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Bnieuws Volume 53 Issue 05 March 2020 Contact Room BG.Midden.140 Julianalaan 134 2628 BL Delft bnieuws-bk@tudelft.nl Editorial Team Aimee Baars Christopher Clarkson Nicole van Roij Federico Ruiz Chun Kit 'CK' Wong Contributors Amy Young Lucas Di Gioia Aikaterina Myserli Jan Rothuizen Dorsa Ghaemi Francien Fons Jolt Wiersma Sun Ah Hwang Leeke Reinders Editorial Advisors Javier Arpa Fernandez Lotte Dijkstra Cover Yannick Warmerdam @yannwarmerdam Printed by Druk. Tan Heck 1,250 copies Š All rights reserved. Although all content is treated with great care, errors may occur.
WELCOME 02
#Bnieuwd
04
Missing Urbanists
06
Abandoned Lounge
09
Brexit and British Architecture
11
When Does a Door Become a Window
14
Brasilia: Reverie Embodied as City
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Choosing Your Track
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Ark[s]
23
Refugee republic
25
Incredible Nottingham
30
Streets of BK City: The Paper Making Workshop
32
Artefact: Leeke Reinders
34
Call for Editors!
Editorial
EXODUS As we write this editorial, the Netherlands is entering a strange time of social distancing, among other preventative measures to slow down the spread of the Corona virus. It would seem that this edition’s theme of Exodus couldn't have come at a more appropriate time. 'Exodus' means a mass departure of people, one not unlike what has happened at our own faculty in the past week. The current measures taken by the Dutch government have trickled down to our very own Bouwkunde faculty, which strongly requests students and staff to work from home. Since the instalment of these measures the faculty has been abandoned - a mass departure has taken place. The otherwise bustling model hall, the continuous chatter in the orange hall, the fragmented sounds of struggling printers and coffee machines have all been muted to an eerie silence. Aside from a solitary figure roaming the hall way, it is as if the building has been put to sleep, hopefully one from which it will soon awaken. Despite this upheaval, the show must go on. Bnieuws is first and foremost a physical publication, distributed around the faculty building, however we are now compelled to hop on the digital train and work with the channels that are available to connect us to you. The fact that you are now reading this editorial means that in some way we have reached out to you: mission accomplished! So, what can you expect from this issue? We offer a diverse collection of essays and reflections related to departure, abandonment, refuge, memories and nostalgia. Head over to page 15 for a critical insight into Brasilia, a city which was entitled the '1000 days project'. The mass planning scheme for a new Brazilian city is perhaps not a space of departure, but definitely an urban development which a embodies mass movement of people. On page 9, our contributor Amy Young takes a political approach towards the possible impact of Brexit on British architecture. Our own editor Christopher introduces his personal documentary series on abandoned chairs (page 6) - what could their stories be? Meanwhile, editor CK explores his fascination for small-scale thresholds in this poem 'When does a door become a window' on page 11. An exodus implies a mass, large scale event, capable of changing national (infra)structures, as we are currently experiencing on a global scale. Today we, as students as well as a magazine, find ourselves standing at an unprecedented crossroad. Do we consider the Corona virus a nuisance, a road block in the way of our daily routine? Or are we able to translate isolation into a productive pursuit of objectives that have been locked away for far too long? We cheer the latter, and hope to provide some inspiring respite from the chaos of the world with this edition. We hope that you all stay safe and healthy. Reflect and embrace the inventiveness that these weeks at home demand!
#Bnieuwd
We have picked some websites that will help you relax and get curious in these days at home. Free anti-stress meditation live-streams Balanzs has already launched a daily meditation initiative. Now they are also providing online classes. www.balanzs.nl/free-meditations/ Daily yoga with Adriene The account Yoga with Adriene on Youtube provides daily yoga sessions which last between 15 and 60 minutes. Especially during this period of home isolation, channels like this provide the perfect solution to stretch and keep your body healthy.
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Guggenheim books The Guggenheim Museum in New York has made more than 200 books about modern art available online. Not only can you read them online, but you can download them in PDF or ePub formats. www. archive.org/details/guggenheimmuseum IDFA documentaries To promote engagement in the time of the Corona virus, the yearly International Documentary Film Festival of Amsterdam (IDFA) has released 302 documentaries online, for free! The films have been produced in the period 1988-2019. Several popular documentaries are featured such as Rafea: Solar mama, On the Way to School, Who Will be a Gurkha, Ukranian Sheriffs, and Runaway. www.idfa.nl/en/collection/documentaries Berlin Philharmonic digital concerts The Berlin Philharmonic is offering free concerts for a month due to their temporary closure. Redeem the voucher code BERLINPHIL by 31 March and receive free access to all concerts and films in the Digital Concert Hall. www.digitalconcerthall.com/en/news The Studytubeproject Looking for some study motivation and missing your fellow students? Follow the instagram Thestudytubeproject for an overview of live ‘Study with me’ youtube sessions. www.instagram.com/thestudytubeproject/
#Bnieuwd
Even if we all will miss the great lectures of BK, here are some nice websites that will keep you in touch with the world of architecture. Fusedays by Polis Working from home can be a little tiresome. As we battle the virus and stay away from the studio, we do miss our classmates! Polis brings you Fusedays! An informal peer-to-peer sharing session every second Tuesday. Intagram: @polistudelft Dezeen Face to Face podcasts Face to Face is a new podcast series from Dezeen featuring conversations with the biggest names in architecture and design. Published every Tuesday morning, the first series will include interviews with Es Devlin, Norman Foster, Thomas Heatherwick, Hella Jongerius, John Pawson, Roksanda Illincic, Tom Dixon and David Chipperfield. www.dezeen.com/podcasts/ Online lectures by architecture schools If you want to regain the feeling of a university lecture, several architecture schools have published their lectures online, have a look! Architectural Association School of Architecture (AA) www.youtube.com/user/AASchoolArchitecture Columbia Graduate School of Architecture www.youtube.com/ColumbiaGSAPP SCI-Arc Channel is a new online platform for the communication of ideas with a particular focus on the contemporary culture of Los Angeles. www.channel.sciarc.edu/ Harvard Graduate School of Design www.youtube.com/channel/UCcA1don221rKq1EmbvQB27g Bnieuws Instagram page Don’t forget to follow our own Instagram page for updates on issues @bnieuws or check out our issues digitally on iSSUU: www.issuu.com/bnieuws
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BK Report
MISSING URBANISTS Words Federico Ruiz
What do we, the urbanists of BK, miss from our hometowns? Do those absences, mediated by the exodus that has brought us to Deft, inform our work? After asking some questions to my first-year colleagues at the MSc in Urbanism, it was soon evident how, after the necessary and much deserved mention of food and friends, a whole variety of nostalgias and memories unfolded. The following is a brief overview of them, and the role they play in what we do.
04
Baokun Wei is an eloquent Chinese student of Urbanism. He has the tendency of working really close to the screen of his laptop and the reputation of being an excellent table tennis player. When I ask him about his hometown, Suzhou, and what he misses about it, he decides to focus on karaoke. A strange choice with an unexpected explanation: “Normally, Chinese people do not like to express themselves. But we also have the space to show [our individual] characteristics in a private space, like home or a limited [space]. Because, you know, karaoke kind of limits space: there is a small room with few people that you are really familiar with. So that’s the environment that Chinese people prefer.” With already much to process in my head, Baokun, together with his colleague Zichuan Lu, explained to me how this phenomenon has transcended into a very peculiar dimension; “[Streaming] is really popular in China, you know why? Because it also creates a sense of a small room with a certain group of people, right? Instead of the bar or club, where you are not familiar with each other, but just have fun together.” Public life, karaoke and streaming … Watching them navigate through this analogy without the slightest sign of doubt makes my brain feel like burning.
Intrigued, I decide to move south and ask Monique Vashti about Jakarta. With a decided and pragmatic tone that fits her all-black clothes, she goes straight to the thing she does not miss: “The traffic.” In somewhat of an irony, Monique also points out how “sometimes the convenience of the car is something that I miss, because in here it is raining and then windy and everything and I have to cycle under the rain.” After that, she also mentions how one of the other “very Jakarta things” she longs for are shopping malls, “high rise buildings with everything that you need inside,” where ”even if it’s raining, you can park your car in the basement and then you will not get wet at all.” Weather explains this permanent need to hide from the elements: “It is really not convenient to spend time outdoors because it is really hot and humid.” Two days later, Monique feels the urgency of telling me about street food, and the way its smell defines the streetscape of Jakarta. For a moment, the body-melting weather and fried food smell of some cities in Colombia come to my mind, and I am thankful for the cold Dutch rain falling outside. Umm al-Fahm, in Palestine, is the hometown of Zahra Agbaria, a Palestinian-Dutch architect who wants to work in Africa. She misses the Palestinian mountains and the roofs of the houses that stand on
them: “You don’t have space; you have a house next to house next to house, then behind you a house, in front of you a house, so your roof is your garden. You go to barbecue on the roof, like literally an open roof; you barbecue, you sit there, you smoke, you see the city, whatever you want. Here it doesn’t exist, you have roofs like this [she imitates the shape of a gable roof], covered.” I remember that we have similar rooftops in Bogotá: during holidays, entire families can be seen eating and celebrating on them. New Year’s Eve wouldn’t be the same without them. “As a person, what I miss is constant excitement and energy, but I think that that city is particular: you don’t get that same energy anywhere else,” says Hadrien Cassan, a Frenchman raised in New York who skateboards to BK, “But as an environmental designer I guess I miss seeing problems everywhere. You come to Netherlands and everything seems, seems, pretty perfect and in the right spot. New York is an urban chaos. I think that was kind of exciting.” I can easily relate to this feeling, perhaps as an adaptation to a hostile environment, I ended up identifying disorder, and even risk, as the essence of a true city. That is, perhaps, one of the side effects of exodus-induced nostalgia: after a while, even thieves are romanticised and missed. Wondering about the implications of this exodus for a Dutchman, I ask Jin-Ah Duijghuisen about Vught, her hometown. “I come from the south of the Netherlands, and this [Delft’s] living environment is way more mixed than I’m used to.” She explains how in the beginning, even Delft’s atmosphere felt metropolitan, “but now it feels like Delft is just a village.” Now, it is Rotterdam, with its large amount of high-rise buildings, social housing, museums and all kinds of different activities going on all day, that represents the place where “Chances and opportunities are way bigger.”
I still struggle with the idea of Rotterdam as a metropolis: It might be mixed and diverse, but I still need the mango-selling hawkers with distorted megaphones standing at every corner in order to define any city as a metropolis. By this point, my colleagues have challenged my own notions of openness, metropolitan condition, group dynamics and even the necessity for a physical space in order to have public life. Curiously, when I ask them if they use these experiences as an input in their projects at BK, most of them deny that possibility for different reasons; be it the irreconcilable differences between their countries and the Netherlands (all first year studios of Urbanism have Dutch locations for their assignments) or the fact that they never observed their home towns though the eyes of an urbanist. As an exception, Hadrien says something that still resonates in my head: “I think you are definitely influenced by the places you know and they build you as a person, but as a designer also. So, wherever you go it kind of comes with you also. […] You can’t shift, escape. You know what you know, and you are just adding layers every time, I think, instead of replacing”.
05
From the editors
ABANDONED LOUNGE Words and images Christopher Clarkson
The humble chair, couch, or stool, represents a place of rest. That place where you can be still. It invites you to cease your endless departure and stay a while. Much like a house, it beckons to you: "Come, you have travelled far, be at ease, breathe, relax." The humble chair, couch, or stool, however, can take on an interestingly sinister character when one stops to ask - why is it empty? Where did the people go? What have these 'normal' objects witnessed, and what memories do they carry in the folds of their faux leather, the screws in their wood, and the hair in their wheels?
06
That place which is no longer occupied is a curious thing. The chair not-in-use tells the story of thousands of people that have used it in the past; the story of thousands of people who have left. Please, take a moment to think about the chairs which you have sat on in your lifetime, and the events that have taken place while they sheltered you ‌ And then acknowledge the fact that your story with any particular chair is not necessarily only your story but one you share with many people, in which case, really the chair is the protagonist of our collective seated narrative: it is a kind of silent witness and crucial actor in everyone’s life. This observation is
really strengthened by the chairs which have seemingly fallen out of use, and in a sense, reached the end of their story. All chairs have been designed to sit on, however, based on the space in which the chair is in, its function is defined (cinema chairs as opposed to a medical chair for example), and this space acts as a catalyst for the chair’s life. When the chair is relocated, suddenly its context-based purpose changes, and so too does its function, so what is it exactly that happens when a chair is positioned in a place that renders it not a good place to sit? In the basement of a World War II bunker beneath Berlin's abandoned airport, Tempelhof, a modest wooden chair stands stark in the yellow fluorescence of a single tube overhead. Most of the time, the chair waits quietly in a dustless darkness. The disuse of this chair tells an interesting story, not only of those who once used it and likely feared for their lives from bombers overhead; but also of us now: a kind of optimistic exclamation of the fact that we don't need this chair and that we are not at war.
In the streets of Berlin, the couch takes on the patterned inscriptions (or differently put: graffiti) of passers-by. Much like the residential building behind, the couch acquires the character of a place of residence not fit for residing in. Autumn leaves that have been collecting create a new upholstery while the traffic rustles past and the bricks come raining down from the construction site overhead. Perhaps in the previous summer the couch’s owner decided to move to another city and couldn't bring their couch with them. By donating their personal place of rest to the public space this couch is neglected and it becomes a symbol for departure. It serves now only as a final resting place for the leaves of autumn, and a canvas for the street artist's self-expression.
In the meantime, three arm chairs convene in the courtyard of abandoned houses of Kizalağaç. The sun scorches their bleached skins and a duvet cover dances in the wind, almost as if to entertain the sitters that are not there. Unlike the chairs of Berlin, who offer a kind of extroverted invitation to the world to come and be seated, the armchairs of Kizalağaç are facing each other, positioned as if to encourage people to meet one another and spend time together. If I were to sit in one of these chairs would a passer-by join me to watch the duvet cover’s terpsichorean abilities? Three chairs facing each other in a lounge represent a place of communion. Now, appearing as if the walls of the lounge have been removed but the chairs remain in exactly the same arrangement, they tell a story of people who no longer see one another.
07
And so, we reach the chairs closest to home: The Vitra model .04 office chairs who find themselves residing in atelier. These chairs day in and day out experience the abuse of panicked first years and apathetic second-year bachelor’s students trying to hang up their posters before presentations. And at 22:00 every day, when all students and staff retire to their homes, the Vitra model .04 chairs lie awake in the darkness kept company by only the flickering locker lights and mice who run between their mass-produced plastic wheels. Some unfortunate Vitras have suffered mutilation from particularly bored persons, missing wheels or stabilising screws they stand askew on their fuchsia ground, immobilised, and abandoned until the next morning. 08
Finally, the chairs of our beloved ‘stoelen collectie’ lead perhaps the most alienated existence of all. Standing at full attention, they face a now-blank wall, from which even the painted names have departed. Seeing only on occasion their own shadows moving with the sun they listen to an excitable prospective student spotting Rietveld’s Red and Blue Chair without taking the time to acknowledge the existence of the other chairs. Like animals in a zoo, their true calling has been denied. Caught in limbo, these chairs are not left alone to fade away in the urban fabric of the street, or slowly die in a Turkish breeze, nor may they be used as chairs to sit on; they are preserved in time, carrying only the memories of who they were before they became objects of exhibition.
Pen pal
BREXIT AND BRITISH ARCHITECTURE Words Amy Young
There is an underlying relationship between politics and the practice of architecture. Politics influences culture, economics, trade, ideals, business and current affairs, and each of these in turn has an effect on proposed design solutions. One of the most dramatic political events in Europe in the last decade is Brexit, the departure of the United Kingdom from the European Union. The analysis of what Brexit means for British Architecture is still in its infancy but is a conversation necessary in order to forecast the changes in the industry over the next decade.
Brexit began with a referendum in 2016, led by the conservative party leader David Cameron. Shocking everyone, both in the UK and Europe, over 50% of voters voted to leave the EU. This triggered Article 50 and the UK began the process of Brexit. Two prime ministers, a general election, multiple rejected deals, and a divided society four years later, on the 31st of January 2020 the UK officially left the EU. The effect of Brexit is and has already been felt across Europe, in terms of trade, immigration and business.
Stalinist towers and brutalism; the differing politics gives way to two very different cities.
In a post-Brexit society, there is expected to be both physical and non-physical implications for architecture and design.
One argument is that architecture in the UK could head subconsciously in a more nostalgic direction, playing on the British vernacular and comforting styles that are generally loved by the UK population, like Victorian, Georgian and Brutalism. This could result in an interesting progression for British architecture, but if approached with the wrong attitude it could easily become stagnant and dull.
Physically, architecture has always had a close relationship to politics. If we consider the political backgrounds of the renaissance, classicism, neoclassicism, modernism and post-modernism, it is clear that each is driven by varying political and social climates. An example is the comparison between the liberal, social democratic Barcelona and post-communist Bucharest. Barcelona boasts the work of Gaudi or the progressive modernism of Mies van der Rohe, whereas Bucharest is filled with
Brexit is a symbol of separation, nationalism, fear, isolation, exclusivity and the rise of the right that has been sweeping across the western world. It calls for speculation of what post-Brexit architecture will look like given the current climate. Will British Architecture become more 'British'? Will Britain develop a more unique style or continue to have parallels to European architecture?
The biggest worry about the UK having more British centric architecture and losing the interest of talented EU architects, is that Britain could limit innovation and the experimental element of architecture.
09
Looking at two of the most symbolic buildings in London, The Tate Modern, and The Shard, both are designed by non-British Architecture practices; Herzog & de Meuron, and Renzo Piano. To lose this attraction of talent could be devastating and make for a more homologous landscape, falling behind other European countries. A more positive outlook for the post-Brexit built environment is that it could promote transformation and steps towards solving a lot of the architectural and urban planning issues the UK currently faces. The housing crisis, sprawl, rural and urban relationships, and social housing, are just a few of the burning issues needing to be tackled. Directing the profession's focus inwards rather than outwards may lead to greater interest and funding, which eventually would be a huge benefit for the UK.
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Looking at the 'non-physical' effects of Brexit, these are potentially more extreme and worrying. One quarter of all architects in the UK are from an EU member state and given the instability and hostile atmosphere of the UK at the moment, it would not be surprising to lose a large proportion of foreign architects. Speaking from personal experience, during an internship in a London based Architecture studio, regular conversations revolved around the topic of Brexit and EU nationals leaving to find work elsewhere. This would frankly be horrendous for the industry: the diversity and range of influences is what makes British architecture so fantastic. Similarly, studying abroad as an architecture student is perhaps one of the most valuable exercises in your education; exposing you to new architecture, ideas and people. Brexit and the current deal will in some cases mean that UK students will have to pay full international fees (which can be in excess of 18,000 euros per year) and it may also work the other way around for EU students coming to the UK. The enriching opportunity will only be an option for
those who can afford it which is at its core classist and discriminatory, shutting off much of the architectural world for both UK and EU students. Furthermore, in terms of money, the UK receives large amounts of funding from the EU for design related research projects: ADAPT-r (a researchbased scheme training researchers and providing real-world training), and, JESSICA (a European Commission initiative to create sustainable regeneration in cities). London was a major player in the scheme. The EU put in ÂŁ120 million for the UK alone), BIM4EEB (For BIM Development), and RENOZEB (For creating net-zero energy building renovation market by increasing property value through a new systemic approach to retrofitting). Being removed from many of the research schemes initiated by the EU is a big step backwards for architectural research, the effect of which will surely be felt by universities and institutions across the country. As a left wing, Remain voter I have a swayed opinion about the effects of Brexit on the built environment. I think the effects of leaving the EU will be felt hard by the architecture industry, particularly by the loss of skilled architects. However, in many ways I have to accept the fate that Britain is no longer apart of the European Union and that perhaps there will be some positives for the industry. Maybe it is time to view this political shift as an opportunity to evolve and innovate UK architecture rather than a time to mourn the loss of what we had. Amy is a British student currently doing an exchange semester at BK. She is an editor at Bath University's magazine Paperspace, the student-led architectural magazine from the Department of Architecture.
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What makes a door a door, and a window a window? Can a door become a window, and vice versa? Could it be an architectural element that offers the premise of the dichotomy of in/out, enter/exit, here/there?
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0.49 0.98
becoming a door obstructs restricts movement where can you go nowhere elsewhere pinhole vision the size of your eye allow you to see
a window clears vision frames view what do you see nothing something panorama now limited to those borders
1.50
9.85
8.86
7.88
1.48
1.47
7.88
5.91
1.48
1.47
4.93
7.88 1.48
1.47
4.93
12.80 1.48
6.40
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4.43
4.43
4.92 2.95
0.98
D00113XRT
0.98 19.69
17.23
D00115XRT
0.98
D00113XRT
D00116SM
16.25
1.50
1.50
8.34
7.85
19.69
22.65
1.48
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10.36
11.35 23.63
1.48 1.50
7.85
1.48 7.85 1.50
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7.85
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23.54
23.63
11.25
11.35
0.96
1.45
1.45
1.45
1.45
0.98
0.98
10.83 1.47
D00113XRT 19.69
43.33
6.89
18.71
19.69
43.33
5.91
5.91 4.92
5.91
6.89
5.91
6.89
5.91
4.92
5.91
16.74
12.80
15.76
11.82
16.74
12.80
19.69
EQ
EQ
EQ
13
EQ
23.14
11.32
13.79
EQ
11.82
3.94
15.76
6.89
W00243SM
34.47
EQ
34.47
not a window what makes a door not a door what makes a window perhaps is it obscurity and transparency size and placement seen and unseen opening and closing diminish emphasise the great divide 24.13
24.62 7.88
19.69
24.62
11.32
15.76
3.94
3.94
5.91 4.92
5.91
23.14
6.89
3.94
6.89
11.32
5.91 4.92
24.13
D00113XRT
6.89
6.89
0.98 5.69 0.98 5.64
14.28
24.13
0.98
15.76
0.98
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EQ 0.98 0.98
6.89
23.14
EQ 0.98 0.98
becoming a window you can see out where the light shines those eyes the windows to the soul the light shines through behind D00113XRT darkness front the horizon
8.37
EQ 0.98 0.98
a door now I’m in and you are on the other side close and open whenever enter W00243SM leave separating the in and out
18.71
8.86
8.37
EQ 0.98
7.88
13.79
16.25
16.25
24.13
7.88
W00243SD
W00243SM
W132453SM
7.38
7.88
7.88
23.63
5.91
5.91
6.89
6.89
22.65
4.92
4.92
7.88
7.88
23.63
5.91
5.91
6.89
6.89
22.65
4.92
4.92
24.13
11.32 6.89
11.32 25.11 8.37
7.39
3.94
3.94
3.94 11.32
24.13
15.76 3.94 2.95
0.49
6.89
24.13
25.11
11.32
3.94 24.13
11.32 6.89
7.38
11.08
3.94
11.08
"This is how, being monumental, it is also comfortable, efficient and intimate. It is both spilled and concise, bucolic and urban, lyrical and functional… Brasília, capital by air and by road; city-park. The Patriarch's arch-secular dream.” Lucio Costa Brasília Pilot Plan Report
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Pen pal
BRASILIA: REVERIE EMBODIED AS CITY Words Lucas Di Gioia
Firstly a disclaimer; for those who might find themselves innocently (or not) misinformed on South American geography, Rio de Janeiro has not been Brazil’s capital since 1960. Having said that, I must first talk of Rio de Janeiro to understand the wishes for the existence of Brasilia.
The city drawn out between the mountains, forest, sand and sea was only Brazil’s capital between 1763 and 1960. Rio first came to be the capital of the Portuguese Empire in 1808 when the Royal family fled Portugal as a consequence of the Napoleonic Wars and remained there until 1821. In the following year of their return to Portugal, Dom Pedro the First of Brazil (known as Dom Pedro the Fourth in Portugal, and also reigning King of the empire) decided to remain and declare Brazil’s independence. Rio had been the capital of a colony, kingdom, empire, republic, dictatorship, and democracy. In every one of these political moments, the will to move the capital inland was present and steps were taken in the attempt to materialise this dream. Brazil’s territory extends far into the continent, yet the country had almost entirely been settled and urbanised on the Atlantic coast, with a few daring exceptions that swayed inland by major rivers. For centuries Brazil had been exploited closer to the coast and its raw materials exported overseas, mainly to Europe. As independence movements throughout the continent flourished, it was urgent for the country to affirm its claim over deep inland territory. The desire to occupy the central-west of Brazil had gradually progressed with decades of cyclical surges and crumbles of recurrent political systems. Finally, in 1946 the ratification of the constitution officialised the transfer of the capital to < Brasilia seen from above. Instituto Nacional de Pesquisa Espacial.
a rectangular (literally) demarcated area which would be known as the Federal District. Even though there were obvious political and geographical sovereignty-related motives to assert Brazil's territorial claim, social aspects were also definitive in the acceleration of this decision. Aligned to the timeless desire to declare a new capital in the central planalto region, were the political and higher social classes that had always enjoyed their colonial societal heritage and looked to distance themselves from the 'hectic' disorganised and badly planned cities of the coast. Rio de Janeiro, for example, had experienced countless epidemics, riots, sieges and coup attempts during more than a century as the capital. The opportunity for a fresh start, urbanistically, economically and socially was a reverie for any power hungry elite to shape their ideal vision of the urbis distant from the all too-close pressures of civil demands. The phrase that best illustrates this sentiment was said to Dom Pedro the First in 1810 by counsilman Veloso de Oliveira: “The capital should be fixed in a location which is healthy, pleasant, mild, free from the hustle and bustle of people indistinctly accumulated.” In 1956, President Juscelino Kubitscheck signed the definitive decree for the transfer of his government to the future capital city of Brasilia, setting the moving date to the 21st of April, 1960. From that day on, Brazil was running against the clock to build
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a functioning metropolis in the middle of the central-west plain lands of Brazil, where even the roads to get there were still to be constructed. It was a colossal endeavour equalled only by the tremendous ambitions of a nation that pursued a developmentalist approach to rapidly develop socially and economically. The effort was entitled “the 1000 days project” and amassed vast quantities of materials and people for construction. At first, much of these were flown to the location and placed in adjacent improvised settlements, yet still having to journey for hours to the construction sites. Thousands of these workers flocked from the northeast of Brazil, one of the poorest regions of the country. Known as Candangos, most workers came alone and were subjected to inhumane working conditions during the construction years. Others migrated with their families hoping that by managing work they would be allowed to remain once the city was complete. 16
where access would be done exclusively with cars since the city was designed favouring the automobile. Much of these towns, and later cities would become absolutely dependent on the capital city’s infrastructure, where many were urbanised informally with low income households. In 1987, UNESCO considered Brasilia a World Heritage Site, which froze the project in time, severely hindering any possibility of revisions to the project to make it more accessible and human friendly. Since then, the dichotomy between the politically and socially wealthy within the pilot plan, that dictate and decide the future of Brazil, and the outsiders and peripherals, workers and descendents of those that lifted Brasilia into existence, has only become greater. In the end, those who wished to turn a blind eye and move away from the chaos of a ruptured unfair society, by not addressing the issue, only deepened it.
Lucas is a first year student of Urbanism at BK. He is
The city’s project competition was won by Lucio Costa, prominent Brazilian modern urbanist who had suggested himself that the government should organize a competition for the project. Although initially he had not intended to participate, after a trip to Miami, he felt inspired by the grand infrastructural expressways of the US, and whilst flying back to Brazil, drew concept sketches of the project and wrote the detailed 20 point manifesto for his proposal. His project is an example of the Brazilian translation of the modernist ideals brought by the charter of Athens, yet incorporating a few postmodern revisionist concepts from Alison and Peter Smithson. Oscar Niemeyer worked closely with Lucio Costa designing the major buildings of the plan. Brasilia’s pilot plan considered accommodation for 500 thousand people with all amenities of the modern metropolis of its time. Excess population would be distributed in outskirt satellite towns,
also an editor at Atlantis, the student-run magazine of the Urbanism and Landscape master tracks.
BK Report
CHOOSING YOUR TRACK Words Nicole van Roij
It is the spring semester again, which means a lot of students are rounding up their bachelor's degrees and face the difficult question: what to do next? Perhaps a gap year or an internship? To directly continue the MSc program students have to choose between one of the five tracks. This decision might be super clear for some students, but can be an obstacle for others. In this article I ask three master students, who've each changed to a different track, to talk about their decisions, doubts and impressions of their past and current track.
On application, students choose one of the five tracks for the duration of their degree: Architecture, Urbanism, Management in the Built Environment, Building Technology or Landscape Architecture. At the moment, the faculty informs students by their website, brochures and multiple master events. However, it seems like 'word of mouth' (stories from students within the tracks) is also helpful for obtaining more detailed information on how things function inside a track. Lena (A to MBE), Karolina (A to U), and Lotte (A to LA) share their experiences and thoughts: Which tracks did you consider and why? Lena: I had a hard time choosing my master track. For a long time, I was doubting between Architecture, Urbanism, the new master MADE of the AMS, Industrial Ecology, a social entrepreneurship master (outside TU Delft) and MBE. Eventually, I started in the Architecture track because I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to give up on designing. However, after one semester I decided to switch to MBE because Architecture felt like a repetition of the bachelor in Bouwkunde. I really wanted to learn more about our built environment on a strategic, financial and business level.
Karolina: I started in the Architecture track, but quite soon I knew that I wanted to change to Urbanism. This was, to a large extent, my own mistake of not doing a deeper research into the reality of the tracks and programmes. I thought that the choice of subjects within Architecture would be more flexible, so I would be able to head towards working on a larger scale. Unfortunately, the choice of design studios in Architecture is limited by the number of students and the "first come first serve" principle. Also, compulsory subjects such as Building Technology and History of Architecture were, to me, a repetition of topics from my bachelor. Lotte: First, I was in the Architecture track, which I picked mainly because I thought it would offer me the most design perspectives. However, architecture was for me too focused on the building, whereas I was more interested in the space outside the building. I then picked landscape architecture, which I felt was a bit more like that. To me the track offered designing for a more public space, considering more scales, without losing the detail of a design. What are the best things about your track, especially in comparison to the other tracks?
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Lena: Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m very happy that I switched because MBE turned out to be a very good choice. The great thing about MBE is that it educates you in a widespread way. In the first year, you learn about many different aspects of our built environment and you develop your professional skills (project management, strategic thinking, decision-making, finance). In the second year, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re offered total freedom to dive into something that fascinates you. MBE is also a very social master track. Students work together a lot and help each other out. After finishing MBE there is a wide variety of jobs you can choose from and organisations you can work for. (And yes, you can still be creative and use your design skills!). Some initial ideas I had, which turned out to be NOT true:
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MBE is not creative: Not true, also being able to understand the legal and financial aspects of a design decision (in addition to the creative thinking learned in the bachelors), gives you creative superpowers. MBE is evil, unsustainable and unsocial: Not true, hello, we are the new generation, MBE students graduate on sustainable topics like the circular economy or inclusive cities. Karolina: Of course, what makes the Urbanism track the most attractive for me is the subject - I have always been more interested in the context, the larger scales and in doing research. However, there are many other aspects that I think are worth noticing, especially when compared to the Architecture track. It is a very coherent program: All the subjects and exercises we do are coherent and complement each other. Sometimes I had the impression that in Architecture the order of the subjects was a bit random and, certainly, inconsistent. The cooperation with students: thanks to smaller
numbers of students (approx. 80 compared to almost 400) I feel that we are treated in partnership. It is easier for teachers and for us to get to know each other and value our opinions. After each quarter, we get a survey and discussions are held regarding our feelings and insights about previous subjects. You can see that the program is edited and changed every year so that the quality of education is constantly improving. The quality of the group work: in Urbanism absolutely everyone is very interested in what we do and doing teamwork is really a pleasure. You can see that nobody came here by accident. Unfortunately, from my experiences in the Architecture track it concerned only about 50% of people. In the design studio we had people who were really outstanding and involved, but also a large group of people who seemed to be there by accident, showing little interest or understanding for the subject of the project. Lotte: To me, the track [LA] offers designing with a more holistic approach. By this, I mean that the design works through on a large amount of scales because you design with processes (such as the growth of plants, or the presence or absence of water). This results in a challenge to me on both a practical and poetic level, since you are dealing with these processes as well as with human perception at the same time. On top of that, the aspect of time is present in a very practical way, because your designs are for a big part realised by the growth of plant species. Therefore, both seasonal changes, but also the changes in the landscape that happen over a larger period of time, are very much a part of design thinking. This I find very inspiring. Did any of the faculty-provided track information support you in making your decision? Also, could you think of better ways in which the faculty could help students with choosing the right track?
Lena: Sorry to say it, but no, not at all. The brochures and the talks with professors did not present an accurate picture of MBE. They actually made me want to run away (which I did, at first). What made me switch in the end, was joining a day in the life of a friend who graduated from MBE and now worked as a project developer. This turned out to be a great day! So, in order to make the right decision right away, I would suggest talking to graduates from different master tracks, learning about the actual jobs they end up doing and deciding if thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also something you could do for X numbers of years. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t choose the study, choose the job. Or even better: choose which study can help you make the most impact. Our built environment needs it.
faculty does a lot already in providing students with information about master tracks. Basic information on the five tracks can be found on the following webpage: https://www.tudelft.nl/onderwijs/ opleidingen/masters/aubs/msc-architecture-urbanismand-building-sciences/master-tracks/. But moreover, if you have to make the decision, try to talk to as many students and graduates from the tracks as you can. Their stories and impressions can provide a more realistic, extensive and in-the-moment source of information. Unfortunately, this time we didn't speak to any students from BT or A, but feel free to send us a mail about your switching story or track misconceptions:
Karolina: The greatest impacts on my decision were conversations with friends who had already studied Urban Planning, their stories and impressions about the programme. When it comes to information provided by the university itself the most useful to me was actually the Study Guide browser, which is a catalogue of all available subjects. It was only there that I could completely dive into and understand the programmes of the individual tracks. It seems to me that the information and promotion of individual specialisations could be more extensively available on the university's main website. In the current situation, the Urbanism track pages do not seem to show very much and yet other tracks have a lot of sense and advantages; it would be nice if their promotion was at a similar level as the Architecture track itself, especially in light of the current diverse employment potential after each specialisation. Many people are unaware of such possibilities and later try to strive towards them while following the program of the Architecture track. Lotte: To be fair, I made my decision rather intuitively and based it a little on the experience of other students. On top of that, I searched the website quite a bit. This also helped. I think the
bnieuws-bk@tudelft.nl
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Spotlight
ARK[S] Words Aikaterina Myserli
Is writing for the war in Syria still relevant? Given that refugee flows have been regulated to a certain extent, the war doesn’t make the latest news and headlines anymore. However, it is salutary to remember that waves of refugees still try to find their way in the EU; on this basis, this thesis aims at shifting our attention from a war zone to an emerging diaspora- and thus, to new reception and absorption models.
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In lieu of introduction: A crisis in numbers* According to the UNHCR (2017), since the outbreak of the civil war in Syria in 2011, more than 300.000 people have lost their lives, 4 million Syrians have left the country and around 7 million people seek a safe refuge. On the whole, an estimated 11 million Syrians have fled their homes whereas, today, in the sixth year of war, 13,5 million are in need of humanitarian assistance within the country. Since March 2011 almost 1,6 million migrants arrived on the southern borders of Europe by boat, while 13.179 people died in the waters of the Mediterranean Sea. The case of Greece In September 2015, the Justice and Home Affairs Council decided to relocate 160.000 people in clear need of international protection from Greece and Italy to alleviate the burden of the extended refugee flows on these two countries. However, the so-called “Relocation Scheme” has proved clearly insufficient and 70.000 people in Greece are still waiting in ill-equipped shelters to be processed, settled or deported. Since the Balkan route from the Greek borders to northern Europe (Fig. 2) was closed in March 2016, migrants and refugees are now forced to live in overcrowded refugee camps both on the Aegean Islands as well as on the mainland, in proximity to big cities, such as Athens and Thessaloniki.
In general, most refugee populations under direct aid via governments or humanitarian organisations live in camps of thousands, in small scout-style tents or –in the best cases- in metal containers. Camps are typically constructed in large open areas in spontaneously sought locations. The simple tent structures, arranged in such a way to form a ‘tent city’ are mostly made of canvas military issue tents and are often criticised for being heavy, uninsulated and unsafe. In the case of Syrian refugees in Greece, even though the Greek government has provided this kind of temporary housing to the tens of thousands trapped in the country by the EU-Turkey agreement, many of these camps do not meet accepted humanitarian standards. The proposal: Floating reception centres It is true that absorbing the influx of refugees has been an enormous challenge for the EU, with strong implications for the stability of the entire region. One of the things I realised after witnessing the chaos in several refugee camps in Greece is that doing what you are good at and minimising risks is a natural process. By this I mean that when the UNHCR decided to build emergency tents, a great deal had been invested in this project and –I assume-nobody wanted to lose the “sunk” costs - in the case of these emergency tents, engineers addressed value conflict by satisficing with moral obligations, which implies that they set as a priority
*This article was first published in 2017. All figures and data correspond to that moment in time.
Figure 1: Perspective section of the floating reception centre
to satisfy the refugee right to housing or shelter and to cover basic, non-negotiable needs. As van de Poel (2014) states, “The goal of this step is to rule out morally unacceptable options,” which in the case of UNHCR camps in Greece would have been leaving people waiting on the shores of Turkey and Greece without shelter, food, sanitation and water. On the other side, Venice Architecture Biennale 2016 director Alejandro Aravena said that tents are a quick response to the need for emergency shelter, but “it’s money that melts.” In addition, he highlighted the need to invest in less temporary disaster-relief shelter as a longer-term solution to housing shortage, especially in cases of huge refugee flows. Echoing his argument, this thesis starts from analysing trends and data of refugee flows in Greece and examines the spatial problem that has arisen from 2014 onwards, regarding the inadequate infrastructure and the lack of accommodation facilities, registration, identification centres and medical care facilities both on islands and in continental Greece. The insufficiency of land facilities and the belief that any humanitarian intervention through architecture cannot be captured by policy decisions led to the idea of an alternative model of receiving refugee flows in the Mediterranean Sea by creating floating reception
centres. The idea originates from the on-going use of large Greek passenger and cruise ships for the transportation of refugees from the Eastern Aegean Islands to Athens. It envisions a new reception strategy and a legitimate transfer of refugees to cities in the EU, where identification, registration, accommodation and medical assistance will be provided on-board. The ship chosen as case study is Blue Star 1, a Greek passenger ship which has already been used several times since 2015 for transporting refugees from the islands of Mytilene and Kos to Athens. Its transformation into floating reception centre mainly necessitates the utilisation of every usable surface, the effective lighting and ventilation of each deck and the creation of as many circulation areas as possible. Maximum length of stay on board is estimated at 10 days. From theory to operation Before you think that the implementation of such a system is utopian, know that my optimism arises from the magnitude of the problem, not the ease of the solutions. Knowing that the average lifespan of a refugee camp is now close to seven years, I am positive that a flexible system of floating centres given that Greece possesses a great number of cruise
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ships, almost empty during winter - may turn out extremely practical. A similar idea was implemented last year after the heavy snowfall and sub-zero temperatures nationwide during the first weeks of January; the Greek government sent a few warships to provide shelter to the Syrian refugees, since the extreme weather conditions left tens of thousands of refugees exposed to appalling living conditions aggravated by severe cold weather.
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This year, members of the government discussed the idea of transforming several cruise ships into floating reception centres that will remain attached to the ports but will provide better living conditions for the refugees. Of course, a transition from emergency tents to ships could only work if the limits and roles between governments and stakeholders involved are clearly defined. And there is no doubt that this idea doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t hold all the answers to the essential needs of refugees. Nonetheless, it offers new solutions to ongoing spatial problems, and the reception and accommodation problem, especially in countries like Greece or Italy. While it is no panacea in crises of this scale, for the refugee communities in Europe it could be a game changer.
Figure 2: Map of the Balkan route
Sources United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Mairs, J. (2015) Refugee tents are a waste of money, says Alejandro Aravena, Dezeen. van de Poel, I. (2014). Conflicting Values in Design for Values Design for values. In J. van den Hoven, P. E. Vermaas & I. van de Poel (Eds.), Handbook of Ethics, Values, and Technological Design
Aikaterina gratudated form the MSc in Urbanism at BK. Previously, she graduated from AUT in Greece, with this project as her thesis. Today, Aikaterina is based in Rotterdam, where she works as an architect and urban planner and researcher. In collaboration with student association Polis (@polistudelft) and their publication Atlantis (@atlantis_tudelft), Bnieuws has re-edited and printed this article.
Figure 3: Exploded drawing with uses layout
From the editors
REFUGEE REPUBLIC Words Aimee Baars Images Jan Rothuizen
Worldwide, there are more than 50 million refugees. Despite the temporary architecture of most refugee camps, most refugees are forced to 'live' there for years. When taking into account the mass populations which inhabit these camps - some have reached a population of 150,000 people - one might even speak of an urban form. So, the question of this article arises: "When does a space of 'exodus', a mass departure or refuge, become a destination?"
In 2014 four Dutch content creators teamed up to create a digital representation of everyday life in a refugee camp. This interactive documentary maps the syrian Camp Domiz, near the Iraq border, which is inhabited by 5000 households, while it only has a capacity for 1000. The camp has one major artery, which is called Barzan street. Through sketches, texts, photos and sounds the audience witnesses the coping mechanisms of people who have been displaced from their homes. It is much like in a real republic, where people build their own world. Many camp inhabitants have found themselves a daily job, are busy improving their tents or have started building a home of concrete/wood, have access to mobile internet and make use of a semi-privatised public transport system to go out for dinner or get groceries. People get married, move in, and have babies. At their origin, refugee camps are typically temporary settlements implemented from a top down approach, in response to an urgent demand, as opposed to being developed structures of a long term plan. Camp Domiz illustrates that occupants will naturally seek a sense of permanence and 'settling down' in their life, while local governments want to limit the
number of people who will consume their resources in managing the refugee camps. Aid organisations are often put between these two conflicting groups attempting to find a solution. This power play raises questions about the concept of democracy and authority; Who is in charge? Petti (2011, p.62) in his article states that the birth of such camps questions the idea of cities as democratic spaces: "The camp is in fact the inverse of the city, an anti-city, in which a citizen is stripped of their political rights, reduced to bare life." In the democratisation process of refugee camps, the spatial set-up appears to play a crucial role. It indicates the amount of personal freedom that local governments and NGO's permit the refugees, and represents the extent of self-empowerment, selfsufficiency and the control that one is allowed over their own lives. Slater (2014) conducted an elaborate research on the spatial planning of several camps. The formal urban grid has been the most dominant and utilised form - however, its rigid structure creates militarylike camps that decrease cultural connection among occupants. The next step is 'staggered square' planning. Although the idealised version of this sounds effective, in reality it provides little
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opportunity for community design and instead creates isolating spaces between neighbours. Open space at the center of camp is more functional, often grouped around clinics, schools, or community centres. This third approach of 'cluster' planning has proven to be more suitable to facilitate social communities. A community generally consists of 15 - 20 families. The communities are then arranged to form the urban network found in refugee camps, similar to neighbourhoods. The defining difference between the grid, the staggered square planning and the cluster planning, is the psychology of space.
displaced people can often lead them to isolation. The sense of belonging, attachments, can only be formed with the other displaced individuals, and so it is crucial that camp designs address these issues. The design of the urban network must facilitate communal connections in order to encourage people to take ownership of their surroundings. As occupants begin to identify with the shelter they are living in, they will make alterations and take charge of their own territory. At this point the intended 'exodus' space has transformed into a destination space - but for how long? Sources Petti, A. (2013). Spatial Ordering of Exile. The Architecture of
The need to feel connected to other people is one of the primary psychological concerns in refugee camps. Imagine being displaced from your home and contained within a refugee camp: the stresses upon
Palestinian Refugee Camps, Crios, 2013 (1), pp. 62-70. Slater, J. (2014). Urban systems of the Refugee Camp. Syracuse University, New York.
24 Typologies of camps
grid
Refugee Republic, drawing by Jan Rothuizen
staggered square
cluster
Pen pal
INCREDIBLE NOTTINGHAM Words and images Dorsa Ghaemi, Francien Fons, Jolt Wiersma and Sun Ah Hwang
Last year, The University of Nottingham invited a group of students from our faculty to participate in the celebration and acknowledgement the 100th anniversary of the Addison Act by planning a week-long symposium and design charrette in association with Nottingham City Homes.
The Addison Act was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Named after Minister of Health and Housing at the time, Dr Christopher Addison. The Act was a response to the shocking lack of fitness amongst many recruits during World War One, attributed to poor living conditions; it provided subsidies to local authorities and aimed to help finance the construction of 500,000 houses within three years. It also marked the start of a long twentieth-century tradition of state-owned housing in planned council estates. The city of Nottingham has a rich legacy in this area and is now working on its conservation and further development1. We were invited to participate in the symposium concerning these developments, this took the form of lecture series, presentations and discussions, site visits, and as above mentioned, a design charrette. Under the supervision of Esther Gramsbergen nine students from Bouwkunde, some in their 3rd year of the bachelor program and some in the beginning of their master studies joined and were hosted by fellow architecture students in Nottingham. Monday the 4th of November 2019 marked the launch of the symposium, with a welcome and introduction followed by various lectures giving historical and contemporary perspectives, both the tenantsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; perspectives as well as the vision of the coming 100 years. The tenants were intensively involved in the housing symposium and the design 1. For more information see the book, Homes and Places by Chris Matthews
process. During the introduction event we saw videos of interviews with them and heard their opinions about their houses and living area. We met them again during the site visit and they guided us through the location. They were also present at the final design presentations and gave feedback on the designs. In the afternoon we started the design charrette followed by visits to the sites of the three study cases, namely Sherwood, Balloon Wood, and The Meadows. We spread out in different workgroups. Each group had a combination of second and third year students and design teachers and experts. In each group we worked on one of the afore mentioned case studies together with our peers from the university of Nottingham. What was really remarkable was that immediately at the excursion we could feel the friendly atmosphere between the teachers, the students, and the tenants. This continued during the whole design week and we could experience a new (to us) way of design teaching and learning from the teachers in a related and personal way. We felt connected with them as if we had known each other already for a long time. Whether it was caused by the low number of students or due to the fact that the teachers knew the students from the first year of their study and were guiding them through their whole course of study, it made for an incredible experience.
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Below are descriptions of the three case studies as written in the design brief by the initiator of the symposium, Alison Davis. These are respectively followed by our contributions and results: Sherwood Estate – Garden City, 1920’s: "Sherwood Estate, habitations fit for the heroes that had won the war, was built in the periphery of the city according to garden city principles. The traditional brick buildings have successfully outlived their original 60 year life expectancy and the neighborhood continues to be a popular place to live. Despite its enduring success, the density of the estate, with approximately 30 homes per hectare, is too low for future success. Further, the range of housing typologies on the estate lacks diversity. The design challenge at the Sherwood Estate is therefore to explore the possibility of densification within the existing urban fabric and the introduction of new housing types to attract a more diverse group of residents." 26
Our Contributions: In case of Sherwood, there was a big green space surrounded by houses. We studied the possibilities for the densification of the area in order to design where to put those houses and what to do with the green space left. The first thing we did was to formulate 5 principles, which were: traffic, arts and crafts style of the house, community, green spaces, and the building of sustainable houses When we went to the site, the first thing we noticed was that there were some curious little parks in front of some houses. We used those as a gateway to the inner circle of houses. The fact that the backyard bordered on the communal space was also really important. This meant the people could flow through the whole scheme. Parking is on the outside of the ring of houses. In the end we came up with three types of houses. The first one is the gatehouse. It stands on the entrance of the inner circle and is quite small. The first floor is lifted so
you can park your car underneath. The other two types of houses are row houses. The first one has three bedrooms and the second one two. We wanted to make a wide range of housing types, so that we could accomodate different types of residence. Balloon Wood – Systematic Construction, 1960’s: "Balloon wood was a neighborhood made of high-rise buildings with gallery-accesses, very similar to the Amsterdam Bijlmermeer project. In the 1960’s, the housing council in Nottingham joined forces with local government and developed a flexible, modular system of interlocking and terraced dwelling units made of a system of structural concrete panels. Balloon Wood was a classic example of the implementation of modern methods of construction in which prefabricated, standardized components are manufactured off-site. The cleverness of the building system in combination with its social ambition made the project unique. Regrettably, it was a short lived success. In contrast to its objectives, construction defects in the system and a sense of social insecurity in the scheme resulted in its demise, and Balloon Wood was demolished within 20 years of its conception, at considerable cost in terms of both embedded carbon and displaced community. The (hypothetical) design challenge at Balloon Wood was therefore to explore the possibility of reinventing the scheme through remodeling, revisioning, creative reuse, or a more selective demolition, had it escaped complete demolition in the 1980’s." Our Contributions: We formulated 4 key themes for which interventions would be needed, namely: Courtyards, Materiality, Deck Access, and Amenities/Functions. Ultimately, the combination of the interventions per theme has led to a scheme at Balloon Wood that has been reinvented through remodeling (courtyards), revisioning (materiality), creative reuse (deck access), and selective demolition (amenities/
Design proposal of differing residential types in Sherwood Estate
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Design proposal of coexisting themes in Balloon Wood
Impression of new proposed Boulevard in Balloon Wood
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Varying construction methods in The Meadows
functions). Each theme influences one another, so it is of value to visualize how all can coexist together as a whole. In this case, this occurs by means of human interaction, the initial goal of the original Balloon Wood. From our discussions with Martin and Dan, Policy & Planning Managers at Nottingham City Homes, we noticed that the estate was prone to criminal activities. By selectively demolishing several blocks, we could introduce a boulevard within the complex that also connects the newly introduced train station and the socially significant pub that then existed. The newly introduced boulevard is intended to work as Mekelweg in Delft does; a source of geographical connection and social integration with pop-up stores and food trucks.
The Meadows – Radburn Layout, 1970’s: "In the 1970’s, the reaction to the discredited system-built, high-rise schemes was a return to low-rise, traditionally constructed family homes in a green landscaped context, albeit at a greater density than its pre-war predecessor and with a concern for management of circulation networks. Post-war planners were interested in its potential for safe pedestrian neighborhoods. Despite gaps in the urban fabric, the area retains a strong local identity and sense of community. The challenge at the Meadows was therefore to explore the possibility for urban repair at the level of densification, either by positioning new dwellings into the existing urban fabric, such as at non-overlooked parking sites which are now considered a threat."
and gave the students wings to fly with our selfchosen topics of interest. The work was not divided to merely accomplish some pre- defined goal, but rather to ensure that everyone was passionately engaged and had fun in the learning process. We divided into groups of 2-3 students each working on one aspect of design and analysis. Second-year students made their hands busy working on The Meadows’ urban massing model. One group started analysing the green and logistical qualities of the site. One group focused on the bio-diversity, and another one on possible construction concepts and methods. Finally, we contributed a graphical communication of the comparison and the decision-making process between different chosen construction methods for the site. Reflection The Design week was a unique opportunity to get in touch with the way of working and the atmosphere of the Architecture Faculty of the University of Nottingham, that was located in a beautiful park. On the final presentation day again, the tenants were there giving feedback and opinions on the design proposals. On the last day we went on a city and architectural excursion guided by David Short. We enjoyed a vibrant academic environment and worked with talented students and very passionate tutors. The friendly and personal environment was very impressive and unforgettable.
A great thanks to David Short of the school of architecture of the university of Nottingham, Robin
Our Contributions: At the first group meeting, we made decisions about the team work process. Decisions were made based on students’ own ideas and areas of interest and tutors guided them knowing their development stage. What fascinated me was how the tutors supported us
Wilson, Alison Davies, our supervisor Esther Gramsbergen and other tutors involved as well as our fellow students; Alicia, Thomas, Au Yeung, Joe, Rachel, Jessica, George, Alejandra, Tasha, El, Amelia, Racheal, Ryan and other, and also our hosts; Melanie, Sarah, Lucy, Mia, Vhinossh and Joe.
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Streets of BK City
THE PAPER MAKING WORKSHOP Words and image Nicole van Roij
Streets of BK CIty is a reoccuring article covering an event, activity or BK streetquestion. This time we cover the paper making workshop that was organised by students in collaboration with ARGUS. The goal was simple: to share the craft of making paper. Buying beautiful papers for your model or research booklet is fancy but often expensive! So what if you knew how to recycle paper and make your own paper, perhaps even with some sparkling terrazzo or concrete pattern. The workshop lasted three hours and after some frustrating try-outs most students produced 1 or 2 pieces of paper. We hope more students will feel inspired to share their DIY -knowledge through workshops in BK!
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1. Choose a frame that matches the paper size you prefer.
2. Collect old paper and cut it up.
3. Blend the cut-ups with water until it becomes the consistancy of porridge.
4. Pour your paper porridge in some water and wiggle the frame up and down.
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The workshop results
5. Pat dry with love and care.
6. Yay!
7. Before your paper is ready you have to let it dry for around half a day
Artefact
THE BRIC-A-BRAC CABINET Words and image Leeke Reinders
‘Artefact’ is a recurring two-page spread, which features a beloved object presented by one of the BK City staff members. Every month, the author passes on the ‘Artefact’contributorship to the next. Last month Paul Vermeulen nominated anthropologist Leeke Reinders, who explores the intersections between fieldwork, visual research and architectural/urban design in the chair of Urban Architecture.
This cabinet looks like an apartment building. It is delicate but stands firm and proud. It looks familiar but is one of a kind. At night, the street light outside shines softly on the metal handles and the 'building' seems to flicker with life. During the day, the thing is revealed for what it used to be: storage space for the equipment and materials of a bicycle repair shop. Artefacts transform through time. They wear, move and change hands. Its usage might change, as well as its meaning or emotional connotations. The first time I laid eyes upon this cabinet building, I was intrigued by its bric-a-brac qualities. Different wooden textures and colours show additions and mutations. It is self-made out of pieces of mahogany, plywood, paper and metal. It holds 81 boxes, 23 labels (some loose, one broken), 89 nails and 190 screws. Although the cabinet is heavy and full of rough edges, it appears so light and elegant. Maybe it is the slightly curved left leg that does the trick. The cabinet is a practical building. It used to be stuffed with screws, bags, pins, nails, rags, wrenches, brushes, tubes and other materials to support the handyman. Now, it stands in the corner of a private living room. It is in a warm place, flanked by the marble frame of the fireplace and the curtains of a front bay window, and full of homely artefacts. There are boxes for specific things: some have dices, playing cards or postcards, others are used to store candles, lighters and matches, sunglasses, batteries and jewellery. Many boxes are empty, others have never even been opened. Some contain things long forgotten. Artefacts change, as do personal preoccupations. As an adolescent, lost in the 1990's, I despised objects as too materialistic. Now, I seek comfort in things. They hold memories and remind me of all the beautiful things yet to come. B
DEAR FELLOW BK STUDENTS,
We would like to cordially invite you to step out of your comfort zone and consider entering the world of bnieuws! We are currently looking for editors.
WHAT DO WE EXPECT?
- degree in openminded thinking - fair amount of writing/editing skills - engagement with BK faculty and students - juicy, creative energy during meetings - an average of 4 to 8 hours of your week
DOESTHISGETYOURBLOODFLOWING? CONTACT US FOR MORE INFO: whatsapp: 06-12697279 mail: bnieuws-bk@tudelft.nl instagram: @bnieuws
BECOME A PEN PAL! We are always searching for new voices to join and contribute to Bnieuws. Whether your talents are in writing, drawing, photography, graphic design, or you’re filled with a range of skills, we would love to hear from you if you have any ideas for the faculty periodical. If you would like to be on our contributors list, simply send an email with your ideas to bnieuws-BK@tudelft.nl
NEXT ISSUE: 06 #00FF00 Although at first glance it would appear to be the next trending hashtag on Instagram or twitter, it is in fact the hex code for the colour green, a word which is indeed very fashionable in the built environment. Today the word “green” is used synonymously with the concept of ‘sustainability’, but what is it exactly that we mean by this, and how honest are we being in using this hashtag on our projects? Perhaps at the end of the day it is simply a hashtag used to garner more likes... In any case, call your building green, but it will never really be #00ff00. Bnieuws 53/06 release date TBD 2020.
Bnieuws INDEPENDENT PERIODICAL OF THE FACULTY OF ARCHITECTURE AND THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT TU DELFT VOLUME 53 ISSUE 05
