Bnieuws 51/04 - Work, work, work (2017/18) by Bnieuws

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

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Bnieuws Volume 51 Issue 04 2 February 2018

EXPLORE

Contact Room BG.Midden.140 Julianalaan 134 2628 BL Delft bnieuws-bk@tudelft.nl

Time for Africa

Maarten van het Ketelhuis

Editorial Team Nadine van den Berg Matthew Cook Lydia Giokari Ada Jaśkowiec Kseniya Otmakhova

Visité

SPEAK

Contributor Małgorzata Wyszyńska Cover The Bank of England: A Dialectical Project by Loed Stolte Editorial Advice Board Robert Nottrot Pierijn van der Putt Marcello Soeleman Ivan Thung Linda van Keeken Next Deadline 20th of February Bnieuws Volume 51 Issue 05 Printed by Druk. Tan Heck 1.350 copies © All rights reserved. Although all content is treated with great care, errors may occur.

Right and Wrong

Poem From Valparaíso

In Memoriam

Deadline Fever

11 Anti-Stress Tips

Confessions of an Archiholic

Behind the Scenes

Peter Russell’s 10 Rules for Life

LEARN 08

Public Space in Africa

Urbanism Students for Africa

Editorial

WORK, WORK, WORK

Welcome back and happy new year to everyone! Hopefully the Christmas holidays were pleasant and restful, giving that final boost of turkey fueled energy to finish off the semester. We ended last year with the sad news of the death of our colleague Amber van de Bilt, who had just started her path with us at Bouwkunde. We also have started the year with another sad news, that of the death of Loed Stolte, recent graduate and one of our faculty’s nominees for the Archiprix. Loed’s project, a reimagining of the Bank of England can be seen on our cover. We offer our condolences to the friends and family of Amber and Loed. January can be a difficult time in the Faculty, deadlines are fast approaching and the workload is high. We can all struggle with this and it’s important that we stay healthy and do not let architecture overwhelm us. It’s only a course! We have several articles discussing the pressures and strains of university life. Lydia reflects on the bustle and busyness of BK and shares some thoughts on how we can all make our way through January. Kseniya discusses architecture student’s exaggerated ambitions, which make them miss out on happiness and enjoyment of life. Also, the editors have held a discussion of the pressure, and the ways we deal with it, contemplating whether this is healthy or not. Roberto Cavallo and Roberto Rocco have both shared some anti-stress tips to get us through these tough weeks. Nadine went to the Ketelhuis to talk to the man who makes sure that busy students don’t go hungry during these stressful times (and not so stressful times). As the wind and rain blows in off the North Sea and sunsets still come long before the end of our working days we take a virtual trip to Africa to explore a few of the many different TU Delft projects running on this huge continent. Honours and Urbanism students unravel their endeavours as part of The Africa Initiative, established as a result of AAA Agenda, which is meant to facilitate possible engagements with African topics. Matthew has already passed his P5, which means that this issue is his last as an editor of Bnieuws. Having only joined at the beginning of the year it has been short, but sweet experience. At the same time, we would like to welcome our new cartoonist - Małgorzata. We wish everyone good luck with their deadlines. We can do it! Don’t forget to breathe and take a good rest.

#Bnieuwd

Exhibition / AUTOMATED LANDSCAPES AT BI-CITY BIENNALE OF URBANISM AND ARCHITECTURE Het Nieuwe Instituut presents Automated Landscapes at the 7th Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism\Architecture in Shenzhen, which focuses on emerging architectures and urbanisms of automated labour in the Pearl River Delta region. The installation which is part of the exhibition, presents a short film on automation in the Pearl River Delta by the Rotterdam-based artist Lichun Tseng, showcasing two factories in Shenzhen where this technological order is being implemented.

Festival / TEC ART TEC ART neemt je vier lange dagen en nachten mee 200 jaar de toekomst in. Met expo’s, symposia, talks, tec-music, experimenten en parties op het snijvlak van kunst & technologie. Rotterdam / 07.02.18 ‑ 11.02.18

Het Nieuwe Intsituut / 15.12.2017 - 15.03.18

Kunstbeurs / ART ROTTERDAM WEEK Art Rotterdam dompelt je wederom vier dagen lang onder in de nieuwste ontwikkelingen binnen de beeldende kunst.

Lecture/ RECYCLING POST-INDUSTRIAL LANDSCAPES Since the 1950s the Western World has involuntarily inherited a large amount of industrial left-overs, which are located everywhere and constitute an entangled part of today’s urbanised landscapes, yet being something in their own. Visiting Professor Ellen Braae will give a lecture on the urgency for landscape architecture to develop new modes of design, involving time-concepts in strategic ways.

Rotterdam / 07.02.18 – 09.02.18

Berlage Room / 13.02.18 / 17.30

#Bnieuwd

Exhibition / BUILDING AMIDST SOLITUDE Accompanied by film footage and photographs from the 1920s, actors Stijn Westenend and Gonny Gaakeer read out passages from the correspondence of architect Han van Loghem and his wife Berthe Neumeijer about their time in the Siberian city of Kemerovo in 1926/1927.

Symposium / SUPERNOVA : A SPACE ARCHITECTURE SYMPOSIUM The symposium aims to raise awareness and equip young professionals with new insights and a head start against the challenges of the future. Speakers from pioneering design teams and research groups around the world will talk about their work on the emerging field of space architecture. Oostserre / 22.02.18 / 12.45 - 18.00 / free entrance

Het Nieuwe Intsituut / 08.02.18/ 20.00

Uitdaging / DESIGN CHALLENGE Ben jij een echte nachtbraker? Kan jij 24 uur zonder slaap en tóch een fantastisch ontwerp neerzetten? En lijkt het je gaaf om op locatie te ontwerp? Doe dan mee met de 24H Design Challenge!

Lecture / URBAN POVERTY AND SEGREGATION Visiting Professor Tiit Tammaru will give his first public lecture on the theme of the Relationship between Social Inequalities and Socio-Economic Segregation.

24.03.18 – 25.03.18 / inschrijven vóór 19.02.18

Room F / 22.02.18 / 09.45

The Faculty Agenda

TIME FOR AFRICA Words Ada Jaśkowiec

Image Meryam Ajari

Africa’s urbanisation rates are skyrocketing. The World Bank estimates Africa’s urban population to be 472 billion people today, with prospective 1 trillion people by 2040. The rate of growth outpaces the current possibilities of interventions, thus it is essential to develop modern, more efficient means to deal with upcoming problems.

In his inauguration speech, the BK Dean, Peter Russell, proposed AAA strategy for the following years, with three most important topics being agility, automatisation & Africa. Inspired by the creation of a new group - The Africa Initiative - BNieuws takes a look at the extent of various types of involvement accessible at our Faculty related to Africa. We hope that the following overview will inspire you to take up African topics and get involved in Africa-related initiatives at our Faculty. 06

The Africa Initiative (AI) is being led equally by Rachel Keeton (US), Anteneh Tola (Ethiopia), Abdoulaye Diakite (Senegal) and Roberto Rocco (Brazil), with the participation of Henk Visscher (OTB) and the help of students of our Faculty. Internally, the main objective of the AI is to facilitate, highlight and communicate research done by other staff at BK. Externally, it is also aimed to bridge between African universities and TU Delft, in order to provide not only the flow of ideas, but also the exchange of students and staff. Mutual support, combining African professors’ invaluable knowledge of local conditions with the experience and possibilities of TU Delft professors, may lead to outcomes which would not be feasible were they to work separately. AI’s first action was a conference in Addis Ababa at the end of January 2018, gathering top names of urban planners and designers from Africa. It was organised in collaboration with Ethiopian Institute of Architecture, Building Construction and City Development as well as the Centre for African Cities. Its main objectives were to define the challenges in contemporary African urbanisation, to describe the possible collaboration between BK and African institutions as well as to monitor and comment on the current education and research being carried out in both places. In September 2018, TU Delft will host a big conference called “African Perspectives 2.0”, which is in itself a celebration of the conference with the same name which happened at BK ten years ago. Prospectively, our Faculty wishes to reach out to African higher education institutes, governments, businesses and citizens, and together become partners in promoting sustainable, inclusive and fair urbanisation.

If you feel passionate about African topics, this article may give you ideas about how to participate in different initiatives, choosing the type of your involvement depending on your personal preferences. Those with organisational skills could join the Africa Initiative and help with organisation, collaboration and coordination of various ongoing endeavours. We will also introduce you to the ongoing Honours Programme Research led by Maurice Harteveld carried out by four Urbanism master students, introducing another involvement opportunities to those who would like to focus on research. Should you want to travel to Africa, you may go on an exchange to the collaborating universities in Addis Ababa and Maputo. The following semester also proliferates in studios introducing African problematique. Last but not least, you could choose to research and design in Africa for you final project. Then, you may find interesting the testimony of the Urbanism students, as they will lead you through the process of applying for aÂ grant for your research. And if you are just looking

for an interesting spare time activity, TU Sports Centre offers you another possibilities as well. Explore numerous opportunities! For more info visit www.tudelft.nl/africanperspectives2018. If you are developing an Africa-related project and you would like to share your discoveries, please contact us via bnieuws-bk@tudelft.nl!

Honours Programme Master

PUBLIC SPACE IN AFRICA Words Maurice Harteveld, with Aikaterina Myserli, Cateau Albers, Concepción Aranda Iglesias and Evangelia Georgali Images Aikaterina Myserli and Evangelia Georgali

According to the UN (2010) African rate of urbanisation soared from 15 % in 1960 to 40% in 2010, and is projected to reach 60% in 2050. Urban populations in Africa are expected to triple within the next fifty years. It heavily impacts public life, public space and its design. Under our “A for Africa” umbrella, we discovered that we are analysing publicnot space alone. We collaboratively study the changes, yet each from a different point of departure and with an eye on other aspect of the same problem. the markets at the back of the buildings

appropriated We study publicin-between space. At this stage, we do so within the construct of the Honours the public living room Programme Master Architecture and the Built Environment (HPM). On-distance and phenomenologically, we can witness how African cities have become breeding places for the new visions for lusaka globalised public space a new kind of middle class. Newcomers find home in one of the African cities and start touristic public spacewhich small businesses, allow them to become urban citizens and afford their place in urban symbol of freedom european inspired // + [the freedom statue] instagrammed civic life, emerging amidst its booming urban development with shiny office blocks and vibrant trade centres. In fact, every citizen in these cities faces transforming realities and semi-private opensocial mall space and spatial position. acquiresthechanged

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appropriated triangles As citiesthe have always been places of gathering and exchange, all these people move to urban the routes back and forth cores to have access to that lifestyle. Outdoor public life exists between car-drivers stuck in life insideor the mall goods traffic jams commuters waiting for their buses. Other urban spaces,theunable to thecatch-up seating the globalised consumer’s dream with the speed of urbanisation, may still mirror traditional lifestyle and struggle with social conflicts. Quality of life, health and well-being are at stake in a way similar to any other place undergoing urbanisation. A simple and quick solution may be to adopt lessons learned elsewhere, particularly regarding their public space — the core of our interest. Yet, although the carpets appropriated in-between or the textiles, cartons centre market used to tackle similar problems, applying we have our ‘Western’ catalogue of besttownpractices the public living room the conventional exemplars would be too simplistic! It may bring Africa urban spaces to resemble those of New York, Amsterdam or Barcelona. Such spaces might not be capable of coping with local challenges. Different socio-spatial settings and distinctive culture of each the markets at the back of appropriating the walls the buildings city ask for specific and thus novel answers.

town centre market

the markets at the back of the buildings

In its origin, ‘public’ space should be considered as a Greco-Roman construct, rooted in Indo-European cultures and cities, predominantly evolved and spread in Europe and America. Colonial histories throughout Africa give reason to discuss ‘public’ space on the growing continent too, while understanding common, communal and shared human space

the appropriated routes | the life in - between and to the buildings

How much time does the Honours Programme consume? “Usually the HPM research requires 2-3 hours of work per week, but before tutoring or group discussions we have to work much more to compile information, map and review the related literature (9-10 hours). The final deliverable is an individual essay of approximately 6000 words for each member (in our case however, we have a shared introduction and conclusions, given that this is a group research) and a poster with a summary of our conclusions, maps and the illustrations created to underpin our essays. Two out of four members of our group will go to the selected locations in Africa (Maputo and Dar es Salaam), but in the case of Dakar and Lusaka it was not possible because no funding was available. For this reason, the research in based

the new visions for lusaka globalised public space the kiosks

ties

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on existing literature, interviews and maps and, at the same time, we have created a series of original, conclusional maps for our research, based on GIS and Google. Cooperation is a key element for our work because we share methods and theoretical framework; for example, it makes it easier to review multiple theories since every member of the group studies the work of specific theorists and then we discuss it all together to compare and contrast them. Given the limited scope of our papers, we wouldn’t necessarily consider it an introduction to our prospective PhD, but for sure it encourages us to seriously consider it after graduation.” Aikaterina Myserli

the kiosks the kiosks festivities festivities and activities and activities tha smaltha l stool smals l stools

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the goods

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Types Types of Types public of public of spaces public spaces and spaces and theirtheir and keykey their elements elements key elements

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appropriated in-between the umbrellas the public living room

the palettes the stone corner

TypeType 1: Square 1:Type Square 1: [Place Square [Place Soweto] [Place Soweto] Soweto]

TypeType 2: Mosque 2:Type Mosque 2: Mosque

Public space Public appropriation space Public appropriation space :LOW appropriation :LOW :LOW

doing the household the goods the goods activities all togetherStatue Statue Statue

TypeType 3: Market 3:Type Market 3: [Marché Market [Marché Sandaga] [Marché Sandaga] Sandaga] thelaumbrel lasappropriation the umbrel sappropriation Public space Public space Public space :HIGH appropriation :HIGH :HIGH

Public space Public appropriation space Public appropriation space appropriation :MEDIUM :MEDIUM :MEDIUM

the palethe ttespalettes

the seating the seating

the stone thecorner stone corner Derelict buidling DerelictDerelict buidlingbuidling Mainpoint attraction point Main attraction Main attraction point

Public space Public zone space Public zonespace zone Increased traffic traffic Increased traffic Increased [main node] [main node][main node]

Porous boundaries boundaries Porous boundaries Moderate traffic traffic Moderate Moderate trafficPorous Mosque Mosque Mosque Main attraction Mainpoint attraction point Main attraction point

appropriating the walls FencedFenced public space Fenced public space public space

Public space Public zone space zonespac Public

Large scale Largebuildings scaleLarge buildings scale buildings No main Noattraction main attraction No points mainpoints attraction points

Porous boundaries PorousPorous boundaries boundaries Commercial Commercial uses Commercial uses uses

the carpets the carpets Public zone Public space zone or thees,space textil ezone s, cartons orPublic the space textil cartons

the stalls

doing the household activities all together

Photos of Lusaka from: De Nooijer, J.M. (2009). The urban hospital in the playing in the public realm. Retrieved from: https://repository.tudelft.nl/islandora/ob parts ject/uuid%3Aa9007a76-11c8-4a2f-8478-81641c1b86d1?collection=edu cation. Last access 30/06/2017, and google street view

leftover

the ls uses Commercial the stal ls stal Commercial Commercial uses uses

[Parasitic way of appropriation] [Parasitic [Parasitic way of way appropriation] of appropriation]

PhotosPhotos of Lusaka of Lusaka from: from: De Nooijer, De No publicpublic realm.realm. Retrieved Retrieved from: from https ject/uuid%3Aa9007a76-11c8-4a2f ject/uuid%3Aa9007a76-11c8 cation.cation. Last access Last access 30/06/2017, 30/06/201 and

Arcades Shopping Mall

alls

commodified public spaces

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[...]

playing in the leftover parts

commodified public spaces Levy Junction Shopping Mall

the semi-private mall space

Arcades Shopping Mall

commodified public spaces [Source: Google [Source:Earth] Google [Source: Earth] Google Earth]

stalls on the streetlight the appropriated zone

the semi-private mall space

in their localities and natures too. Our project aims to highlight the contrastive difference between (1) the term ‘public space’ as manifested in African urban life and shaped within their cities, represented by local forms and (2) the associated specific, fixed concepts, notions and morphological patterns as manifested in our

the placement of public space in Africa, the social behavioural patterns, the urban fabric and local perception of public space. Four of us share theoretical lenses to gain knowledge on these African public space as cross-cultural notions and as socio-spatial phenomena. We confront findings with the

“WE HOPE THAT OUR RESEARCH WILL RAISE AWARENESS ON THE NECESSITY TO STUDY ‘PUBLIC’ SPACES ON THE AFRICAN CONTINENT, AS WELL AS TO VALUE THE DESIGNER’S ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITY TO SAFEGUARD LIVEABILITY IN THE AFRICAN CITIES, NOT AS AN ALIEN CREATION, BUT AS A DESIGN STEMMING FROM FAMILIAR SCHEMES.” spheres. As a result of this pioneering research, we hope that the established differences will help us to fill part of the knowledge gap, or at least expand our horizons. Working on the research develops our understanding of contemporary changes influencing the profile of the African metropolitan regions, and thus it challenges us to rethink the notion of African public space.

In order to substantiate this, we have been exploring four African cities: Dakar in Senegal, Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, Maputo in Mozambique, and Lusaka in Zambia. Currently, we are analysing and comparing urban life and presumed public spaces in selected segments of those cities. Each case is intentionally different regarding its setting and cultural background, moreover, each city was influenced by various European colonial powers. The wide range of external influences on the African continent fits the bigger picture of specificity. In a critical Late-Modern Benevolian manner (1987), we started in September from the premise that African indigenous aesthetics and conceptions of form and use remain present, while merging with the changes brought on by colonisation, industrialisation, and ongoing modernisation. By the same token we already see that the influences in each of these contexts diversify, prominently enough to unfold differences in the results. It is still difficult to presume there is such a thing as African public space. Still, the common denominator of the four case studies lies upon a shared epistemological research question focusing on what we know about urban life in African cities today, especially

“conventional” public space and public life studies, and we flirt with typo-morphology to unfold space analytically and use environmental psychology to understand public, common, communal and shared life. In this way, methods and approaches are synchronised where possible, but the knowledge question always comes first. At the moment, we are first and foremost extremely excited what the outcome will be.... African public space? We hope that our research will raise awareness on the necessity to study ‘public’ spaces on the African continent, as well as to value the designer’s ethical responsibility to safeguard liveability in the African cities, not as an alien creation, but as a design stemming from familiar schemes. We hope to join forces — fresh thoughts and new people are always welcome. To facilitate this, we are planning a small public peer-review in February. At the end of the academic year, some of the first outcomes will be presented at the annual HPM Expo. In the meantime, we will be developing our research further. In practice, knowledge helps to engage policy makers, planners, designers and engineers to harness urbanisation for social-sustainability and inclusive growth. And above all, the African growth. Previous page: collages and axos by HPM students Top row: Evangelia Georgali, Elements of public spaces in Lusaka. Photos retrieved from De Nooijer, J.M. (2009). The urban hospital in the public realm and google street view, Left column: Evangelia Georgali, Appropriated in-between public spaces in Lusaka, Zambia. Axonometries: Aikaterina Myserli, types of public spaces in Dakar, Senegal.

Casablanca, Morocco

Dakar, Senegal

Addis Abeba, Etiopia Volta Delta, Ghana Accra, Ghana

Nairobi, Kenia

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Lusaka, Zambia 11

Maputo, Mozambique

Check out these websites! tudelft.nl/africanperspectives2018 tudenten.tudelft.nl/en/students/faculty-specific/architecture/education/student-exchange-faculty-of-architecture-and-thebuilt-environment/africa bkafrica.wordpress.com instagram.com/urbanism.students.for.africa nowisthetimeforthefuture.bk.tudelft.nl/#Africa tudelft.nl/2017/bk/dutch-ghanaian-student-team-jointly-worked-on-complex-challenges-of-the-ghana-volta-delta/ tudelft.nl/en/2017/tu-delft/bookingcom-supports-five-delft-global-scholarships-for-women-in-technology/ tudelft.nl/en/sc/whats-on-offer/afro-house tudelft.nl/en/sc/whats-on-offer/capoeira

Master Students

URBANISM STUDENTS FOR AFRICA Words Eva Labrujere

Images Mona Zum Felde, Beke-Marleen Hörmann

African cities are rapidly expanding and set to develop into of the largest cities in the world. Consequently, they present various global urban development challenges, which we, six graduating Urbanism students from 2018 class, believe is time to address.

Our five individual graduation projects cover different social, economic and environmental issues, in various countries and cities: Chris Bartman, looks into affordable housing strategies in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), Gereon Rolvering redefining adaptive public space in Nairobi (Kenya), Concepción (Concha) del Rocio Aranda Iglesias, looks into largescaled transit oriented development in Maputo (Mozambique), Mona Zum Felde and Beke-Marleen Hörmann, working together on flood mitigation in Dar es Salaam (Tanzania), and Eva Labrujere, researching community-led slum development, also in Nairobi (Kenya). The choice of those cities was made based mostly on personal considerations, such as interest, or practicalities as having contacts, or the language. United by the common interest of Africa’s urbanisation processes, we decided to form a small collective which allowed us to find mutual support in the process of developing our researches and overcoming shared difficulties, research or planning wise. As a group it was also possible to apply for funding (Universiteitsfonds, but we also considered others such as Delft Global Initiative, Stylos, Stud fund, EFL, Fonds 1818, and DIMI). For the Universiteitsfonds, a specific requirement was to arrange a contribution from the Faculty as well. Here, the Faculty’s the AAA agenda might have been our advantage. Also, through collaboration with the ‘A is for Africa’ initiative of BK, we aim to contribute both to increasing awareness of African development issues as well as to put forward the activities within our faculty that address these. This will be done by the organisation of events, particularly a symposium in June 2018, when our projects will be finalised. Moreover, we contribute to the creation of the ‘A is for Africa’ online platform that will support future students and projects with a focus on Africa, by sharing experience, network, and knowledge. For anyone interested in following our experiences during the different field visits from January onwards, please check our Instagram: Urbanism.Students.for.Africa. Eva Labrujere E.E.Labrujere@student.tudelft.nl Right: The collage of Beke and Mona’s pictures made during their field trip to Dar es Salaam, which you can follow at their blog at bkafrica.wordpress.com.

Speak

RIGHT AND WRONG Words Matthew Cook

“It is the greatest happiness of the greatest number that is the measure of right and wrong” - Jeremy Benthem Utilitarianism is easy in theory, but hard in practice. It makes sense to choose the option where more people are more happy than your other option, even if a small number of people are disadvantaged by this decision. When it comes to it though, when push comes to shove and you are the one doing the disadvantaging then suddenly it’s not such an easy answer.

Before I came to Delft, I lived and worked in London for two years. My job was not typical for someone between bachelor’s and master’s in Architecture. I was not working as an architectural assistant, but in community engagement, as someone who explains proposed buildings to the communities they will affect, and takes feedback on these buildings in the hope that the developers can improve their plans and avoid antagonising the residents of London. As many of you will already be aware, London faces a housing crisis. Space is extremely limited, local government cannot afford to meet their legal commitments to provide affordable housing and there is a constant pressure from developers to build as tall, dense and expensive as possible. The different boroughs of London are responsible for building and maintaining affordable housing in their districts and they are doing anything they can to build more, with each borough having waiting lists tens of thousands long. Boroughs are trying lots of different, new and very controversial ways to get people homes. In a place as contested as London, if you have big plans you will affect somebody. I worked on several schemes that could be easily labelled controversial. I thought projects like this were flawed, but the best that could be done in the circumstances. Limited action now could help some people, whilst waiting for a change in government would just leave the problem to get worse. One of these projects has stuck in my memory though. It was a small estate, just a few dozen homes, single and double storey, on a large site, all within earshot of the ring of Big Ben. It felt like a small hamlet, just one where you could feel the vibration of the London Underground passing below. The proposal was to demolish the homes, and to build over a hundred on the same site, to be rented at a truly affordable rate by the local council. On paper it seemed easy from a utilitarian point of

view, the current residents would be rehomed, either in the new flats or elsewhere nearby, and hundreds of people without decent accommodation would have somewhere to live. Our job was to speak to the current residents, the ones who were being asked to leave, and the day that stays with me was our first day on site. Days before they had received letters, informing them their homes may be demolished, and they may be rehoused. Our task was to explain what was being considered to the residents, the first conversation of many. Over the day we visited people in their homes, sat down and talked through the proposals. There were many reactions over that day, anger, fear, desperation, and in some ways, worst of all, resignation. People explained to us how they had built their lives in these homes. Some had children who had never had a garden to play in before. Others had lived there for decades, since the homes were built. Some had never lived anywhere else. Several residents had complex healthcare needs and feared what moving house would do to them. We would spend an hour in one house, sometimes we were shouted at, sometimes there were tears. We would leave one home, walk to the next door, take a deep breath and start again. By the end of the day we were exhausted and emotionally drained, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m sure the people we had spoken to felt worse. I lay in bed that night unable to sleep. I was stuck, I knew there were hundreds of people in the city around me who could live on this site. They are real people, without adequate homes, and the new flats could change their lives. Was it right though that the people I had spoken today should pay so much to give these other, unknown, people a place to live. The proposal could cost their homes, their livelihoods, their friendships or their health. Was it right to demand so much from them? The utilitarian would say yes, I did not know what I would say. I left the company several months later, to move to Delft and start my Masters. I had continued to be

involved with the project, and after I left it continued on without me. The plans have now been finalised, the current residents negotiated with to make the changes easier for them to bear. I hope the people I met are happier with the proposals as a result of the consultation process. I hope their worries arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t realised and they have been actually listened to. If you are reading this, there is a good chance you will be designing buildings in a few years time. You may even work on a job like this one. You might not even realise it, stuck behind a monitor arranging potential layouts of a site. Architects want to improve the world around them, and this is a noble goal, but it is crucial we understand what effect our actions have. If you work on a project replacing something that is already there, make sure you think of what you are casually wiping away. Remember, your exciting new project, might just be the worst day of someoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life.

Speak

POEM FROM VALPARAÍSO Words & Images Zoe Zhang / 张知

It is always good to change, your surroundings, your mood. Sometimes a piece of yourself disappears if you remain in the same place for too long. If it is for long enough, you may think that this part of you is lost completely. In fact, it is hidden somewhere waiting. During the two-weeks excursion in Valparaiso, I always had the illusion that I was someone else. I thought and acted differently, but that stranger had been there for a long time.It was only through changing location that I could recognise this hidden part of my personality.

I am now in the studio of Methods & Analysis, which has lead me to the beautiful port city of Valparaiso in Chile. I wanted to experience as much as possible in the limited time we had in the city, so I opened all my senses, noting sensations I might not be aware of in my daily life. The incredibly blue ocean, spectacularly Iively markets, quiet hills and sharp edges of houses invaded my eyesight with colours. I was an interloper and interpreted the city in a way that I wanted it to be. The boundary of the city became vague. The past and present overlapped with each other while rules and regulation were broken. Maybe, only the chaotic links could describe the city, which connected the ocean, the plain and the hills, as they are the materialization of people’s desires, my desires. Not far up the coast from Valparaiso, sat within the sand dunes is the Open City. It is a utopia for artists, architects and students, a place to build their ideal community by their own hands. There I felt the power of poetry for the first time. Before I visited I could not imagine how poetry and architecture could perfectly combine. Even within one simple word, for instance, “leaning”, I could find a huge and upside-down world of meaning. The wet and salty air, the tide and the desert, they moved my position by their unspeakable power, and gave me new ways to observe the world. I

wrote poetry in my native language, about the city and the landscape, describing what had been revealed to me. There is a saying that the edge of cognition is the edge of language, whatever cannot be described by language does not exist. I realized it when I wrote. Some idioms that are commonplace in Chinese do not exist in English, some phrases do not pop into my mind suddenly. The most interesting point was when I tried to translate from one language to another, I found the original version was not good enough. It trapped me for a while, but new narratives and metaphors followed. Most metaphors in my poem came from Chinese. When translating it into English, I wanted to find the proper words in order to make people understand my meaning, but in searching for the word I would lose the character of my writing in my mother language. In this sense, in another language I am someone else. The mind is silent and indescribable, whilst my speech is the personality I show to the others. Sometimes my words represent my mind, but sometimes I also have a strong feeling that: no, this is not me. The real me could not talk in this moment.

The mountain - a monster in a cage The wild old grass, settled behind rusty metal, with the homeless pillowing the ground quitting the sky. The decadent structure, bears its angry tusks. From a distance, stand and see, its skeleton, unwilling to be rotten, is dead, with the silence that would be quieter than the cemetery. It is the prison of the mountain.

The plain - a cage Between the flourishing light, movement at the dawn and dusk. Returning to the source, recalling the turbulent memory, when people were fighting for their livelihoods. Did they celebrate the warmth in hands or the long life they could never bid goodbye? From a distance, the border lies between the mountain and sea. Between the incredible blue, is it free? Even with the flying leaves, it is the tomb of poems.

The ocean - bubble The burning tide, dances with the mountain breeze. You, the first song of the city, as well the melody every night walks into its dreams. From a distance, you wake up after the last dance upon the wall of metal. It should be the least lonely place, for the warm spring brings the blossom flowers,

but the city makes it quiet.

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IN MEMORIAM Words Mark Pimlott, Oscar Rommens & Marc Schoonderbeek Image Oscar Rommens

The previous issue of Bnieuws was a special edition featuring all the Archiprix nominated projects of our Faculty. Among them was the “Bank of England” a visionary project designed by Loed Stolte. We were sadly informed that at the end of December Loed passed away. His mentors and tutors that were in close collaboration and relation with him wanted to write some words and reflect on this indescribable loss.

Lieve Loed, dear Loed, Loed-san,

Loed was an exceptional student, but moreover an exceptional person. We knew him through his involvement in the Interior’s Fundamentals course, his thesis on the painter Andrea Mantegna’s work in relation to ancient classical sources, his graduation project within Explore-Lab, his participation in Public Building (both as student and as researchassistant), and as co-editor of the X Agendas for Architecture book. .. In all these capacities, Loed was a brilliant scholar and architect, always able to transfer readings of the cultural setting of architecture, its ideas, into active motifs for the present, both unique and exceptional. His graduation project, both the thesis (which takes a very clear position regarding The Bank as a dialectical project) and the design proposal for the Bank of England (which situates itself in-between a utopian statement and a contextual design exercise regarding the re-purposing of a monument in a historic city center), was exceptional and of a very high order, worthy of Archiprix consideration. Loed used the architectural language of the ‘pastiche’ in order to substantiate in a critical yet relativizing manner a very personal architectural position. His sublime models and drawings stand as proof of the exceptional quality of his work. .. Loed was always willing to discuss ideas, on matters serious and even frivolous. He was irrepressibly enthusiastic, profoundly curious, genuine and generous in his ways and conversations, and this was a manner that extended to the staff of the department and all his fellow students. We were all, in a way, his colleagues. And his generosity would have it that we were also all his friends. We all followed everything he did, because all he did were expressions of his unique mind and profound spirit.

Lieve Loed, zoveel toekomstperspectieven, zoveel plannen, zoveel mogelijkheden we hadden graag eraan deelgenomen of eea vanaf een afstand aanschouwd maar we blijven leeg achter, met enkel vragen...we troosten ons met de verrijking van ons leven, die je ontegenzeggelijk hebt gebracht.

We all cared very much for you, and wanted everything for you. We still do. We thought the world of you... Your teachers, Mark Pimlott, Oscar Rommens, Patrick Healy, Marc Schoonderbeek, Michiel Riedijk, Sien van Dam, Stefano Milani, Alper Alkan, Jurjen Zeinstra, Filip Geerts, Micha de Haas, Nasim Razavian, Robert Nottrot, Susanne Komossa, Susanne Pietsch, Leontine de Wit, Eireen Schreurs, Brigitte Louise Hansen, Sereh Mandias, Daniel Rosbottom, Heidi Sohn.

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DEADLINE FEVER Words & Image Lydia Giokari

BK city is buzzing as the end of the semester is approaching. The roads of BK are full with its nervous citizens who run through the corridors and move towards the model hall, the print shop and the busy studios. The queues of sleepless students in the coffee machines and printers are representing the intensity of the period. The deadline fever has started for good and we should all remember to breath deeply and keep calm.

Unplugged from the world There are times when all of us work hard for a deadline, a presentation, or a project and it seems like time and space disappear and everything around us slows down. It is like nothing affects us, everything is frozen until work is done. We are inside BK City, working on a table in a busy studio room, with people around us–classmates or even friends–but nothing matters at that moment. There is only ourselves, a laptop, a mouse and a cup of hot coffee which we refill almost automatically from the coffee machine. And it is a pity. Maybe it is even shame, because there is more around us, in the room, in the floor, in BK City, in the world. Consciousness in BK life We as students, architects and citizens of the world should not unplug ourselves from our environment at any time. Architecture and future architects are not supposed to work like this. Architecture–or at least an attempt to define this multifarious profession–is not only the creation of space and beautiful representations of it–drawings or renders. It is a translation of culture, history, precedence or social issues into physical substance. An idea or even a solution can pop-up from the most irrelevant stimuli; a random conversation, a movie, an event flyer, a party poster or even a friends’ T-shirt stamp. This is the advantage that we, as individuals and also as a collectivity, can gain when we don’t close up to ourselves but co-exist and interact. Especially, living in BK City and participating in BK life–because to be honest we don’t work, we live in BK City–is so exciting because there is a wide diversity of people coming from all the parts of the globe, from different backgrounds and cultures and there is so much to share and argue on. Don’t forget to relax But apart from being students we are also young people with interests and anxieties independent from architecture and that is another very important part of our lives. We should not give up on the things we love to do and help us relax and recharge our batteries

because of our busy study programme. This is not healthy and doesn’t help us perform better in our studies. We should take time during the day to breath deeply, forget all the deadlines and clear up our minds. We should go running, go to yoga classes, have a beer with friends or even watch our favourite Netflix series without regrets, because we spare one or two hours from work. Think about your laptop battery, if you don’t charge it, would it supply energy to your laptop to open? These simple things that makes us relax, laugh and clear up our minds are essential parts of our everyday life in order to be able to stay healthy and balanced.

“YOUR MIND WILL ANSWER MOST QUESTIONS IF YOU LEARN TO RELAX AND WAIT FOR THE ANSWER” William S. Burroughs Simple things make a difference Even the most simple things like a talk with a friend while having a cup of coffee in the corridor will help you more than drinking the same cup of coffee while you zoom in and out in AutoCad frustrated. Especially in a faculty as BK City with all its diverse residents, we should all make an effort to meet each other in person and talk about all the things that occupy our minds, because it is more than probable that we all share common problems, anxieties, interests or desires. When you feel lost in the pile of things you need to do or the deadline you need to catch, remember to take a deep breath, keep calm and ask a friend next to you to just spare some some time and have a talk.

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11 ANTI-STRESS TIPS Words Roberto Cavallo & Roberto Rocco

Images Lydia Giokari

Bnieuws asked Roberto Cavallo and Roberto Rocco to share some useful advice and tips with the BK students in order to prevent and reduce the stress and studying pressure that they face in periods with lots of deadlines and exams.

Roberto Cavallo as the Director of Education in BK and Associate Professor of Architecture at the Chair of Complex Projects, suggests some practical and stratigical steps that can help students to organise themselves during the semester and make it through the several presentations:

1. Start timely with your work. 2. Make a good plan of your study activities, if possible per day. Plan enough time to finalise your work. 3. Share your doubts and concerns with your mentor(s) and ask for feedback. 4. Enquire if you can look into previous results (content and marking), so you can have insight about examples but also expectations. 5. Exercise with your presentation by showing it to your fellow students and/or friends. Request their feedback.

Roberto Rocco with his personal experience as Assistant Professor at the Section of Spatial Planning and Strategy in BK provides general tips and advice from his spectrum as a teacher: 6. I always feel that students put much more pressure on themselves than teachers do.

This is good and bad at the same time. Having high aspirations can take you to high places, but not at the cost of your health or your happiness. De-compress and breath in and out. Think that this is a learning experience and we are all learning together. 7. If you feel the pressure is too high, talk to your friends and most importantly, talk to you teachers. My experience is that teachers at BK can be very accommodating and everybody wants you to succeed. Make agreements with your teachers. 8. Often, pressure comes from feeling you are not up to the task, or that you are not doing as well as your colleagues. Every person is different and maybe your learning needs are different too. Talk to your teachers and make agreements about the things you need to learn and realistic goals to achieve. 9. I say â&#x20AC;&#x153;realistic goalsâ&#x20AC;? because part of being young is the feeling that you can change the world. I really would like students to continue to believe that they can change the world, because they can! However, in order to do that, we must make realistic steps. Because students are often inexperienced in doing research and design, they often set the bar too high and want to solve all problems at the same time. This is not feasible. But knowing the limits of what you can do comes with practice. Pushing your boundaries is not a bad thing (just not too much). Again, talking to your teachers may help you set realistic goals. 10. Enjoy university life. These are some of the best years of your life! Enjoy your friends and teachers! Being more open about your feelings and having fun together is part of the university experience. 11. Diversity is wonderful! We are all different from each other and we have different needs and expectations. You need to communicate with others in order to understand how different they are and to let them understand that your needs, dreams and aspirations are different from theirs. Part of the joy of being a teacher is the opportunity to meet different characters, different personalities, and I really love when I see those personalities coming through.

Artifact

THE VAMPIRE LESTAT Door Mark Brand Ik dacht ik moet over een voorwerp schrijven. Nu leek het me wel literair verantwoord om over een boek te schrijven. Gewoon een boek in het algemeen. Het boek, dus. Maar nu moest er dus ook een foto bij, dus moet het over een specifiek boek gaan, lijkt me. Een zogeheten lievelingsboek. Die heb ik wel, maar voor een lievelingsboek komt hij er wat karig vanaf. Ik heb hem welgeteld één keer gelezen. De benoeming tot lievelingsboek ligt hem dan ook meer in het feit dat het mij heeft aangezet om meer andere boeken te lezen. In die zin een zeer invloedrijk boek dus.

Ik zou willen zeggen: u kunt hem op de foto zien, maar dat is niet helemaal waar. Op de foto ziet u een afgekeurd boek van de bibliotheek, een Nederlandstalige versie. Mijn lievelingsboek heeft dezelfde titel en auteur, maar er is destijds de volle mep voor betaald en het was de Engelstalige versie. Daar had ik indertijd twee redenen voor. De eerste is dat het in het Engels is geschreven, en er gaat altijd wat verloren in de vertaling. Dit betekent niet dat ik alle boeken in de originele taal lees; ik beheers alleen Nederlands en Engels voldoende om dit toe te passen. De tweede reden is dat ik mij tijdens het lezen van dit boek in een Engels sprekend land bevond: Australië. Op deze manier zou ik de taal leren en als ik vragen had kon een willekeurige voorbijganger mij het antwoord verschaffen. Dit was mijn eerste grote reis in mijn eentje en ik mocht van mijn vader een boek uitkiezen. Ik had daarvoor eigenlijk alleen boeken gelezen omdat dat moest van de vakken Nederlands en Engels op de middelbare school en vond het dan ook niet zo’n geweldig geschenk. Maar mijn vader zei dat het van pas zou komen als ik lange stukken onderweg zou zijn en nu ben ik hem uitermate dankbaar voor dat inzicht en het boek. Ik werd tijdens die reis zo laaiend enthousiast over lezen en dat ben ik nooit meer kwijtgeraakt. Ik wilde ook andere mensen enthousiast maken en zo komt het dat ik de originele versie niet meer heb. Ik heb mijn lievelingsboek uitgeleend aan een vriendin in de hoop dat zij er net zo

van zou genieten als ik. Maar in plaats daarvan maakte ze het kwijt. Ik kan er nog kwaad om worden, ze wist wat het boek voor me betekende. Ik leen nog steeds boeken uit, maar sindsdien alleen aan boekenfans, ik probeer niemand meer enthousiast te maken. Ik heb mijn lievelingsboek gekozen, omdat het het tweede deel was uit een reeks waarvan ik deel één al had gezien in de verfilming. De film ‘Interview With The Vampire’ met Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise en een piepjonge Kirsten Dunst uit 1994 vertelt het verhaal van een jongeman die onsterfelijk werd, maar daarvoor wel moet moorden en dat valt hem zwaar. Zijn ‘maker’ had niet dezelfde wroeging als hij en daar gaat dus dit bewuste boek ‘The Vampire Lestat’ over. Het is geen horrorboek, meer een drama. Het speelt zich af op verschillende plekken en in verschillende tijdperken en de auteur (Anne Rice) heeft duidelijk vooronderzoek gedaan. Zo leer je dus tijdens een spannend verhaal over geschiedenis, kunst, religie en filosofie. De hele reeks (The Vampire Chronicles) is om die reden de moeite waard. Het heeft mij in ieder geval aan het lezen geholpen en ik ben daar nooit meer mee gestopt. Ik neem de trein naar mijn werk zodat ik kan lezen. Ik neem één of twee treinen te vroeg, zodat ik altijd op tijd ben. Als ik te vroeg op bouwkunde ben, zit ik bij de west-ingang tot 7.59 uur te lezen. Voor veel mensen inmiddels een bekend tafereel. Mark heeft Arjen Muijser voor de volgende Artifact genomineerd.

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CONFESSIONS OF AN ARCHIHOLIC Words & Image Kseniya Otmakhova

Disclaimer: The article you are about to read, unravels as a rather personal story, based on my own subjective observations made during the years spent at BK-City. I am aware the issues mentioned in the article might not apply to everyone and sincerely hope this article will serve most of BK-citizens as an entertaining reflection on the lifestyle our discipline is infamous for.

In December, around the time of midterms of the second quarter, one of the editors of Bnieuws stumbled upon a pill strip of ADHD-medication in a studio full of students struggling to stay up while waiting for their turn to present. Of course, the pill-strip might just have been there, waiting to be found back to serve its medical purpose to the rightful owner, but it did put our procrastinating minds to thinking and gave one of our weekly editorial meetings quite a philosophical turn. Standing in line for the ‘good coffee’ of the Espresso Bar after the meeting I couldn’t help but laugh at the irony of things. My whole life before entering the architecture school, in principle I would not drink coffee. Now coffee is a cornerstone of my daily routine and when I drink it, it has to be good.

As my studies progressed, my knowledge of architecture grew and so did the range of ‘bad habits’ that I have acquired or at least have occasionally experimented with. To get through my first and longest all-nighters in the first year of bachelors, I drank various kinds of energy drinks. To stay awake the next day like nothing happened, I accepted each and every invitation for a coffee I would get. Next project to avoid the drama at the end of the term, I would try to make the magic ‘eureka’ moment come earlier, testing the statement that marijuana increases creativity (it does not) and still end up pulling nights true at the end. To placate my conscience, I repeatedly told myself that probably such lifestyle is just an unavoidable part of wanting to become an artist and an engineer in one. The professors and teachers would show no mercy on our collective lack of sleep as they ‘all had been there before’. The couple of students I admired for never skipping on sleep and finishing their projects far in advance, disappeared from the Faculty over the years, pursuing professions other than architecture. Passing the milestone of earning a Bachelor’s degree I

made it my mission to develop a healthier way of obtaining my Masters. Time management books were supposed to save me from not sleeping. Coffee and energy drinks were replaced with vitamins and Japanese matcha to improve my efficiency and focus. To top it all off, I enrolled for a course on constructive thinking at the Career Centre, just to discover that half of the participants were, just like me, architecture students. Funny enough this ‘coincidence’ didn’t seem to be a surprise to anyone present, including the trainer. It was time for the architects to confront the elephant in the room: ‘Why can’t we just stop this ridiculous behaviour of selflessly sacrificing our health for the laurels of architecture?’ Caffeine, nicotine, methylphenidate, sugar, tetrahydrocannabinol, and alcohol are substances that all in their own way play with our internal chemical processes making our brain release dopamine giving us the feeling of content we get addicted to. Ultimately we all just want to be happy. Choosing our profession, hobbies, and friends we all build our own formula for

Drug

Need

Alternative

Coffee, Energy drink

Energy boost Motivation

Sleep, Sports Energetic music

Chocolate, Cigarettes

Instant gratification Happy feeling

Short-term goals Bite-size tasks Sports, Cat videos

Social media

Attention Mental support

Constructive talk with a friend in real-life Phone call with someone you haven t spoken to in a long time

Marijuana

Creativity

Listen to music (Mozart) Solve a puzzle Help someone else

ADHD medication

Focus Willpower to push through difficulties

Eliminate distractions Pomodoro timer Step-by-step plan Helping hands

happiness, but sometimes the pressure and stress pile up and we opt for a quick fix; drugs that give us that temporary dopamine boost and some space to breathe. Happiness is a complex concept in itself, but I dare to speculate that an architecture student’s happiness is an even more difficult matter.

The happiness of an architecture student As a student at the Faculty of Architecture, I am constantly challenged to be creative, critical and innovative. In architectural practice, competition is such that we get commissioned for projects through competitions. Preparing for this reality architecture school makes us deal with challenging problems, time pressure, and judgment. As one of the best schools of Architecture, we at BK-city collectively have high expectation of each other and ourselves. Boiling down happiness to the formula: ‘happiness = reality – expectations’, it’s easy to see where things can go wrong. According to this equation, the more reality exceeds our expectations, the happier we are. As soon as reality doesn’t match our expectations, we get disappointed, becoming unhappy in the long term. In architecture school, our tutors do their job and criticise us, pointing out even more how far the reality is from our and their expectations. We know that all of this happens with the good intentions to make us better designers in the future, yet it’s hard to stay happy. We are often our own harshest critics having the highest and often not even realistic expectations. It took me the luck of enrolling into Archineering minor to learn that design process is not as linear and smooth as I always expected it to be. Instead, it is a very bumpy road of trials and errors and that is just how it is supposed to be. Creative and innovative ideas are not conceived in a magic instant by an apple hitting your head, they take years to grow and develop. Sticky notes took three decades to develop, most architects get famous after they hit 50. Yet, over and over again we, aspiring designers, expect to nail every project in

mere 8 weeks, forever left with the feeling we could and should have done so much better.

Call for a change This small exploration of the role of drugs and working culture at architecture was meant to illustrate that the two are strongly related. Pushing our limits, striving to improve, we gradually build up pressure and stress. Sooner or later our bodies and minds demand to release that pressure and create some space for peace and happiness. But often we feel we don’t have time to do so, ending up in a vicious circle of stress causing even more stress. That is when drugs of all sorts, a shortcut to dopamine and happiness, offer us a seductive solution to feeling better without losing too much time. Collectively refusing to take a substantial and deserved break, we encourage each other to keep up this unhealthy way of life. This article is a call to rethink the way we treat ourselves. Olympic sportsmen make it their priority to keep their bodies healthy as their career depends on how well their organism performs. Designers exposed to a very demanding lifestyle and competitive environment, depend on well-functioning of their bodies just as much. Dear professors and tutors, you often are but referees, while we need you as coaches too. Please support us and guide us on how to work more efficiently, how to deal with pressure and how to stay happy and healthy amidst all of that. To keep the expectations as close to reality as possible I encourage you, dear reader, to begin this change with the next cup of coffee, piece of chocolate or even a cigarette. Don’t make it a quick fix this time. Make it a conscious decision and let that guilty pleasure become a moment of stillness to face your inner self, your deepest fears, your biggest dreams and your current needs.

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BEHIND THE SCENES Words & Image Bnieuws editors

All the citizens of BK independently of their level of studies are experiencing almost the same amount of pressure during the busy periods of the semester, like the one we are having right now that the winter semester runs out. The editors of Bnieuws decided to share with you one of their off the record dialogues, related to their student life and how they face this period. Maybe between the lines you will find yourself having similar thoughts.

KO: Oh guys! P2 is approaching and I cannot stop procrastinating.

NB: I know what you mean. I also tend to procrastinate my big deadlines. I’ve read somewhere that a lot of procrastionators are actually perfectionists, and I really can find myself in that. My tendency to procrastinate comes from the mindset that I’d rather not do something than do something badly. And what happens when the deadlines come too close, is that I try to mend the damage by overachieving. Staying at BK till midnight, overdosing on coffee, taking too little breaks... all to perform better and achieve more success in the limited time that I have. I’m bound to develop an idée fixe on my project and it becomes hard to focus on anything else. KO: But also, you know, it is very hard for me to make decisions in time before all the things start to pile up. AJ: Oh tell me about it! I keep postponing making a decision to the moment when there is absolutely no more time. Usually, it seems to me that my decisions are not rushed, but really well thought-through. I feel I need that time in order to construct my thoughts, it is just the curriculum which is too dense! NB: Just think that the decision you make is not final. Instead of looking for the perfect solution, accept the fact

that making a decision is just the beginning of the process. Even if you decide early, it does not mean that it cannot be modified or improved. AJ: Oh I have to deliver a booklet for an elective I have and the deadline is also just around the corner. There is so little time left and I still have so much to do. I don’t even know where to start. LG: If there is too little time to finish everything, if I were you I might do the tasks that I find the most interesting and enjoyable. Because even if you won’t make it, you would have learnt something and had a good time doing the thing you love. You can always use it for the next time. Or maybe even the quality of the work you like to do and you are good at, will convince the tutors to give you a second chance to complete the missing parts. AJ: Oh I am not sure, I feel that it doesn’t matter where I will start. There is too little time to finish everything anyways. And if not everything is finished it will be a fail, so I might as well give up now and accept defeat. NB: Come on! You need to take a step back and prioritise. What are the most crucial elements to your project? And which are the minimum requirements you should meet to make your idea just clear enough? The first thing is to accept the fact that you need to sacrifice

on the amount and quality of what you need to present, and the things you permit yourself not doing. Also, accepting that you might fail, what aspects of the project do you want your tutors to give feedback on, so you will get the most valuable information out of this experience for the neaxt time? Selecting these aspects and defining the hierarchy between them will help you to be more efficient with the little time you have. If then you still fall short on hands, it’s time to ask someone else to help you. You should accept that the quality of work might not meet your personal standards. It might be not as good, but at least it’s there and you don’t need to worry about it.

the other way round. What you will be capable of doing is unpredictable! That’s why even if I start my day with a plan, I change it 10 times afterwards. My mother always asks me “So, how much time do you need to finish this task?” I never have an answer. I cant assess. Do study counsellors also ask that? Then I would be in trouble.

AJ: Pff, but still I will not make it.. I am not as advanced as the other students and probably this would have a domino effect to the other courses I need to pass and lose the semester.

NB: I find it helpful to make a study plan together with a group mate. This way you set deadlines not only for yourself, but for your friend as well. If you don’t make those deadlines, well, no big deal. But you do try to get the work done that you agreed on, so you don’t let the other person down. And it also helps to discuss your project with someone other than your teacher. Students themselves have lots of knowledge that’s extremely valuable in assessing what to do next in your project.

MC: I was almost certain I would fail my P4, the tutors insisted I did it, as a guideline of what to improve later, and then I passed. The most critical unhelpful tutor you will ever have is often the one in your own head! AJ: Oh guys, thank you for the talk and advice! I feel a bit better now. I will do my best and I will discuss it with a classmate of mine who is more familiar with the course and better able to judge my progress. LG: In case you need more advice, you can always have a talk with the student advisors. They can help you clear up your mind and give you advice. This could be also the case for you as well. If you feel that you don’t know how to start, meeting student counsellors could be helpful. They will help you calm down, prioritize and plan your tasks rationally. AJ: I am not convinced whether anyone can actually help you organise your work. Especially in architecture, you never know when you will stumble upon the discovery, or come up with something which will push your design further. There are days, when I cannot write a sentence, and the others, when I produce long paragraphs of text. Sometimes, I feel like drawing, not reading theory, and

MC: I agree about the student advisers, half an hour with them can make even the most impossible situation doable. They are also great at getting you to break down tasks, think about what is possible in the time and what is the most important.

LG: You will never know if you don’t give it a try. You saw that even talking about it with friends or classmates it takes some of the burden out of you. It is a matter of rationalizing the problem, put it on a logical basis and then try to find the most appropriate solution. You should not be afraid to talk about it, especially with people that they are familiar with ways that can assist you practically by giving you a hand how to schedule your deadlines or emotionally how to face the situation and act instead of letting your fear or uncertainty defeat you. KO: I agree, talking can ease the stress. I already feel better and more confident. It is funny that when sharing your anxieties with others you realise either that there are bigger and more real problems in life and that we all have the same study related fears and problems. MC: And trust me, when you get through all the pain, it feels great to be on the other side!

In gesprek met

MAARTEN VAN HET KETELHUIS Tekst Nadine van den Berg

Beeld Kseniya Otmakhova

Het begint om 11 uur. Maarten Blokland staat ‘s ochtends weer klaar in zijn keuken in het Ketelhuis van Bouwkunde. Gewapend met een plan van gerechten en verschillende ingrediënten gaat hij aan de slag. Hoe is het eigenlijk, om maaltijden voor studenten te maken? En hoe ziet een dag in het Ketelhuis eruit? Bnieuws neemt je mee voor een kijkje achter de schermen.

Wie bepaalt het menu van het Ketelhuis? Ik verzin zelf elke dag wat ik kook. Het zijn geen vaste recepten. Eén keer per week ga ik de recepten schrijven. En wanneer de ingrediënten hier dan binnenkomen, dan maak ik er iets leuks van. Ook een beetje internationaal, niet alleen Hollandse pot. En wie bepaalt welke ingrediënten er binnenkomen? Dat doe ik zelf, en deels mijn werkgever. Die bepaalt bijvoorbeeld welke vis we hier gebruiken. Er is dan één soort die we kunnen bestellen. Onze werkgever probeert ook rekening houden met het milieu. Al het vlees is beter leven, en de kip is ook allemaal scharrelgedoe. Werk je hier al lang? Ik doe dit werk al heel lang. Normaal gesproken sta ik in de aula, en nu sta ik al een aantal jaren hier. Ik werkte vroeger in het oude gebouw van Bouwkunde, dat is afgebrand. Hoor je weleens iets terug van de studenten? Want je staat hier natuurlijk elke dag. Ja, we krijgen feedback van de studenten. En als het niet lekker, is zeggen ze het ook. Er zitten ook studenten bij die hier elke dag twee keer warm komen eten. En ik herken uiteraard ook sommige studenten.

Dat vind ik ook prettig. Kijk, als studenten uit het buitenland komen-veel van die jongelui komen helemaal uit Azië, dat is een gruwelijk end weg en ver van hun familie-dan is het natuurlijk heel prettig als iemand ze herkent, en ze gedag zegt wanneer ze hier binnenkomen. Dan maak ik ook een praatje met ze. En daar hebben die gasten ook behoefte aan, dat kan niet anders.

De veranderende gerechten aan de zijkant van het Ketelhuis is iets nieuws. Hoe zit dat? De cateraar heeft een programma opgesteld met vier items. We zijn nu met het tweede item bezig, de derde komt over twee weken. Wat dat precies zal zijn, weet ik niet. De TU Delft heeft nu een contract met Sodexo voor de hele campus. Zou een alternatief hiervoor losse cateraars kunnen zijn? Het probleem van een losse cateraar is dat het die ondernemer niet gaat lukken om hier geld mee te verdienen. Ik heb ook gewerkt bij de Erasmus universiteit. Wat daar gebeurde, was dat de kleine ondernemingen die daar zaten na een maand of drie er het voor gezien hielden daar. Waar ligt dat aan? Zijn er te weinig mensen die het

willen, of is het te duur? Ik verkoop een maaltijd hier voor 5 euro. Daar kan je niets aan verdienen. Dit is een heel moeilijke handel. Hoe groot zijn de hoeveelheden die je hier kookt? In de aula kookte ik vroeger elke keer 50 kilo rijst. Hier op Bouwkunde kook ik op z’n hoogst 8 kilo per dag. Dat heb ik vanochtend nog gekookt, en dat gaat vandaag in één keer op. Ik heb daar ook de apparatuur voor natuurlijk. Van huis uit ben ik eigenlijk dieetkok. Ik heb vroeger in een dieetkeuken gestaan, maar die bestaan al niet meer.

Wanneer zie je pieken en dalen voorbijkomen? Er zit een piek in de winter. ‘s Zomers zitten alle studenten in de kroeg, dus dan komen ze niet. Zo meteen hebben ze tentamenweken en dan komt hier ook weer een piek. De pieken en dalen hebben we wel door. Dat staat allemaal in de computer. Maar je weet het nooit exact. We gooien hier bijna niks weg. Je kan wel zeggen, ik

heb kip vandaag, dus iedereen moet kip hebben. Maar dat gaat je geld kosten. Stel ik heb voor 70 mensen kip voor vanavond. En als er dan 10 mensen extra zijn, dan ga ik een biefstukje bakken. Ik kan wel weer nieuwe kip bakken, maar dan hou ik weer over en moet ik weggooien. Bederving moet je zo veel mogelijk beperken.

Wat vind je fijn aan je werk hier? Ik vind de werktijden erg fijn. Ik werkt altijd tot 7 uur ‘s avonds, en dan heb je geen spits meer wanneer je naar huis gaat. Het leuke hier is ook dat ik kan koken wat ik wil. Is er nog iets dat je hier wilt veranderen? Ja, de keuken mag wel verandert worden. De apparatuur is prima, maar het mag wel wat groter. Ja, op Bouwkunde is ruimte sowieso een probleem. Vroeger, in het oude Bouwkunde gebouw, was de keuken erg groot. En er zat een groot restaurant bij, met een terras waar je lekker buiten kon gaan zitten.

Rogier & Tiemen

VISITÉ

Friso de Zeeuw (1952) is departing professor at the chair of urban area development since 2006. Friso has a working history in both politics and housing development. DDR After die Wende, Friso and his wife started collecting artifacts of the former

DDR. When moving to Monnickendam they specifically selected a boerderette where Firso and his wife could start a museum of their DDR collection. Ever dreamt of moving? “We fulfilled our dream with our pied-à-terre in former east-Berlin”.

The Rules

PETER RUSSELL’S 10 RULES FOR LIFE Words Peter Russell

As a dean, I have had the privilege to give speeches to freshly graduated students, in Delft and elsewhere. Young people who are about to start their careers. In the end, these talks come down to a few nuggets of information. I have pared these down to ten rules and will share them with you in Bnieuws over the coming months.

Rule #3: Find your passion and chase it with all your energy Simple rule, but it means being honest with yourself. What is it you really like to do? Draw? Paint? Play the Banjo? Argue? Feed animals? Grow plants? Design Buildings? Get people to agree on a plan? Build models? Organise things? Make lists? Clean? Run? Ski? Drive vehicles? Build tools? Defend the downtrodden? Help repair living things? There is a lot to do in shaping our built environment–the tasks needed to make our cities and buildings better are multifaceted and need a range of skills and capabilities. There is likely a role for you, if you can be honest with yourself about what it is you like to do. That is what an Architectural Studies program is about–to show you what roles and responsibilities are there to be had, and to teach you about the sensibility you will need to be a leader with any of these roles. Being happy is a good goal. Who doesn’t want to be happy? But being happy is not necessarily about achieving some other goal. The cover of the Rolling Stone? It was a goal for Amy Whinehouse, but it’s fulfilment didn’t necessarily make her happy. The cover of Architectural Digest? Maybe. Your mom will be proud, at the very least. Sometimes though, it is not about achieving a goal as much a receiving the gift of the unexpected. Seeing a smile from a loved one because you caught their eye from across the room when they were stressed –that is happiness. Be honest with yourself about what you want. That is the key to happiness.

Bnieuws VOLUME 51 EDITION 04