip van bijvoorbeeld crème fraîche of guacamole.

Recept van budgetkoken.be/

Recept van studentenwegwijzer.nl/recepten/

pastagerechten/griekse-pastasalade.php

studentenrecept-nachos-oven

Afbeelding via Brynn@wikipedia

Peer en kaneelmuffins Voor een dessert na het eten, kan je aan de slag gaan met muffins. In plaats van basic muffins kan je ook variëren met verschillende andere ingredienten, zoals appel, chocola, rozijnen en noten.

Gingerbread huisje Zet je maquette skills in actie bij het maken van een gingerbread huisje. Je hoeft je niet aan de standaardvariant te houden, wees creatief. Als je klaar ben, kan je deze maquette ook nog eens opeten.

Recept van cupcakesenmuffins.nl/muffin-

Recept van laurasbakery.nl/advent-10-winters-

recepten/peer-en-kaneelmuffins

gingerbread-huisje

Speak

HOME ATTITUDE Words Pim Pelt

In Bnieuws 10 2015-2016 I wrote the article “Summer Attitude” about my forthcoming summer holiday where I was about to go backpacking. I described that from the previous backpack holiday during the summer of ’15 I learned that getting back to my normal rhythm was quite an effort. The crux is that backpacking makes me go back to the essence while at the same time I need the comfort of home to which I am used to and especially switching between these two modes of operating is not without effort. The question remains how to combine the sustainable principles experienced on holiday with my life in Delft. During the latest summer holiday I’ve got closer to the answers.

Sustainable Ideas Let me first start with the beginning of my study. During the orientation talks in the first week I was told that BK would become my new life and especially architecture did become my new life. As part of this I wanted to apply the new ideas, especially the sustainable ones, into my daily life, but I needed to climb a big mountain before I could actually do this. Why this was so difficult stayed on subconscious level until I went backpacking. Place Hopping I booked my first flight while I merely had a vague outline of travel destinations. The first destination was a Greek all-inclusive hotel, where I stayed with a recently graduated good friend of mine. After having enjoyed the beach and sea I crossed the waters towards Turkey. The feeling of lack of culture was compensated by visiting heritage sites in Anatolia, after which I travelled to Istanbul. The buzzing city with museums, party places, gastronomy and 21 million inhabitants made me dizzy after a week and I left the city to seek rest. I planned a pre-visited to Bucharest, the city of my graduation studio, and a day after arrival the coup in Turkey took place. My

plan on returning to Istanbul got changed when at the same time I met a guy who was about to go hiking in the mountains. Sustainable Experience This place-hopping based on a combination of instinct, needs, and wishes, is exactly what I enjoy so much about backpacking. Having the freedom and flexibility with a certain goal in mind (namely having a holiday in a conscious way) within a certain timeframe, diving into an array of different environments and meeting people is what makes me aware of the principles of sustainable living. Traveling local, sleeping local and eating local makes me practice the principles in real life. Because I carry all my stuff on my back I am extra aware of what ‘living’ encompasses. More than what’s necessary is not really required. Bare Necessities When I continued my trip in the Carpathian Mountains I became well aware of what wealth encompasses. Going off-grid in the mountains means having no constant water supply, no energy supply, food on portion control, and above all no cell-phone

reception. Carrying this all on my back made me think of what energy does to your body. Do I need my daily espresso physically? The answer is no. I felt extreme healthy eating and drinking ‘pure’. But it was great when I drank my first Nespresso coffee after three days. A sip of civilisation. Home Experience When I returned to Delft this time a couple of weeks earlier to adapt again, I tried to hold on to the place-hopping and essential consuming. Architecture school for me is not a place of routine but of diversity. And above all I think creativity is not a linear process. Completely different courses combined with project work ask for flexibility. However, the grid of routine does not provide enough possibility of practising flexibility in an optimized way. Architecture school is not a 09:00 17:00 process where I move between study and my home. In this sometimes hectic life I use the Dutch beach to get inspiration for creativity. I use the train to process the creative thoughts and to write. I use the bike in between home and the Faculty for some physical relaxation. In the University Library I am at best when making details, whereas in the Architecture Library I learn best for my exams. But dealing with and getting to know these sustainable principles is something I do not learn from flexible working in the train or relaxing during biking. The possibilities within one building with a safe environment where people are able to learn, can be

a beginning of extending this way of living in one’s daily life. I think of something like a Faculty farm where you could grow your own food and deal with your waste, connected to an architectural theme would be perfect, or a mood room where light, colours, sounds and smell would be personally adjustable. Both could host the same principles of switching to a new place of preference on holiday and could gain deeper understanding and better knowledge on the effects on one’s life. Coddiwomple In Delft I am currently still aware of eating healthy. I take the stairs instead of the escalator and drink my espresso with moderation. Having checks-andbalances like a money check on my bank account to see that I do not spend too much, or clean my room and throwing away all the unnecessities, keeps me pure about what I am doing on a sustainable level. Trusting your wishes and making effort to experience them within the possibilities given in a measured way is for me the key of dealing with a sustainable way of living. During my trip I came across a word explaining this in a simple way. Coddiwomple: (v.) to travel in a purposeful manner towards a vague destination. Pim Pelt is currently doing his MSc3 Public Building. For reactions or comments, contact the editorial board: bnieuws-bk@tudelft.nl

NEXT EDITION 05 GOLD! That is the official status of Bnieuws in January 2017. From a weekly magazine with exam schedules to an independent monthly periodical. We’ll celebrate together next year!

FYI

SOURCES The Origin of Complexity pages 10 - 13

Meaningful or Minor? pages 15 - 17

Portugali, J., Complexity, cognition and the city. 2011: Springer Science & Business Media. 2 Portugali, J. and E. Stolk, Complexity, Cognition, Urban Planning and Design : Post-Proceedings of the 2nd Delft International Conference. 2016: Springer International Publishing. 3 Schwab, K. and W.E. Forum, The Fourth Industrial Revolution. 2016: World Economic Forum. 4 Healey, P., Urban complexity and spatial strategies : towards a relational planning for our times. 1st ed. ed. The RTPI library series; RTPI library series. 2007, London ;: Routledge. 5 Damasio, A.R., The feeling of what happens: Body and emotion in the making of consciousness. 1999: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 6 Tuan, Y.-F., Topophilia: A study of environmental perceptions, attitudes, and values. 2013: Columbia University Press. 7 Dong, A., E. Collier-Baker, and T. Suddendorf, Building

Froeyman, A. (2015, september). Traditie, Vriend of vijand? Retrieved from http://www.dewitteraaf.be/artikel/ detail/nl/4160 Gadamer, H. G. (2010). Gesammelte Werke: Hermeneutik: Wahrheit und Methode.-1. GrundzĂźge einer philosophischen Hermeneutik. Bd. 1 (Vol. 1). Mohr Siebeck. Weber, M. (2002). Wirtschaft und gesellschaft: Grundriss der verstehenden Soziologie. Mohr Siebeck.

blocks of human design thinking in animals. International Journal of Design Creativity and Innovation, 2015: p. 1-15. 8 Stolk, E. Een complex-cognitieve benadering van stedebouwkundig ontwerpen. A+BE: Architecture and the Built Environment, 2015. 5, 1-458. 9 Portugali, J., Implicate relations: Society and space in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Vol. 23. 2013: Springer Science & Business Media.

Happy holidays! VOLUME 50 EDITION 04