Michiel Zegers Domus Botanicus introverted habitat
michiel@michielzegers.nl +31 06 48084269
Amsterdam Academy of Architecture Graduation Projects 2015-2016
Architecture
Michiel Zegers Domus Botanicus introverted habitat
Domus botanicus is about sensory architecture. Connecting human beings with the universe in which they live once again. The reflection of the clouds on glassy water on windless days or, conversely, the dancing restlessness of the waves that seem to want to escape the water in strong winds. The dancing of the reeds. Green and full of resistance in the summer, brown and flexible in the winter. The low winter sun, the clear blue sky, tomorrow the weather will be beautiful, but tonight it will definitely be cold again. ‘The great challenge for architects is the re-sensualization, re-mythologization and repoetization of the human domicile.’ This quote from an article by Juhani Pallasma from 2000 is the essence of my graduation project. Every decision and step taken can be traced back to this. The quote is the essence, because it appeals to that which is immaterial. It is not only about the facts of architecture, but also about its consequences. That it is not only a third skin of our bodily functions, but that it is also a materialisation of our imagination, memory and our intellect. The sensualization concerns the physical consequences of architecture. The stimulation of the senses. Making one feel what is hard and soft. The creation of a sense of security, or the glimpse of infinity instead. The shelter of a low ceiling, the sky that provides a high space. From a cold bedroom to a warm kitchen via a breath of wind and fresh air. Mytholigization concerns the immaterial. Myths are stories that forge our awareness of who we are, how we ended up here and how we fit in the world around us. Stories full of symbolism and metaphors about humankind and the cosmos. Telling a story with architecture that can conjure up a world that could be ours. A world of contrasts and contradictions. The house can also be interpreted as a sequence of transitions, where the stillness and quickening of time are made tangible. Appealing to the associative power of humankind. The poetry stems from playing with the ingredients and hierarchy of architecture. The domus (home) as a poem in which details sometimes play the lead role and the main aspects serve the minor elements. A door is a door, but the can also be a passageway, or an opening. The difference between a casement and a window. A wall that borders or actually leads. Walls and spaces determine the form of the domus, the form not the walls and the spaces. The importance of levels of scale are interlinked. The graduation project was a quest for the sensitization of architecture. Making the awareness of time tangible by stimulating the senses. Connecting with the here and now. Graduation date 30 08 2016
Commission members Jan-Richard Kikkert (mentor) Marlies Boterman Bruno Vermeersch
Additional members for the examination Elsbeth Falk Ira Koers
Michiel Zegers
The great challenge for architects is the re-sensualization, re-mythologization, and re-poetization of the human domicile
Juhani Pallasmaa
Architecture
Michiel Zegers
Architecture
Making Architecture
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Michiel Zegers
Diagram extroverted / introverted
Diagram programme organisation
Diagram climate zoning
Diagram floor plan
Amsterdam Academy of Architecture Architect, Master of Science Urbanist, Master of Science Landscape Architect, Master of Science
With the inclusion of the course in Urbanism in 1957 and Landscape Architecture in 1972, the Academy is the only architecture school in the Netherlands to bring together the three spatial design disciplines under one roof. Some 350 guest tutors are involved in teaching every year. Each of them is a practising designer or a specific expert in his or her particular subject. The three heads of department also have design practices of their own in addition to their work for the Academy. This structure yields an enormous dynamism and energy and ensures that the courses remain closely linked to the current state of the discipline. The courses consist of projects, exercises and lectures. First-year and second-year students also engage in morphological studies. Students work on their own or in small groups. The design
projects form the backbone of the syllabus. On the basis of a specific design assignment, students develop knowledge, insight and skills. The exercises are focused on training in those skills that are essential for recognising and solving design problems, such as analytical techniques, knowledge of the repertoire, the use of materials, text analysis, and writing. Many of the exercises are linked to the design projects. The morphological studies concentrate on the making of spatial objects, with the emphasis on creative process and implementation. Students experiment with materials and media forms and gain experience in converting an idea into a creation. During the periods between the terms there are workshops, study trips in the Netherlands and abroad, and other activities. This is also the preferred moment for international exchange projects. The Academy regularly invites foreign students for the workshops and recruits wellknown designers from the Netherlands and further afield as tutors. Graduates from the Academy of Architecture are entitled to the following titles: Architect, Master of Science; Urbanist, Master of Science and Landscape Architect, Master of Science.
Architecture
Architects, urbanists and landscape architects learn the profession at the Amsterdam Academy of Architecture through an intensive combination of work and study. They work in small, partly interdisciplinary groups and are supervised by a select group of practising fellow professionals. There is a wide range of options within the programme so that students can put together their own trajectory and specialisation.