Bas Schuit - Master in Architecture

Bas Schuit Time for space a patio for the city

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Architecture

Bas Schuit Time for space a patio for the city

‘De hemel is naar beneden gekomen en ligt om ons heen, in scherven op aarde.’

(Heaven has come down and is all around us, in shards on earth) Kees Fens: writer/critic, lived in the Chasséstraat and parishioner of the Chassékerk.

Nowadays there’s a lot of pressure on the inner-city life, where cities become more dense and where society is based on the individual, growth and achievements. From my own experience I started this graduation project while I needed a place within the city where I could escape this everyday buzz.

Amsterdam-West is an area where public space is intensely used. Wouldn’t it be great to have a place to literally take some distance?

Also the municipality of Amsterdam saw the necessity of ‘urban oases’ in the city, as they can work as a buffer for noisy or active places around them. People can use them to wander, stare, think, catch a breath or to recharge themselves. These days, also because of a decreasing role of religion in society, people more and more are searching for meaning in life. Therefore Nietzsche already said in 1882 we need wide open spaces with arcades where we can ‘dwell in ourselves’.

To create such a urban oases I used the tenantless Chassékerk, an immense build public space known as an institute to give context to life. By opening up its structure, this reminiscence (shard) of religion can now give new meaning and house a new sort of public space! By treating the building and it’s surroundings as a landscape, the user can now freely use the site with it’s lanes, fields and vistas. Three zones or ‘rings’ are introduced to structure the site and give more depth in experiencing it. These rings create spaces, make routes and form boundaries, giving it the users the step-by-step guidance away from the hectic city.

The first ring is the most public, one step away from the concrete jungle by stepping onto the gravel surface with place to meet up underneath the Sycamore trees, play jeu de boules at the Chestnut or remember the thoughts of Kees Fens at his monument. A few steps up from this field you stand between the arches of the buttresses of the old church, about to enter the patio garden. You can walk around, cross the main paths or walk the narrow paths finding a bench in the middle of the plant beds. The new focus point in this patio is a Linden tree, traditionally known as a protector for the community.

In the back there’s a monumental staircase leading 4,5 meters up into the 7 meter high concrete ring with it’s closed outer facade. Light plays a specific role in walking through the space between the old church walls and the concrete facade. Giving guidance by lighting up the corners, chancing moods through daytime and giving character to the different places. Places varying from a completely open view to the courtyard, to filtered views and to no view at all, making it one of the most secluded public spaces in town.

Graduation date 02 07 2013

Commission members Ad Bogerman (mentor) Ira Koers Bart Bulter

Additional members for the examination Florian Schrage Gianni Cito

Bas Schuit

Architecture

taking distance from your everyday life

Chassékerk, front view

Chassékerk, side view

Chasséker, interiour

Chassékerk, section

Using space for staring, wandering, etc.

Urban oases as a buffer

Reference, Mariavall Sweden

Concept model

Cross section, showing gravel field, patio garden and concrete ring

Bas Schuit

Street view, showing the open field, patio and concrete ring

Vista from the balcony, litteraly taking some distance from the city

Architecture

Arcade walkway

Bassin with light from above, a completely secluded public space

Bas Schuit

Personal space along the arcade with filtered view into the patio

Green creates intimate spaces in the patio

Master of Architecture / Urbanism / Landscape Architecture Amsterdam Academy of Architecture

Architects, urban designers 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. 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.

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 curriculum.

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: Master of Architecture (MArch), Master of Urbanism (MUrb), or Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA). The Master’s