Chepos 58

CHEPOS built environment magazine

CHIEF GOVERNMENT ARCHITECT DUTCH DESIGN WEEK | CATHEDRAL TO CASINO | SANDCASTLES

58

NOV. 2017

INVENT YOURSELF. RESHAPE THE WORLD.

INVENT YOURSELF RESHAPE THE WORL

INVENT YOURSELF. RESHAPE THE WORLD.

INVENT YOURSELF RESHAPE THE WORL

INVENT YOURSELF. RESHAPE THE WORLD.

INVENT YOURSELF RESHAPE THE WORL 170,000 EMPLOYEES, 68 COUNTRIES, 8 RESEARCH CENTERS.

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CHEPOS built environment magazine

Imagine one of those rigid social events. You are introduced to a vague acquaintance at your uncle’s birthday party. Pleasantries are exchanged: “Where do you live?”

- Eindhoven “Brabant! That’s nice, where do you work?“ - Not yet actually, I still study.

“Oh, what do you study?”

In my case, in the first minute of our conversation the vague acquaintance has already asked me the one question that I dislike the most:

“What do you study?”. I dislike this question so much, that since a few years I have changed my answer. However, it is not actually the question nor the answer that I dislike, but what happens next. In nine out of ten cases, the person will make a remark about my gender.

It is either surprise (“You never hear a woman say that”), or curiosity (“Are there many other women studying there?”), but it never goes unmentioned. Apparently a woman studying Bouwkunde (Built Environment) is a strangely alien concept. To avoid this situation I have resorted to answering Architecture instead of Bouwkunde, something that is easier to accept, possibly because they can now safely imagine me in a dress behind a drawing board rather than fixing a floor as a construction worker. Neither prejudice is true for my studies, however this is the example that springs to their minds.

With this story I hope to illustrate the importance of examples. Examples are powerful things: they shows possibilities, broaden views, guide people or scare them away. A lack of examples can lead to the story above. This is especially true when people are the example.

They can -quite literally- be role models: the people who show you the possibilities of a role.

The Chief Government Architect is such a role

model. Every few years an examplary architect is chosen as a guide towards the future, to set the course of architecture for the coming years.

The emphasis of this ancient role has grown from the practice of architectural design towards laying out a policy for change. The current Chief Government Architect is expected to bring solutions to the table and influences other architects to do the same. He is rooting architecture into society’s problems, guiding us to bring tangiable solutions to social issues.

Contests are set out to tackle urgent problems and innovative projects are rewarded. The position of the Chief Government Architect is just as well a reflection of our time, as it is an engine behind the Dutch architectural agenda.

This issue reads the story of example and influence in architectural practice, aimed at increasing its momentum. Our editors have worked tirelessly to create this examplary work and I am proud to present it to you for the first time.

Have a good read, Eva Pabon Editor-in-Chief

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16 NOW EDITORIAL 1 NL NEWS 4 CHEPOST 6 A NEW GENERATION 7

Column John Habraken SANDCASTLES FOR ADULTS 8

Introduction to a forgotten material 10 STRAW: FROM VERNACULAR TO PREFABRICATION IN LOVE WITH DUTCH DESIGN WEEK 12

What does it take to participate in the DDW? EDITOURS 14

2 INDEX

FILE: CHIEF GOVERNMENT ARCHITECT BETWEEN DESIGN AND DELEGATION 18

200 years of government architecture FUELING THE MOTOR OF INNOVATION 20

Interview Floris Alkemade WHO CARES? 22 GOVERNMENT FOR SALE 24

Looking into the managing of government-owned

real estate HOSPITALITY IN THE HEART 26 A MAN ABOUT WOMEN 28

Column Jacob Voorthuis

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THAT’S WHY

TOOLS

PANTHEON 30

What if architecture was a woman’s profession?

OPEN UP 32 ARCHITECTS CHANGING JOBS 34 FROM CATHEDRAL TO CASINO 36

A reflection on cultural values through architecture THE PUSH AND PULL OF PUBLIC SPACE 38 FORM FOLLOWS FORCE 40

PROGRAMMING AS A DESIGN TOOL 42

Reviewing Dynamo AGENDA 44

INDEX 3

Self healing basin This fire extinguishing basin in Rotterdam is built with extraordinary concrete walls. Within the concrete, bacteria are added which form limestone if exposed to water. In this way they can repair the wall when small damages occur over time. This technology was developed by the TU Delft. It is the first time that the technology is tested on this grand scale.

Text: Thimo Hillenius

Scheveningen smart city hubs The municipality and Eneco collaborated in experimenting with smart city hubs along het Zwarte Pad in Scheveningen. The area along the city beach needs to be refurbished with new street lanterns, and this is a nice opportunity to show the ambitions of the municipality. The street lanterns of the company Sustainder can do a lot more than only illuminating their surroundings. The plug-and-play sensors in the lanterns range from thermometers and microphones to security cameras. The ambition is that they will function as the eyes and ears of the smart city. The lanterns can also spot parking lots and can be extended to charge electric vehicles.

Lighting is almost a side issue of these hubs. Street lanterns are thought to play this peculiar but interesting role because of the amount of them in cities and also because all of them are connected to electricity and their placing and height, which comes in handy. The smart city hubs will be connected to the 5G network. It is hoped that the digital infrastructure of this project will function as a prototype for other cities.

‘Il bosco verticale’ comes to Utrecht Stefano Boeri architetti, most known for the vertical urbanforest tower (il bosco verticale) in Milano, has won a design contest in Utrecht. The hawthorn project comprises two towers at the Jaarbeurspromenade. The towers fit in the green, healthy and sustainable development of Utrecht which the city counsil envisions.

One of them will be designed by Stefano Boeri. The tower will be 90 meters tall, with over 10.000 plants of different species. It will be “a real urban ecosystem, hosting over 30 different vegetal species,” the firm describes. The other tower will be developed by MVSA architects and has greenery in large atria on the inside of the building. In the design there is room for different types of apartments, offices, horeca and low-scale retail. Construction is scheduled to last from 2019 until 2022.

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Energy neutral parking garage in Driebergen-Zeist This parking garage will be the first energy neutral parking garage in the Netherlands. It provides space for 582 cars, stands besides the train station and is designed by Groosman and Aan de Stegge. The morphology of the building is linked to the newly built station area by the usage of sloping lines and natural materials. The mass is designed to be as small as possible. The height of the building was restricted to 21 meters, which is the height of the trees surrounding it. An intelligent and compact parking system made it possible to stay clear of this restriction. Rounded corners and a wooden facade cladding give the mass a subdued character. The materials used are durable and will age without damaging the esthetics of the building. Especially the natural ventilation and solar panels on the roof of the building ensure the reduction of energy demands.

Bijlmer Bajes transforms into Bajes kwartier The Bijlmer Bajes will be transformed by OMA and FABRIcations in collaboration with LOLA landscape architects. The site, once a distant landmark of Amsterdam, is now a wanted location for development.

The architect firms transform the 7.5 hectare site, preserving the ‘island’ character. Pedestrian and cycling bridges ensure the connection between the renovated and the new structures. 30% of the 1350 residual units is designated as affordable housing. Of the six towers of the former prison, five will be demolished and replaced. The last one will function as a green tower, and will house plots for urban farming as well as a vertical park. The new district will be developed with sustainability in mind. All the buildings are energy neutral, use high r-value insulation and produce energy through solar panels, wind turbines and an organic waste decomposition system. 98% of the existing building materials will be reused in the new buildings.

Office buildings’ energy labels 80% of the offices in the Netherlands carries an energy label that is too low.

From 2023 onwards, office buildings with the energy label D may not be used anymore for housing offices. The awareness among owners is low, or they postpone to take actions. Among renters there is even less awareness.

When the deadline approaches, the costs for renovation will likely be higher due to increased demands. Hopefully succesful renovation projects like the Rijksverzamelkantoor building will soon be followed.

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Images: 1. Fire extinguishing basin (photo: BAM, 2017) 2. Smart city hub (source: cobouw.nl) 3. Render green tower (photo: G&S Vastgoed KondorWessels Projecten / A2Studio) 4. Parking garage (source: architectuur. nl) 5. Render bajeskwartier (source: Robota, courtesy OMA) 6. renovatie tot rijksverzamelkantoor (source: bouwwereld.nl)

Sources: 1. Bluswaterbasin herstelt zichzelf door zelfhelend beton.

2017. bouwinformatie.nl 2. Slimme lantaarnpalen maken van Scheveningen een smart city. 2017. cobouw.nl 3. Groosman wint tender P+R Driebergen-Zeist. 2017. architectuur.nl 4. Groene torens aan Jaarbeursboulevard Utrechts stationsgebied. 2017. dearchitect. nl 5. Patrick Lynch. OMA and FABRIcations win competition to transform former prison complex in Amsterdam. 2017. archdaily.com 6. Redactie bouwwereld. 80% van de kantoorgebouwen heeft geen juist energielabl. 2017. bouwwereld.nl

NOW 5

ChePOST RICK ABELEN 2ND YEAR MASTER STUDENT ARCHITECTURE 22 YEARS OLD

Life inside Barbapapa During the Dutch Design Week 2017, I visited the (W)EGO installation by The Why Factory and Winny Maas (MVRDV). “The Future City is Flexible”, according to Maas. Since 2013, I have seen several ideas of The Why Factory.

Maas scattered his story about Barbapapa with conviction and enthusiasm at De Wereld Draait Door. He got inspired by the cartoon film Barbapapa whereby the same-named beings can change in any shape. “While one would prefer to live in a library, others might want a climbing wall throughout their entire home. What would happen if we maximize our wishes at a maximum densification? And if residents could negotiate about the use of space?” Barbapapa is a labyrinth of spaces that pile up as a puzzle. Walls are made of a new Nano rubber material which still has to be developed. You can control the materials yourself and change the shape of a space. With this fabric, you can customize the room to suit your wishes and needs. The result is a building with spaces that twist around each other and around spaces of neighbors.

Are we ready for such a change? I think this issue is not about practical possibilities and impossibilities. It is a different way of thinking.

We will have to deal with our propensity to property in another way. Where does our inventory stay when we temporarily lend a piece of our house to the neighbor? Perhaps there is no private property anymore and we live in a shared economy, in which we share everything,

and not only borrow a cup of sugar from the neighbor. Barbapapa reminds me of the poem Mending Wall by Robert Frost: “…And on a day we meet to walk the line And set the wall between us once again.

We keep the wall between us as we go.

There where it is we do not need the wall: He is all pine and I am apple orchard.

My apple trees will never get across And eat the cones under his pines, I tell him.

He only says, ‘Good fences make good neighbors.’

Why do they make good neighbors?’…”

To a certain extent, the neighbor is right: borders and walls can stabilize social relations. I have my world, you have yours. Or as Ramses Shaffy sang: ‘laat me mijn eigen gang maar gaan’. Separation is a way to counteract disorder and formlessness of the environment.

“Through gaming and other tools, (W)EGO explores in an open design process how we can properly match the competitive wishes and egos of all residents.” Do people want to live in a computer program? (W)EGO reminds me of a game called ‘landjepik’, where the goal is to conquer as much territory as possible from your opponent. However, there is no need to get suspicious or anxious about these ideas.

Critical questions are necessary to make progress, as they help to shift borders. It keeps us sharp and makes us sharper. Now that we have these interesting thoughts, we want more.

How much further? “I’m not an architect delivering his baby and then releasing it”, says Maas. But this is not yet a baby, Barbapapa is only an embryo. That makes it even more exciting. We should see the embryo of Maas as an opportunity, a question that is being presented to us. How do you want to live? If there is the possibility that people will decide what they want, I am curious about how they are going to convey, negotiate and regulate.

Try to imagine what the impact would be on architecture, urban planning and real estate.

How does this work when we live inside Barba? We would go to more compact environments where you need to negotiate and share more with the neighbors. “That gives us a ‘we’-feeling,” according to Maas. Perhaps people are very bad at sharing. Perhaps the biggest challenge relates to our (fixed) mindset concerning the concept of ownership.

Have something you need to share? Send an email to chepos@cheops.cc and your article might get published!

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John Habraken As architect, theorist and professor, Habraken has made innumerous contributions to the world of architecture. This is the first of three columns about the theory and practice of open building.

A new generation

This spring I had the opportunity to visit three recently completed buildings in Amsterdam. All three were the result of the so called Open Building approach by which the inhabitants can decide the size of their units and have them fitted out following personal preferences.

Architect Marc Koehler of MKA Architecten1 completed a multi-unit Superloft building in De Houthavens Amsterdam. A superloft is a two story high empty space in which a mezzanine floor can be inserted as part of the interior design in response to the inhabitant’s wishes. Other superloft projects have been completed, or are in the building or design stage.

Architect Tom Frantzen, of Frantzen et al architecten2, built Patch 22, which has a two story ground floor zone for commercial functions and six residential floors that can be subdivided in four small units or two or three larger ones. Residents selected the location and size of their units and had them fitted out under their supervision. The building also got an international price for its solid wood frame construction.

Next to Patch22, Dirk Jan Borski of BNB architecten3 and Rene de Prie of BO6 architecten designed Blackjack, an energy neutral building of eleven floors, each of which has been subdivided in a combination of four possible unit sizes of 200, 150, 100 or 45 m2 available for residential as well as work purposes. The two story ground floor is for commercial functions. Deep cantilevered balconies keep the entire glass facade in the shadow thereby reducing its required insulation capacity.

- For more information about these buildings see their endnotes. Patch22 and Blackjack and another Superloft building are part of a collective of eight OB related projects in the same Buiksloterham neighbourhood in Amsterdam.

The buildings are very different in their architecture, technical execution and public circulation but they each, in their own way, solved the design problems posed by an Open Building project: the possible subdivision of each floor in different units (as well as their re-arrangement in the future), and the connection of the public infrastructure for energy, water, waste removal and ventilation, to the distribution of these same services in the privately designed interiors.

All these buildings were built and inhabited in a time of recession. Clearly there was a market for this approach.

The Open Building approach is not new4. The first truly OB project was already done in 1974 by architect Frans van der Werf in his Molenvliet project in the town of Papendrecht which still attracts visitors from abroad. Today there are hundreds of completed OB projects on record.

In several countries, OB initiatives have been done by professional parties for commercial reasons and by municipal and national bodies for the sake of sustainability. For instance, a long life housing law in Japan which gives a tax break to owners of adaptable units; a formal OB requirement for public building projects in the city of Bern; an OB competition called by the city of Helsinki; or the emergence of successful fit-out companies encouraged by a building regulation institute in China.

In the Netherlands, however the professional housing establishment sees no advantage in OB. The regulatory bodies are ignorant about it and so are the political parties and the government. But apparently a younger generation of architects thinks OB possible and desirable and their collective action is unique in the international OB network The 2008 recession made the above mentioned buildings possible.The usual developers had returned their claims on new land, some of them having bankrupted. This forced the municipality to redraw its urban design to accommodate smaller parties whom they normally would not deal with.

The important question is wether this new generation will be listened to by the establishment now that the economy has recovered.

The Thematic Design website features the projects that are mentioned in this column. It is definitely worth a visit to find out more about the Open Building appraoch: thematicdesign.org

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Images: 1. John Habraken (source: Audacity) 2. Pelgromshof by Frans van der Werf (source: Vdwerf.nl) Sources: 1. MKA. “Superloft”. 2017. Marckoehler.nl 2. Frantzen et al. “Patch 22”. 2017. Frantzen.nl 3. BNB. “Blackjack”. 2015. b-n-b.nl 4. Stephen Kendall. “Open Building Concepts” 2004. open-building. org

COLUMN 7

Sandcastles for Adults

Introduction to a forgotten material When the average student of the Built Environment is asked about the material cob, he/she does not have the slightest idea. Yet, cob tells the same story as straw: it is a very common building material in history; it is extremely sustainable and can be used to create beautiful architecture. Text: Josien de Koning

Creating Cob Cob is a mixture of soil, sand, straw and water.

This mixture can be sculpted into walls of many shapes by a range of techniques. When dried, the walls breathe, regulate indoor moisture levels and have good acoustic properties, however the material needs to be protected from prolonged rain. Cob has different names according to the location in the world and the technique used, such as loam, adobe or simply mud.

Historical examples of buildings made of cob or earth-related materials are the typical English cottages and the Great Mosque of Djenné in Mali. More recent examples range from small, self-built structures, to carefully designed architectural achievements.

Sustainability Currently, there is a rising pressure to construct climate neutral buildings. However, many socalled climate neutral buildings still use steel, cement and other highly processed materials.

These materials are hardly sustainable: the production of steel and cement require high temperatures, the curing process of cement even releases CO2 in itself. Furthermore, these materials are often transported over long distances.

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In contrast, cob is almost sustainable in itself.

It can be made from all types of soil, sand and straw – materials that are available locally anywhere in the world, generally for low prices.

The only processing that needs to happen before cob can be used as a building material is mixing and optionally pressing into bricks – both mechanical processes that require little energy or can even be done by hand.

When one decides to demolish a building made of cob, one can break down the walls, add some water and start a garden on it.

Furthermore, cob is durable: properly built cob houses are known to last for hundreds of years. At the same time, when one decides to demolish a building made of cob, one can break down the walls, add some water and start a garden on it.

Building with cob Every component of cob has a function: soil contains the clay that makes the mixture stick together, sand makes the mixture strong, straw makes the mixture act as one entity. Water is necessary to mix and handle the material, but will evaporate from the walls later. The correct ratio of soil, sand, straw and water depends on

the local conditions of the materials. Using the correct mixture, cob walls can act as structural wall for at least two floors or can be used as infill to a timber construction. The mixture is either directly applied on top of the wall and compacted, or first pressed into blocks, dried and then used for construction. When this process in finished, the wall has the rough appearance of soil with pieces of straw sticking out. Therefore, it is desirable that the wall is plastered.

Designing for water Cob has one main restriction: although cob can withstand quite an amount of water, it will slowly wash away when exposed to prolonged rain. Unless the building is situated in a very dry climate, it is essential to provide a good foundation and roof. The connection between the non-porous foundation and the cob must be elevated from the ground to protect against splashing water. The roof must have a sufficient overhang to prevent rain entering from above. When these rules are adhered to, cob buildings can even be constructed in tropical climates.

The plaster used to finish the walls must be vapor permeable – otherwise, in the end moisture will accumulate in the cob, causing the straw inside to deteriorate. Most commonly, a coarse earth plaster called browncoat is applied over the bare cob, after which a finer earth plaster provides the finishing touch. Earth plaster can be mixed in a wide range of colors, making intricate wall decorations possible.

Thermal mass vs. Insulation Another critical question that should be asked concerning cob is about its thermal properties.

Cob is a solid material and therefore does not insulate well. Instead, cob uses the principle of thermal mass. The principle is the following: during the day and in summer, heat is stored in the thermal mass of the cob walls, keeping the building cool. At night and in winter, the walls radiate the stored heat back into the building, keeping it warm.

Josien de Koning is a second year student of our faculty and guest editor for this Chepos. She followed a cob building course in Kenya where she learned the principles of building with this material.

Because of the absence of such knowledge in Dutch education, she decided to share this with her fellow students.

In warm or moderate climates, this principle works really well for keeping the building at the right temperature. However, opinions differ on whether this is a good principle to use in colder climates. All in all, it seems like a building fully made of cob can work well in colder climates, but only if it is designed carefully, using passive techniques and if it is combined with a small heating unit, which often is a highly efficient wood stove out of cob.

For these reasons, it might be better to combine cob with a more insulating material.

For example, one can make a combination of a cob wall with large windows on the south façade and a straw bale wall on the north façade. Furhtermore, one can make exterior walls made of straw or another insulating material and only the interior walls made of cob.

Then, cob merely acts as a solution to the fact that lightweight, well insulated buildings often overheat in summer, as the cob interior walls now take up the surplus of heat.

Flexibility A major advantage of cob is its flexibility.

Building with cob is more like sculpting: furniture, bookshelves, organically shaped hallways or windows… all but large overhangs are possible. In this way, cob can also easily be used to add decorations and sculpted elements to existing structures.

The other advantages of cob are quite similar to straw as a building material. It is completely non-toxic and since the walls are breath-

able, they regulate the indoor moisture levels, resulting in a healthy indoor climate. Cob is earthquake resistant and has good acoustic properties. Moreover, according to ir. Michel Post, a common reaction of visitors to any earth-plastered building is “I felt at home immediately, it was as if the house embraced me.”

The future of cob Why is cob so unknown? Here, cob again tells pretty much the same story as straw. In the past century, with the new availability of modern materials such as concrete, steel, gypsum board and so on, cob was seen as a rather backward and primitive building material, especially because it has to be protected against water. As a result, it was ignored in architecture schools and no standard building codes were developed for the material.

Consequently, cob is currently stuck within the niche industry of ‘natural building’, together with straw bales, rammed earth, earth bags and recycled materials. This industry is dominated by do-it-yourselfers and builders educated in practice rather than in architecture school. Houses are most often built on a tight budget under a volunteer model. Therefore, an amateur workforce is often using reclaimed materials with non-industrialized methods.

For example, in the project in Limuru, Kenya, all cob was mixed and compressed by hand, scaffolding was made from old bathtubs and the connections between frames/lintels and

the cob walls were made with nails sticking out of the wood. Although the master builder definitely knew what he was doing and there was in theory nothing wrong with these methods, it might give the shivers to the average professional in the conventional building industry.

These methods are not suitable for large scale application on a professional level.

To conclude, cob has both advantages and disadvantages, but the advantages are too significant to ignore possible use in contemporary architecture. However, before cob can gain popularity again, it needs to be professionalized. Innovations and industrial methods such as the straw panels in the adjacent article need to be developed, standard building codes need to be created, scientific reports on the material properties need to be written. Only then can the few professional architects who are working with cob be joined by mainstream architects.

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Images: 1. Lintel in the making (Photo: Josien de Koning) 2. Cob building course in Kenya (photo: Josien de Koning) 3. Cob in organic shapes (photo: Propel Studio) 4. Earth plastered interior (source: Pinterest)

Sources: 1. Instructions from César Loza, instructor at Cobworks and private cob builder, July 2017. Limuru, Kenya. 2. Gernot Minke.

“Building with Earth”. Basel: Birkhäuser, 2006 3. Michel Post.

“Bouwen met Stro”. ’s Hertogenbosch: Aeneas, 2013.

NOW 9

Straw

from vernacular

to prefabrication The barn with straw bales is slightly dark and the air is heavy of the dusty scent of straw.

In secret, a hut is built inside the pile of strawbales. The narrow entrance of the hut is camouflaged, however, once inside there is enough room for three school boys to sit. One of them, the most daring one, lights a firelighter. The boys watch indulged in awe and bewilderment of doing something naughty and dangerous. No one has to know... that straw bale walls in buildings are not actually fire prone. The loose straw in the straw bale pile is, but a well-built wall with compressed straw will only smolder slowly on its surface.

This natural material is therefore not as dangerous as we may think, it is actually a versatile material which is highly applicable in the construction sector. Text: Thimo Hillenius Benefits of the material Straw as building material has been used in vernacular building since the beginning of humanity. Only quite recently the material was rediscovered in western building industry. So why don’t we see straw buildings more often?

Straw is a bio-based building material, and as such from a regrowable resource. It is a residual product of the cereal industry, so it is available in huge quantities as long as people eat bread or drink beer. Straw as building material is CO2-negative, so instead of emitting CO2, it stores CO2 within the building. Research to make cement CO2-neutral is still ongoing, but with straw we are already there.

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Availability and ecology are not the only benefits of this building material. Buildings built with this material also have very good properties. Walls made with a straw layer of 400mm have an R-value of 8.25 m2.K/W which is almost two times the value which is necessary according to Dutch norms. With straw bale walls a building can be built damp-open, which creates a healthier environment inside than damp-tight buildings. It is also the case that with traditional building, for example with ‘PUR’, ‘PVC’ and several insulation materials, materials are slightly poisonous during production or during the usage phase. Straw is slightly dusty to work with, but that is not the case after the wall is finished. Straw has excellent insulating properties, which gives the building a high energy efficiency.

If TU/e was a straw built university, you would possibly finish your studies faster The material also contributes to pleasant indoor acoustics. A healthy building has benefits for the atmosphere inside, therefore a straw bale building makes people more productive.

Material characteristics It is worthwhile to note some of the characteristics of the material straw. Straw has other insulation qualities in the longitudinal direction than in the transverse direction. So when a straw wall is made, care should be taken with the orientation of the straw. A wall insulates better with a panel with straw in the transverse direction (20%). However, the straw in the wall would not be stable that way. Straws can easily picked loose on both sides. It is found that using straw in a crisscross direction is an optimum between insulation and strength.

In pressure related to insulation there is also an optimum. Straw needs to be compressed +/100 kg/m3. With low pressure the straw turns into a loose gathering of strands, with high pressure the air in the voids within the straw reeds diminishes. The material also copes with wrong presumptions about its properties.

Like that the wall will decompose. This will, just as various other building materials, occur only when it gets wet. Water leaking on top of the straw bale walls has to be avoided at all costs.

Another prejudice is that unwanted animals start to inhabit the walls. In fact, in 100kg/ m3 compressed straw there is no room and no food for such animals. Also, the walls have a finishing layer that shield the straw. Still, some people also have doubts because of their hay fever. However, you are not going to sneeze yourself out of your house, since hay fever results from hay, and not from straw.

Building with straw There are a few different types of building methods with straw. The ‘modern straw movement’ started with stacking of straw bales, using them in a constructive manner.

This style is called ‘Nebraska’, after the place where the movement started. The straw bale wall is strained by pressing two wooden frames, which are placed under and above the straw bales, together. This low-tech method offers opportunities for a do-it-yourself way of building, working together with volunteers.

However, buildings with asymmetrical loads on the walls and multiple stories prove to be extremely hard to build. In the Netherlands this method is not allowed, since there are no building rules for this way of constructing yet.

The second method is to use a wooden frame, where straw bales are forced into. This method is called ‘post and beam’. This month I volunteered building a straw bale house at the community ‘De Hobbitstee’ in Drenthe, using this method. We pressed the strawbales in between a vertical oriented timber frame and used a system with hydraulic jacks to compress the bales. Sometimes, for example along the windows, it was difficult to bring enough pressure on the straw bales. When this is done in factory conditions, this can be done with more precision. Also assemblage and detailing is a lot easier with panels that are prefabricated. So the creation of a building system would come in handy for this building material.

In the Netherlands there are companies that build using this following third method, prefabricated straw panels: Strotec, Strowonen, Stroblocks and Prefab strobouw to name a few. In a telephone conversation Eric Verheijen from Strotec answered some questions on straw panels. According to Verheijen a lot of innovation on the prefabricated use of straw as a building material has happened over the last 10 years. Stuffing wooden wall frames on site with straw bales is already an outdated method. ‘The Netherlands is in fact lagging behind in this field. In France 500 houses are made with straw every year.’ The Netherlands is making a head start by certifying their panels. Like the DUBOKEUR and the BIOBASED certification marks that the panels from Strowonen acquired.

In France 500 houses are made with straw every year There are several methods to press straw in a wooden frame. One method is to use whole straw bales. However, where straw bales connect to each other, it is difficult to acquire good insulation characteristics. Another method is to use a big roll of straw, which results in less joints. Also, loosening the straw bale creates loose packets of straw, which can be stuffed into the wooden frame without the issue of joints. Straw panels come in various dimensions, for example 120mm x 300mm. According to Kristian Maters from Prefab Strobouw, architects can design buildings with the panels following the rules of timber frame construction and prefabrication.

Financial On the down side, straw bale building is not cheaper than traditional building. It may be even slightly more expensive. One factor

contributing to this is that on both sides of the straw panel a layer of plaster is needed.

‘Another reason is that the production process is small scale and not yet optimized or automated.’ says Kristiaan Maters. In the end, however, straw bale building is way cheaper than traditional building, since less energy is needed to heat the building. In fifty years this can add up to two hundred thousand euros.

Straw revolution We all know that innovation in the building sector is a slow thing. The builder prefers to build with known technologies and also the client refrains from taking risks with something that is so expensive as a house. Furthermore, Dutchies like brick buildings. Wooden frame building makes really good and healthy buildings, but brick is our culture. To get the straw revolution going, promotion is needed. The knowledge how to use the material in building is not known by most builders and also there are no courses for it at educational institutions yet. While society is on the verge of a sustainability revolution in building, students in the built environment need to know more about the exciting qualities of this material.

In fact, returning to our own place, the TU/e, why are we not studying in straw buildings?

They provide a healthier indoor climate, which leads to better productivity. Probably, if TU/e was a straw built university, you would finish your studies faster.

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Images: 1. Photo straw bale construction (source: ecococon.lt) 2. Straw bale building under and after construction. (source: strobouw. nl) 3 & 4. Volunteers at building site at ‘de Hobbitstee’ (photo:Thimo Hillenius)

Sources: 1. FAQ strobouw. Strobouw Nederland. 2017.

2. Eric Verheijen. Strotec, 13-10-2017 3. Kristian Maters.

‘Eigenschappen’. prefabstrobouw.nl 4. Michel Post. Strobouw Praktijkhandboek Duurzaam Bouwen. Orio Architecten, 2009 5. Marcel Zwart. Strowonen, 23-10-2017 6. Kristian Maters. Prefab Strobouw, 03-11-2017 7. Tyrza Ligthart. ‘biodegradable facade component.

TU Delft, 2015

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In love with the Dutch Design Week What does it take to participate in the Dutch Design Week?

The Dutch Design Week has been a reccurring event since 2005 that every designer, enthusiast and Built Environment student looks forward to. It offers a platform for young designers to show what the future holds. While strolling through one of the many exhibitions one might wonder what it takes to be a creator of one of those exhibits who help shape the future. The answer might not be that complex. Text: Sander de Meij First of all, there are a few selection criteria that every applicant needs to incorporate.

The application needs to be: related to design (obviously), created in the year before the application, innovative, thought through and ready for presentation, original, distinguishing and experimental.

Week success. If you want to be part of the Dutch Design Week you better love what you do with all your heart, otherwise this double life will catch up with you.

The ultimate Kickstarter All this blood, sweat and tears does give something in return. Besides the enormous personal satisfaction you get from the fact that your work is appreciated by a large audience, the Dutch Design Week might be your ticket to success. One of the goals of the Dutch Design Week is to provide designers with the opportunity to kick-start their product or concept.

Even though not all products gain instant fame through the Dutch Design Week, it provides you with an unrivaled network that might prove to be very helpful in your future endeavors.

Immaterial benefits To meet all these basic requirements is no easy task and many ideas run aground in this phase.

However, the initial application is just the first difficult step into becoming a Dutch Design Week participant.

Planning Problems For the average student, combining education with their normal life is one of the hardest tasks to face. Studying during the day, while exercising social skills at night leaves very little time for the student to take up any more activities. Now, imagine applying for the Dutch Design Week and receiving the following message: “Good job, your design is design related, created this year, innovative, thought through and original. See you next year!”

Unless you are the Bruce Wayne of design and you can be a perfect student during the day and a design vigilante at night, this might be the biggest challenge you face during your Dutch Design Week experience.

Do what you love This double life requires serious commitment and the following quote comes to mind: “Passion is what gets you through the hardest times that might otherwise make strong men weak, or make you give up”. This quote from famous astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson is very relevant for the journey to Dutch Design

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Besides these ‘material’ benefits, the Dutch Design Week also provides something that is very much immaterial, but very valuable nonetheless. These benefits come in the form of personal lessons that no educational institution can ever teach, like planning, presenting and professional social skills. As mentioned before, the Dutch Design Week becomes a second life to you and that takes some serious planning. This does not come naturally to all people, so it forces you to learn, adapt and overcome these situations. In addition to this it might sound obvious that presenting is an essential part of the Dutch Design Week, but again, this is not second nature to everyone. So, the Dutch Design Week teaches you how to present your product whether you like it or not. Finally, all this planning and presenting forces you to communicate with the people around you and the ones you meet during your journey. Allowing you to develop conversational and social skills that you might not develop otherwise.

Passion is what gets you through the hardest times that might otherwise make strong men weak, or make you give up.

The Batman of Design In any case, the Dutch Design Week is an incredible event, that brings with it an incredible amount of work and an incredible amount of experience. You might be able to transform yourself into the Batman of design or you might feel like giving up halfway through it. But in the end you might prove yourself to be the amazing designer you’ve always wanted to be.

There’s no such thing as the ideal DDW’er.

The Project ‘Smock-it’ has innovated the process behind old ‘craft smocking’ to optimize, develop and reduce the time that the craft takes. It is a personalised clothing service, through which women do not need to lose their personal touch and style if they wish to empower their lives.

Dressed with smocking, women feel more confident in intimidating situations.

The Person One of the designers and the main source of this article is Jessie Lauret. Jessie is an Industrial Design student at the TU/e and is currently in her third year. Her ongoing passion for textile- and fashion design has let her to be part of the Dutch Design Week 2017. In addition to this, she is the proud owner of the Blue Ribbon price of the Eindhoven Maker Faire.

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Images: 1. Image of product Smock-It (Provided by creator Jessie Lauret) Sources: 1. Interview with Jessie Lauret on 26 november 2017

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Martha: “this inspiring place” Visiting Vienna for the first time last Summer, I was not sure what to expect since I did not really know the city. My boyfriend, with whom I was travelling through Eastern Europe by train, was talking about this street in Vienna that was renovated by a Dutch urban bureau. Since I do not have the best sense of direction, he was the one leading the way most of the times. This street, the Mariahilfer Strasse was inevitably the first thing we saw of Vienna. It was a nice summer morning, and as we walked down the street it became more and more crowded. Pleasantly surprised, we watched the peaceful harmony between pedestrians, bicycles and cars on a street with no clear sidewalks and traffic lights only there for the blind.

The theory of shared space is coming alive in the Mariahilfer Strasse. People are actually using the benches on the street, just sitting and interacting with each other. The street fits perfectly in this city, that simply has great taste, and forms a lively axis through the city center. As an urbanism student I know the difficulties of dealing with public space and I have to admit, I am very grateful that we stumbled upon this inspiring place.

VIENNATHE EDITOURS KYOTO Where did our editors go?

Bart: “it all made sense” We have all been there. An absent-minded professor rambling on in awe and amazement about the beauty of traditional Japanese architecture, organized around the famous Tatami mat, where all you can see is a conglomerate of rectangles arranged according to a simple rooms bunched principle. How on earth can a professor get so carried away by such a simple building?

This summer, together with a group of students, I visited Japan and some of these ‘simple’ traditional Japanese houses. The moment I stepped into one of these houses, when my bare foot touched the Tatami mat, it all made sense. The feel of the soft mat on your feet, the smell of the beautifully crafted omnipresent wood, the organization around and inseparable connection with the garden, the soft diffused light falling through the paper screens, it explained to me more about Japanese architecture, and perhaps living or residing, than all rambling professors combined.

Architecture is about experience. To understand a building there is no better way than to go there in person and experience it. Experiencing architecture can make you fall in love with a building (or tatami mat) you had come to resent.

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Eva: “a happy citizen” Imagine a perfect city. Now build it. That is what the South Korean government did for Sejong Administrative City. Just five years ago the site was nearly empty. The Korean government moved in with a 3,7 kilometer long (!) building to encourage migration and by 2030 they aim to house half a million inhabitants. Sejong City means Happy City. This is important, because Korean citizens want to live there, so that they in turn will be happy. The government left nothing to chance for this to happen.

For example: children in Sejong will be monitored by an extensive camera system to ensure their safety on the streets, just in case something happens to them on their way to school. Additionally, their food intake at school will be adjusted to their physical needs to ensure their health. Obviously, the parents will be informed about the attendance and nutritional intake of their children.

Imagine how happy the children must be.

It is not just the life in Sejong that is perfect, but the landscape as well. Sejong is a green city. It is built around a green heart and filled with a popular type of modern housing that leave all the room for Corbusian parks: apartment towers. You do not even need to choose your own apartment. Register and a furnished apartment will be assigned to you. What does it matter if you live in building 2159 or 1075, as long as you are a happy citizen of Sejong.

O SEJONG ROSTOCK VIENNA Mats: “local and authentic feel” Don’t expect to find any majestic cathedrals here amidst the Hanseatic cities of north-western Germany. In this area I spent a week of the summer holiday with my grandfather. The group with which we were travelling took us from church to church, square to square, city to city and thus we explored much of the region of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

My favorite moments, however, came when thirty minutes were reserved for wandering through one of the many churches of the area. We all visit local churches when we’re on holiday and I too have given into this habit many a time. I always find myself admiring the material use, the light incidence, the gaping volumes, etcetera.

The visits during this trip, in cities like Rostock, Lübeck and Stralsund, introduced me to a new genre of church architecture, namely Brick Gothic, which is very common in Northern Europe.

These churches, you will find, have a sober expression that is made up of a combination of red brick, glazed bricks and plaster, and, unlike other Gothic styles, is characterized by the lack of ornamental decorations. Yet these churches possessed a very local and authentic feel and are also very associative with our own, Dutch architectural history.

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file:

Chief Government Architect

The position of Chief Government Architect (CGA) finds itself in the middle of politics and architecture. The image on these pages shows this aspect through a picture of refugees protesting against the detention of a few fellow evacuees, emphasizing the need for humane interaction in this conflict. The current CGA, Floris Alkemade, focused on this issue in one of his previous contests A home away from home. In this edition’s file theme we will further explore the role of the CGA via a journey through history, the role of female architects, an interview with Floris Alkemade and much more. Text: Mats Rekswinkel

Between design and delegation 200 years of government architecture The origin of the position of chief government architect of the Netherlands has to be sought somewhere at the turn of the 18th and 19th century. During those tumultuous times the country changed name and configuration 6 times in 35 years, more or less into the country we know now as the Netherlands. It is in this period that the position of chief government architect (CGA) was born.

Text: Bart van Santen

Bonaparte and Thibault Up until the 18th century the Republic of the United Netherlands consisted of provinces, all relatively autonomous, taking care of their own governmental housing needs. After the Batavian revolution a centralized government was formed in 1795. The autonomy of the provinces diminished and their governmental properties were now owned by the Batavian Republic. In practice not much changed, the local governments still took care of their own buildings. It was only during the brief reign of Louis Bonaparte as sovereign of the Kingdom of Holland in 1806, that changes could be seen.

For his own housing needs Bonaparte founded a royal building service and placed the French architect Thomas Thibault at the head of this service. Napoleon charged the newly formed Waterstaat with the responsibility of maintaining the buildings of the state. After only 4 years his reign came to an end, when the Kingdom of Holland was annexed by France in 1810.

After the independence of the country in 1815, the task of Waterstaat further evolved. Around 1820 tasks included management, judging and guiding new designs and development as well as monitoring the budget. The organization was led by engineers instead of architects and their focus was on functionality and budget.

the century the economy had been far from optimal, resulting in a minimum of government building activity.

The ministry of Justice was an exception to the rule. In 1845 the ministry founded their own building company led (unofficially) by the architect I. Warnsinck. In that period a growing belief in the isolated confinement of criminals rather than the use of labor camps and institutions as effective punishment meant a sudden need for prison cells. The design brief was deemed such a delicate task that a team of specialists was necessary.

The political situation began to change and in 1858 W.N. Rose was appointed as the CGA. His task was to resolve the dire housing needs of the government, a result of the minimal building development policy of the years before as well as the expansion of the civil service. Although the commission of a new CGA resulted in relieving the government housing problems to some extent, the designs of Rose were met with a storm of critique. So much so that after his retirement the government decided not to appoint a successor.

The sprawling state offices did not only produce buildings, they were also the cause of a (...) bureaucratic nightmare

ing sense of nationalism. Slowly but surely the society started asserting pressure to develop a national architectural style, with government building at the forefront.

An important step forward was the official commission of J.F. Metzelaars in 1870 by the ministry of Justice. This commission entailed not only the design of penitentiary buildings, but all buildings relevant for the ministry of Justice.

The formation of a board for monuments of history and art in 1874 was another step. The topic of debate was the formation of a national building style. Head of the commission was lawyer V.E.L. de Stuers who, together with P.J.H. Cuypers, formed a strong block that favored the functionalism of Voillet-le-Duc. Both De Stuers and Cuypers, however, were catholic and the functionalistic style was most eminent in large gothic cathedrals. This did not sit well with some of the board members, who suspected the spread of catholic ideals as the main driver behind the choice for the architectural style. This resulted in endless quarrels and finally the dismissal of the board.

This period is characterized by a substantial increase of government buildings and building offices. Fueled by nationalism and the economic peak, the state went from no (official) CGA in 1869 to 9 just 25 years later. This made it possible to resolve the shortage of government housing that had accumulated during the lean period at the first half of the 19th century.

Bremer and Van Lynden

The liberal attitude of the government around 1850 meant a minimal intervention policy of the state. Appointing a CGA would imply an active role of the government within the architectural field. Since the beginning of

Cuypers and De Stuers In the 1870’s the Netherlands evolved into an industrialized economy. The industry meant economic prosperity for the state and, together with the rising tensions within Europe, a grow-

The dynamism with which government architecture had commenced at the end of the 19th century steadily came to a halt at the beginning of the 20th century. The sprawling state offices did not only produce buildings, they were also the cause of confusion and irritation, a bureaucratic nightmare in which budgets were exceeded regularly. This resulted in an increasing flow of critique from the outside.

Private architects began to question the state’s monopoly on government building and the

1806, Thomas Thibault 1st CGA

1845, Ministry of Justice appoints own CGA (unofficially)

1870, Ministry of Justice appoints own CGA (officially)

Warnsinck and Rose

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1820, Waterstaat responsible for government buildings

1858, Government appoints Rose as CGA

1874, Government founds board to find national style

Chief Government Architect

collapsing economy forced the government to reconsider the multitude of building offices.

High ranking civil-servant J.C.E. Baron van Lynden drafted a plan to merge most of the 14 offices of 7 ministries into one office placed within the ministry of Finance. The newly formed department of Rijksbouwen (Government Building) was divided into a building management section and a building development section, the latter governed by the newly appointed CGA G.C. Bremer. Both sections of the department had to answer to Baron van Lynden, who occupied the position of general manager.

Van Lynden’s policy, economization, was almost as rigorous as his reorganization plan.

Especially in the early years of the department of Rijksbouwen almost all need for government housing was answered with a reallocation of government properties. If reallocation proved insufficient, Van Lynden opted for renting rather than constructing buildings.

As in the 1870s, the recovering economy as well as the rise of both tensions within Europe and nationalism, meant a revival of government architecture around 1935. This time, however, the revival was short lived. It came to an abrupt halt with the occupation of the Netherlands by Nazi Germany in 1940.

Friedhoff and Vegter During the Second World War the main focus of the department of Rijksbouwen was the repair of damaged buildings. At the end of the war a discussion started about the tasks of the department. It faced many challenges in the period known as wederopbouw (reconstruction), the most important of which was civil housing. The government decided that the department should act reticently to give way to independent building companies. Only in times of economic recession the department should take a step forward, ensuring employment in the building sector.

1920, Rigorous reorganization forms Rijksbouwen

1940-45, WWII cripples government building development

The government housing situation, in the meantime, was dire. This deficiency was caused by the war and the growth of the civil service and, to a far greater extent, by the reallocation and renting policy of Van Lynden. Because of the priority given to civil housing development, only the construction of government buildings increased in the 1960s.

The war meant the end of the reign of Van Lynden as general manager of the department.

The department of Rijksbouwen changed to the Rijksgebouwendienst (government building service) with its own policy and, eventually, its own budget. From then on the influence of the general manager diminished as the influence of the CGA grew. For the latter position Bremer was succeeded by G. Friedhoff in 1946. Despite his eagerness to design, the sheer amount of tasks proved too much for him and the building service alone. To alleviate this situation the use of non-government architects became common practice.

The tasks of Friedhoff shifted to delegating assignments, commissioning external architects and counselling the design process. This shift from designing to commissioning continued more drastically with the appointment of J. Vegter as CGA in 1957. Vegter’s tasks included the selection of architecture offices and quality control through inspection. During this period the emphasis also shifted towards urban development as well as the selection of artists for new buildings, to apply to the art percentage regulation.

Vegter was appointed based on the system we use today, with oeuvre, manifestation within education and the architectural debate as its main criteria. He did not have a history within the government building service. The decision to appoint an architect from outside the service meant that from then on the position of CGA had to be a part-time function. Suitable architects were busy with and invested in their own architecture offices, making a full-time position impossible.

1946, Rijksbouwen becomes Rijksgebouwendienst

1957, First CGA from outside the service appointed

Vegter was the last CGA to serve an undetermined term. From 1975 on the architects served terms up to a maximum of (about) 5 years. One last change occurred in 2014 when the Rijksgebouwendienst fused with the remaining government property services to form Rijksvastgoedbedrijf (government property service). With that the shift from designing to commissioning was completed.

Conclusion Throughout the history of the CGA, several factors influenced the many changes that occurred in tasks and output. The most eminent of which have been the political, architectural and economic climate. The wavelike occurrence of these societal phenomena have at points in time peaked conjointly, for instance around 1870, resulting in a peak in government building. Low points were the early years of the CGA when building was minimized and functionality and budget were the main concerns for the men in charge. Other interesting periods in time occurred when the phenomena differed in phase, as they did around the 1920s.

During the time of De Stijl, Dutch architecture blossomed. The political and economic climate, however, meant that building by the CGA was minimal to say the least.

The focal tasks of the CGA fluctuated between design and management. The current organization bears a remarkable resemblance with the organization in the early years of the CGA under Waterstaat. The emphasis, however, is quite different. Whereas in the 1800s the focus was functionality and budget, the scope of the service now has broadened considerably, combining architecture, urban development, heritage and art.

Images: 1. Amount and quality of building output by government in time line (Bart van Santen) 1 Sources: 1. C. van der Peet et al. De Rijksbouwmeesters, twee eeuwen architectuur van de Rijksgebouwendienst en zijn voorlopers.

(Rotterdam: Uitgeverij 010, 1995) 2. A. van Voorthuijsen. ‘‘Atelier Rijksbouwmeester’’. Kei, 3, 2017. 3. ‘‘Het begin van de Bataafse republiek’’. 2014. Geschiedenisvanzuidholland.nl 4. ’’Koninkrijk Holland (1806-1810). Parlement.com 5. ‘‘Architect W.N. Rose’’.

Nieuws.top10.nl

2014, Rijksgebouwendienst becomes Rijksvastgoedbedrijf

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Fueling the motor of innovation Floris Alkemade on the societal role of designers and his position as Chief Government Architect

Since 2015, Floris Alkemade has been the Chief Government Architect. On the 14th of september of this year he visited Vertigo for a lecture concerning his experiences since then and his aims for the future. Afterwards we got a chance to speak to him.

Text Mats Rekswinkel & Bas Turk In an interview you once said that, when you started as the Chief Government Architect, you had to get used to the high expectations associated with the position. People even expected redeeming words from you at times.

Do you feel like you have gotten used to these expectations?

Yes, of course when I enter a room, it is not me who is entering, but the Chief Government Architect and people expect something from that. Sometimes this can be useful since you have got a respected position, but it is also something to live up to. You also notice quite quickly that you must prepare yourself well, but what helps is that there is a ‘studio Chief Government Architect’ that supports and advises me. Furthermore what helps is the fact that I have some experience in the field. In that way you get a combination of preparation and improvisation which helps a great deal, especially at the times during which you can

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put topics on the agenda. I can decide which themes I find important and I make sure I have got multifaceted supporting arguments.

Speaking of putting things on the agenda, you once said ‘the societal issues are barely given a chance in architecture anymore.’ In what ways are you trying to get these topics back into the profession?

So where is the crisis?

Especially during the previous decades architecture has become very much associated with the market operator, the developers. What could then be seen during the economic crisis is that the architectural sector toppled over quite heavily. It was reduced by 40%, which shows vulnerability. Moreover now we see these same developers are starting to repeal the architects even more. They only make it more difficult and want things nobody sees apart from them. So this dependency on the market has brought with it a huge vulnerability. At the same time there are various social problems, for which I think politics and the developers are not providing the answers.

A good example of this is the refugee crisis.

In Lebanon, for instance, an impoverished country full of problems with 40% of the population consisting of evacuees. Here, in the Netherlands, at its peak we got a quarter of one percent of the population containing refugees coming on. So where is the crisis? Is the actual problem that we are not capable of setting up a new flexible form of housing for these groups? All in all, you can translate this pressing social issue into a design question, which could make an essential difference.

So how can you strengthen the position of architects to protect them from this vulnerability? By introducing them as members who cannot easily be left out of the equation but who can stimulate innovation. This also applies for the second contest Who Cares, for which we decided we did not want teams with just designers, but teams in which designers could associate themselves with the healthcare sector. This multidisciplinarity was also something we based our selections on and eventually you could see that this combination of architectural thinking and inside knowledge of the care sector resulted in very surprising ideas.

Chief Government Architect And you also try to spread this message on the architecture schools, like here at the TU Eindhoven, by giving lectures about it?

Yes, I try to convey this message on as many stages as possible, not only in the architectural world but also outside of that. Still, the architectural sector is very important for this discussion. In my opinion, however, a lot of architectural and urbanistic discussions have been focused on esthetics only for too long, while I think the real innovation at the moment lies in the discussions with which nobody knows what to do. For example, the countryside, which is seen as some sort of repository with problems such as mega stables and a decline in biodiversity, actually is the place where innovation happens. But that is also something to think about, so how do we combine this rural commonsense with design strengths and what becomes possible then? I find it odd that we only see problems when it concerns the countryside. Besides, take for instance the creation of sustainable energy- and food production, these are rural matters, we will not solve them in our cities.

In an interview with Architecture Workroom you spoke about the fact that Dutch architecture has become an export product and that, because of this, the connection with the societal issues has faded. Looking at this, what do you think of the internationalisation within education, like here at the TUe, and the curriculum being in English?

Well, that is without question interesting, especially when you look at the area of urbanism: in the Netherlands this is a very strong and well-developed discipline while, abroad, this is barely the case. This is quite unique and this is also the case for more areas, so there we have knowledge which is exportable. Partly this, of course, concerns the architectural quality but what interests me more, in this day and age, is the generic, the general, the normal construction production. For Who Cares we especially looked in the neighborhoods of South

Rotterdam, where a lot of people live who, in contrast to the iconic architecture, do not come to the fore, while I think, when we can innovate in this area of generic architecture, a lot more can be achieved and this will ultimately also become exportable. For instance, when comparing Paris, London and the middle of the Netherlands, the mid-Netherlands have a lot of qualities cities like Paris could use very well.

The Dutch self-evident way of looking at urbanism, that is knowledge which goes further than only iconical architecture.

You are talking about knowledge as an export product, but one could also present it the other way around, for example that due to the internalisation the perspective is shifting to abroad and that there is less to do with the social discussions that are of importance here.

Yes, that depends on who it is about and how dominant it is. OMA, for example, has 37 nationalities. What is good about this is that things you yourself would take for granted, can be anything but self-evident in another

I find it odd that we only see problems when it concerns the countryside. culture. If you are aware of this, you will start thinking about certain matters differently yourself, which can help with expanding your own knowledge and to shift focus to other domains.

For instance, I was at Tilburg at the academy and there they told me about a Chinese student who was working on the transformation of a church. Then this student asked, ‘who is jesus?’. This makes you think again about how another culture could have a totally different perspective on the world. At the same time, you must learn from one another but you must also make sure you learn the right things.

When you travel through China for example, you will see their modern cities comprise of districts consisting of one type of skyscraper, repeated endlessly.

CV Floris Alkemade 1961 - born in Sint-Oedenrode 1989 - graduated in Architecture from Delft Technical University with an honourable mention under supervision of Rem Koolhaas 1989-2008 - works at O.M.A., becomes partner in 2001 2004 - guest professor at Gent University 2008 - starts own comany FAA (Floris Alkemade Architect) with offices in SintOedenrode, Brussels and Paris 2014 - lecturer at Amsterdam Academy of Architecture september 1, 2015 - Chief Government Architect (parttime)

Which makes you think, this might succeed for one generation, but soon this type of urbanism will be past its prime. But what we can learn is how vulnerable our own systems are, for example the public domain. We find it self-evident here that we can walk right past one another and how this functions in our squares and streets. But in American cities, for example, this is much less evident. The Correspondent had a journalist in Texas who said, ‘you can walk in the streets, but there is just nothing to walk to.’ So how does this work then? Then you realize that other functions in the city have been excluded or suppressed by designing it solely for cars.

In an interview with Archined you spoke of the fact that still many frustrating mechanisms exist which block the way for experimentation, with, for example, self-driving cars.

This interview was in march 2016, are you currently seeing more space being created for experimentation?

Yes, I believe that is emerging and, also with this, strangely enough, I see it more here in Eindhoven, with the brainport avenue and even in Helmond. It can be seen more here, I don’t know if I can call it countryside, but in any case the not-Randstad. Somehow it is easier to establish oneself here rather than in areas like Amsterdam, which, and this is of course the tragedy of a city like Amsterdam, is so beautiful that it can hardly be altered.

Moreover you have the Zuidas, which of course mainly has a bankers- and law-culture, a very important economical motor, but not a motor of innovation. For innovation you need designers and engineers and that is what Eindhoven accommodates. So the curious thing is that these trendy centers do not have the innovative forces that the countryside here does have. This is interesting to see because when will this turn around? When will this sort of subconsciousness originate that says, ‘yes, but we are now the ones who are shaping and guiding these transformations.’ When will this dependency shift to the awareness that you are in fact holding the steering wheel?

Your own position, since we are talking about developments, is also constantly evolving. It has changed from a designer’s role to more of an advisory role about social discussions.

What is currently a development the position of Chief Government Architect is going through?

Well, I think every Chief Government Architect can implement their own agenda and gather together their own focus points. That is the beauty of the rotating nature of the position.

I very much support this, that every three or five years a successor is chosen. In my position I still work as a designer in many architectural projects but what I have contributed are these competitions, and, very explicitly, the social agenda, which has also paved the way for new domains to which an architectural way of thinking can be applied. In my opinion these are important domains, but it can also be that the next Chief Government Architect says, ‘these social values, we have seen it, now let’s look at this..’ This, I believe, also creates a certain innovative strength. In that sense the model works very well and what my successor will steer towards, will have to be seen.

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Images: 1. Floris Alkemade (photo: Mats Rekswinkel) Sources: 1. Interview with Floris Alkemade in Vertigo TU/e 14-09-2017

FILE 21

When you fall down you can sometimes get up alone and sometimes you just cannot do it without help. Imagine lying there on the ground wondering if anyone is going to show up, if anyone knows of your existence, wondering if anyone cares. Text:Tafara Simon The Chief Government Architect coordinates the architecture within the Netherlands. As the senior architect in the Dutch ministry of housing, Spatial planning, and Environment he has a big role to play in the construction of government buildings. He concerns himself with achieving high architectural quality of the building, which is a culture he tries to foster in and around the Netherlands. Monuments, preserving cultural heritage, urban planning and architectural education are just aspects involved in being a Chief Government Architect.

Such a description seems to center around of the idea that he is mainly concerned with the erection of buildings. All the other aspects involve the erection of buildings with the added bonus of making sure that future architects are fit for the job when they finish their education.

What is worrying is that there is no mention of the social responsibility that the Chief Government Architect carries. Since he is essentially the senior architect of this big corporation it brings into question the role of the architect.

Many would agree that the architect does not only think in terms of clay and concrete but in flesh and blood as well. In blunt terms,

the architect is a social worker. With this in mind the current Chief Government Architect, Floris Alkemade has posed this question to the public: Who cares?

This is an initiative to try and illuminate the issues that lie at hand. The challenge that he sees in the current society is that the population of old aged people is growing and the care and support system for them is changing. How then could we adapt or rethink the urban structure that we have gotten used to into one that is on par with the current and future challenges? Thinking about such issues is not only the duty of urban planners and architects but of everyone. It is important to include everyone in such a discussion because the world is there for the people and not only for those who build it. This is definitely not a new ideology but is easily forgotten by many.

Chief Government Architect Floris Alkemade even goes on to say: “a city well designed for people who need care and support, provides a better city for everyone.� Focusing on Rotterdam, Almere, Groningen and Sittard-Geleen, the entrees addressed the specific issues that exist in the respective cities.

area is low and the population is simply aging.

Many will find that once one buys a house here reselling is not very popular. A third of the old people are in care centers. The area suffers from a lack of coherent space. There is a link between the barrier of building and the green space that needs to be built. So then if this aging population is growing how will the care facilities adapt to this? How can we ensure that there is a good social mix between the old and the young without having Rotterdam Carnisse being just a small glimpse of one’s memory but instead one that is permanently etched in the minds of man? These are all unerlying questions which need to be addressed. This is about what the architects, the care facilities, the residents among many more can do to bring in a new age of living. The winner for this particular case was the project Bloemkool Burenbond and Contemporary Hofjes. The idea behind this was to strive to connect the spatial and social innovation. It is about how the social structure regarding care and how the space works hand in hand with that. This involves a new typology and understanding the values of all stakeholders involved.

Rotterdam

Almere

The population in Rotterdam is said to be in constant mutation. The residents there are young people who start their careers but move out after four years. There are few families, meaning that the amount of children in the

For this case the Almere Haven inner ring was the focus. In the center about 30 percent of the population is older than 55. The homes built there were mainly constructed between 1975 and 2000. This project really tries to

Who 22 FILE

Chief Government Architect revitalize Almere Haven, from improving the infrastructure to rethinking the neighborhood.

The end result is to create a neighborhood that can ensure that people who need care, in this context the older generation, can stay at home for longer than the current period. The idea that proved to be the most suitable was Expeditie Almere Haven|de kunst van het samen leven: the art of living together. The project is based on the fact that every neighborhood is unique. This is influenced by the social demographics of the areas, so they devised a plan that tries to attend to the people’s needs in each area. Of course, this has to involve the inhabitants of Almere Haven asking them what they want and asking them how they want to achieve cohesion.

ture of the inner-city in order to connect better to the outskirts and create new possibilities for more development. Care2Share is a vision that tries to take all these factors into consideration in a way that indeed focuses on caring. The driving thought behind this vision is achieving a mix of programs within the space to bring together the various groups of people into one unit. Interventions to achieve this include utilizing unused houses for social activities to benefit the area, using parts of the care houses to provide accommodation for students and expats and also using buildings to shape the open spaces around. Overall, those who need care and those who do not meet on common ground, enriching the feel of the district.

Sittard Geleen/Safe Groningen The district in scope here was Oosterpark.

The area boasts of a handful of monumental buildings, such that it has been deemed to be a protected city scape. Within the area itself are old vacant buildings that need to find a new function. Throughout the years the area has developed to improve the lives of people and the city as a whole but not everyone benefits.

There are a number of occasions whereby some plans are made but only focus on a certain group of people instead of taking into account the whole group of people. At the end of the day everyone really should benefit. Part of the challenge was to improve the infrastruc-

How can the care system be transformed to fit new needs, in particular the fact that many old people want to stay in their homes? How then can carers reach out to them? This has certain implications as to how the neighborhood is going to be or feel. Instead of putting them in the homes as if they were concentrated old people camps, they are within the broad mix of people. The population of the general public is reducing and the population is aging. The goal is then to try and enhance the social network between the individuals. Urbanism plays a big role because it will have a direct effect on the inhabitants of this space. Thus, livability has to be considered and close attention has to

be paid to how the people interact with the surrounding space which must reach out to their needs. All these questions and challenges gave birth to the idea called A Neighborhood like t(huis). The core idea is the courtyard.

This idea tries to use the courtyard’s power of encouraging a sense of community. Enclosing buildings around such a space will bring in a sense of independency and at the same time togetherness. The area is made in such a way as to allow ease of movement for wheelchairs, rollators and slow traffic. The solids, voids, and the people interact with each other in a way that attribute to a livable space.

For the designers and the people, it should not be mistaken that the only group that needs to be thought about is that of the elderly. Nothing should be neglected and of course this does pose a difficult challenge of trying to make different pieces of puzzles come together to form one coherent picture. However, the one-way ideology should not be adopted but instead a broad way of thinking should take place to stimulate the generation of ideas that aim to solve these difficult issues. An act of showing care can be as small as adding a ramp to your building. It is not a question of how much one can do but of simply what one can do. Asking the question is a call to act upon it.

cares?

Images: 1. Tamar Henquet

1

Sources: 1.Who cares contest, prijsvraagwhocares.nl 2.Rijksvastgoedbedrijf, www.rijksvastgoedbedrijf.nl/

FILE 23

Government for sale

Looking into the managing of government-owned real estate The Netherlands, a small country, yet large in realty. Some of this realty is what we call public real estate and here is where the government steps in. Make no mistake, it is not just your Paleis ‘t Loo that is part of this governmental portfolio, it is prisons, airports, courthouses, gas stations, museums, half of the Hague, you name it. The organizational body that handles it all is called Rijksvastgoedbedrijf (RVB), which falls under the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations. They put the public real estate at the disposal of the goals the central government has set and, which is a trend of recent years, also select some of the collection for these to be privatized. But what is this portfolio made up of exactly and what role does this governmental agency play in managing it? Text: Mats Rekswinkel First of all, how is this all actually tied to the Chief Government Architect? Well, despite that position being independent from any governmental department, the Chief Government Architect does have the support of Atelier Rijksbouwmeester, or studio Chief Government Architect, which is a part of RVB. In that sense the two parties are connected, but moreover it is also import to realize that what binds the two as well is the managing of the same public property. What the role of the Chief Government Architect in this is, has been discussed before. Now let’s look at the position of RVB in this arrangement.

One part of RVB is the Interdepartmental Commission Rijksvastgoed (ICRV), which gathers different departments from the central govern-

24 FILE

ment as well as provincial and municipality boards and the water authorities. This organizational body sets up a plan for all provinces, looking at the relationship between RVB and local boards on the implementation, usage, etc. of public real estate. The province of Flevoland, for instance, has expressed the ambition to extend its nature parks into areas of international significance. This agricultural land owned by the state can be put to use and here is where RVB intervenes to act as an intermediary between the central government, municipalities and commercial parties.

The most recent strategy, as published in June of this year, contains several projects, or so called policy-real estate combinations. They show the current projects in which RVB is involved by implementing concrete plans as set in the

a conscious strategy to decrease the governmental realty portfolio policies of the central and local governmental boards. This set of projects shows us what kind of projects are under construction, planned to be under construction, under investigation or simply aimed to be dismissed. Around and in the main cities these cases mainly concern urban redevelopment but there are some differences between various regions. The north, for example, stands out by the fact that mobility is

put high on the agenda, where the facilities and infrastructure accommodating mobility are being sold.

But perhaps more clearly it can be seen that there is a nationwide trend of selling public property. This is well-balanced throughout the country, indicating it is not just a local phenomenon but rather a conscious strategy to decrease the governmental realty portfolio.

This development can be seen on the figure on the right page. The chart shows the distribution of different sectors in which real estate was sold or rented out. From that 278 million euros, the largest part, namely 133 million euros, came from the rental of governmentowned land. Besides this the selling of buildings and estate yielded 113 million euros.

This trend has been going on for a number of years and continues to do so, which raises the question: why is the need for selling so great?

For the main part it has been because a large part of the properties were in need of repurposing. Why the RVB has done this precisely now is in line with the trend of decentralization that was set up in 2013. In doing so the provincial partners have gotten more of a say in the development of governmental realty.

This approach is also seen as more suitable since the realty agendas of the different provinces differ quite a bit from each other. In this way RVB conforms more to the local needs by the privatization of the real estate.

Another development Rijksvastgoedbedrijf has set on the agenda is the development towards

Chief Government Architect Income rental and sale state realty in 2016

40%

Sale buildings and land

48%

Rental and lease land

€ 278 million

6%

Rental gas stations

sustainability. To move towards a fully energy neutral and circular economy the state aims for two percent energy reduction each year, in 2016 the RVB initiated the program that moved towards creating sustainable judicial buildings, meaning every building should have energy label A. Furthermore the organization supports innovations with the program Green Technologies 3.0. These initiatives concern only the property that is owned by the state, since that is how far the jurisdiction of the organization reaches.

In that sense the impact is rather limited but in terms of the exemplary role the state plays, the significance is undeniable.

6%

Sale soil material

In the end it can be said that Rijksvastgoedbedrijf is an organization that operates mostly in the background of the greater scheme. Most of us are not familiar with it, as was I, I must admit. But, even though we might not fully realize it, this realty portfolio contains for a large part what makes the Netherlands, the Netherlands. Privatization will not harm this, however, it will only bring more of a regional identity to the table. The RVB also ensures these properties don’t fall into the wrong hands through careful cooperation, so we don’t have to worry about the country being sold to the highest bidder.

2

Images: 1. The Hague Skyline (source: Christopher A. Dominic, 2012) 2. Infographic (Mats Rekswinkel)

1 Sources: 1. Poster ‘Rijksvastgoed in beeld en bedrijf’. 2017. rijksvastgoedbedrijf.nl 2. Brochure Rijksvastgoedportefeuillestrategie ‘Maatschappelijke meerwaarde met publiek vastgoed. 2017.

Commissie Rijksvastgoed 3. Public letter to chairman Tweede Kamer from Secretary of Living and Civil Service S.A. Blok. 2015.

FILE 25

Hospitality in the heart

Walking through the center of Leiden, you will have to look twice to see the small courtyard with the fascinating building that is hidden behind this gate in the Kloosterpoort.

Here, Xenia, Greek for hospitality, offers an oasis of tranquility to young adults in need of intensive medical care in the midst of a vibrant city. Chepos Magazine spoke with one of the architects, Piet van Veen, about the Design process. Text: Bas Turk Since its opening in 2014, the Xenia hospice offers care to a maximum of six guests.

Jacqueline Bouts, the initiator of the project, came up with the idea for a hospice when her own sister passed away at the age of 30. She then noticed that a hospital wasn’t a comfortable place for the last stages of life, and that there wasn’t a hospice in the Netherlands yet for young adults in the age category of 16 to 40 years.

Bouts visited the Helen and Douglas house, the first hospice for young adults in the world, as a reference project. She got inspired by its location in the center of Oxford, where guests are able to take a drink or go to the supermarket right outside their front door, and thus are able to be a part of the local community. Even for those who are unable to leave their bed, it is exciting to know that the vibrant city life is just around the corner. In Leiden, the location of Xenia - surrounded by student houses - evokes the same feeling. Students in medicine and psychology from these houses and elsewhere in the city participate in an organized team of 75 volunteers who provide the daily care for the guests.

26 FILE

Gouden Piramide The house with a heart has won the Gouden Piramide (Golden pyramid), awarded by Floris Alkemade, for the unique initiative and the close cooperation between the project’s initiator and architects. This prize is awarded every two years by the chief government architect, to the most inspiring commissioning work. According to the jury, “The care for young people with a limited life expectancy is an extremely difficult topic, but Xenia incorporates it in an almost natural way in the city.” Moreover, the building has won the Hedy d’Ancona prize for its intelligent architectural design.

It isn’t strange that the cooperation between the initiator, Jacqueline Bouts, and Piet van Veen was very strong, since in addition to their professional relationship in the scope of the project, they are also husband and wife. Van Veen explains: “the separation between work and private was of course difficult, but luckily we shared the same opinion on many aspects of the design. With other projects, this separation is still challenging since I always try to be socially involved with the projects cause’’.

Tree conservation Van Veen got help from architectural office Mulder and van Tussenbroek.

While designing, they had to pay close attention to the monumental oak standing in the courtyard.

In the first design, the building consisted of three floors. However, this would mean that one of the oak’s branches had to be cut off, and it was unclear if the tree would survive this surgery. Eventually, it was decided to leave out he top level.

Chief Government Architect

Building design

Financing

For Piet van Veen, it was the first time working on a healthcare related project. “It is a bit odd to say, but I’m glad that the first design was never realized. It had a considerable size while Jacqueline and I wanted to incorporate the whole plan of requirements into the building design. When the top floor couldn’t be realized, we had to cancel some small elements, like a part of the storage rooms. This eventually resulted in a more efficient design which gives more space to the tree.”

For fundraising, Bouts started her own foundation called ‘friends of Xenia’ back in 2009. The building was built by DUWO, a student housing organization. The target group of the hospice thus fits well with the target group of DUWO, namely young adults. Xenia rents the building and covers the exploitation costs for the building of €200.000,through funds and voluntary work.

Expansion plans Family and friends are always welcome in the house since the living room on the 1st floor can be reserved for guest hospitality, while each room also has a supplementary bed.

The design of the building is customized to

I’m glad that the first design was never realized. the conditions of its guests. For example, the separation wall to the bathroom can be folded, allowing a bed or wheelchair to enter. Furthermore, with large windows stretching out from ceiling to floor towards the garden, the room is designed from the perspective of somebody lying in a bed. Special attention was focused on the lighting design, since guests don’t want to experience glare when they have to look towards the ceiling. Each room even facilitates the possibility for complicated treatment methods like blood transfusions.

The project has been a success so far.

Besides a lot of media attention, even including an interview with a Mexican newspaper, there are expansion plans for sheltered housing next to the Hospice. The extra care is intended for guests with muscular dystrophy, who need help with difficult tasks like cooking.

During, for example, dinner, the beds from these sheltered houses can be moved to the living room in the main building via the garden. The sheltered houses allow for a greater independency for the guests, while a two minute rule ensures that they receive the right support within two minutes.

The beautiful building unfortunately also has less pretty sides, related to the terminally ill guests who often spend their last days inside the hospice. However, the personal attention and care that Bouts and her team try to give don’t stop after death. She personally says a word of goodbye before a guest leaves the house, after which their pictures are placed on the wall in the living room. In this way, they will be forever kept in the heart of the hospice.

2 1

3

Images: 1. Gate in de Kloosterpoort (photo: Bas Turk) 2. Exterior of the Xenia hospice (photo: Bas Turk) 3. Plan on ground floor (image: Bas Turk)

Sources: 1. conversation with Piet van Veen on Oktober 27, 2017 1. Home page Xenia Hospice. 2017. xeniahospice.nl 2. De dood kan ook mooi zijn in het eerste hospice voor jongvolwassenen.

2017. volkskrant.nl 3. Eerste jongerenhospice van Nederland bijna geopend. 2014. leiden.nu 4. Winnaar 2016. 2016. goudenpiramide. nl 5. Kunstuur Special: Portret Wendelien van Oldenborgh en Gouden Piramide. 2017. avrotros.nl

FILE 27

Jacob Voorthuis Jacob is a publicist, associate professor and lecturer, who professes enthusiastically about philosophy and architecture.

A man about women

When we discovered how females were so badly underrepresented in the office of chief government architects, we looked at gender distribution in architecture generally. More than 40% of our first years are female, against 20% of architects in practice. Looking at the link between education and practice, we imagined Jacob to be the perfect person to ponder upon this topic. What follows is his answer Ecce Homo: here, a man. Not just a man, but a white, middleaged, heterosexual man; quite the worst sort. Who in their right mind would ask such a man to write a column about women architects? In this case it was my young female editor. And there is more. Not only am I a WMAHM, but I love women. Not just in a gentle unassuming sort of way, but with a passion. I can sit for hours on any terrace, sipping my beer, chatting happily to my lovely wife and enjoying the parade of carefree and careworn ladies of all shapes and sizes trudging, marching, rolling, floating or fluttering by. I look at men too of course, but men… well, what can I say? So how could such a man’s perspective on the female architect be at all interesting?

Quite simply, it is not. There is nothing about the femaleness of architects that I can comment upon that will be in anyway interesting. Femaleness is a reason to enjoy its shapes, gestures and doings, filling the generous spaces of my mind. Women becoming architects is their business. Good luck to them in a world that is still dominated by white middle-aged men. Their buildings are my business of course, I am after all a critic and a teacher; I judge buildings according to my experience of architecture: always rigorously subjective, always making sure that I keep myself as an experiencing subject well up to scratch with the high standards of critical reflection demanded of my job and always giving a proper account of my opinions, carefully avoiding all the traps of pseudo-objectivity. In this way Anne Lacaton’s architecture scores very high because of its clever generosity, radical practicality and unfussy expression, while that of Zaha Hadid is disposable bling-bling. Their femaleness plays no useful role in the evaluation of their buildings unless it is forced upon me as demanding reflection, as is the case here.

But even then it is not, because as soon as the femaleness of the architect presents itself as supposedly relevant, it is no longer the building that appears to be at the centre of things but the femaleness of the architect and that is a different subject about which I can say nothing of interest.

The reason for this is quite simple: no commentary on femaleness or maleness in design has ever led to more than petty nonsense, offensive to the more finely-tuned mind. Maleness

28 FILE

or femaleness in a building’s character may be enjoyed for what they are: simple, age-old associations. Vitruvius qualified the more elegant and curvaceous orders, such as the Corinthian, as female and the more robust and square order of the Doric as male. Now we all know that not all women are elegant and curvaceous, just as we know that very few men are robust and square. So the association is ambitious at best, but it need not be denied the hopeful, or decried as sexist. What would be wrong is for that simple association to mean something denigrating regarding a whole class of people. It does not need to be taken so, and when it is, it says everything about the poor narrow-minded sod suffering his misogyny and little or nothing about the association itself. Over the years I have discovered that the architecture designed by women is as diverse and multivalent as that designed by men; I have found no common denominator distinguishing the architecture produced by females from that designed by males. As such I have never found such a way of differentiating between men and women in architecture at all fruitful. So the question of this column has to be a different one. The question must be this: Why is it that the world of architecture is still being dominated by middle aged white men?

And is this a good thing?

It is in the sphere of human resources that the basic difference between men and women articulates itself clearly. Women have the babies that men and women have fun making together.

Men, with a slowly growing number of worthy exceptions, fail to share the elementary responsibilities for a baby’s care, which, until recently, belonged as if naturally to the domain of womanhood. That domain has nothing natural about it, just as the epithet natural has absolutely no explanatory power at all, as everything that occurs in nature, which must necessarily include us human beings and what we do, must by definition, be natural. The whole category of the natural versus the artificial is a curious anomaly, a sad remnant no doubt of our manly torahic/ biblical/koranic power-game. It has meant, and still means that women have generally had a much harder and more circuitous time getting to places where men feel it is natural for them to be: namely at the top of things. This is no more natural than that a thoughtless person discards a plastic bag where it should not be discarded; it is right for us to question thoughtlessness.

Gender diversity, racial diversity and sexual diversity are existential givens in our world. The world happens to be made up of such diversities and, in so far any of us do, we best get over minding about it. Any attempt at a fair society would need that diversity reflected in everything. Why? The reason is slightly circuitous itself, but bear with me: If we all felt ourselves to

Chief Government Architect

be equal in worth and equivalent to all others, there would be no problem, but, apparently, we do not. And because we act according to our convictions we create our own little hell in the unfair things we do in the name of that diversity; actions that we feel to be natural. By reflecting the diversity we know to exist, in everything we do, we can overrule these feelings of difference, making explicit that despite our diversity we can treat everyone equivalently.

To accomplish fairness is not so hard, fairness may be defined by two simple ruling principles against which any decision can and ought to be tested. Firstly, fairness seeks to express itself in the freedom to pursue one’s own ends insofar as they do not thwart that same freedom in others. And secondly, fairness expresses itself in the same light as that guiding sustainable design, whereby each decision has to be so crafted that it can sincerely be held to be a win-win decision for all stakeholders.

Now admittedly neither is easy to achieve. But that is irrelevant to the principle, fairness is an aspirational quality; particular actions can only ever be judged truly fair retrospectively, against a well-tested point of view and with the help of (very) much experience. If that is what it takes, that is what we will need to develop.

If we pursue the subject of femaleness in architecture as a human resource problem, it would appear to come down to the conflict between two interests. On the one hand an institution hiring someone naturally wants the best person for the job.

And this sometimes appears to conflict with our societal ideal of fairness, namely that an institution should employ a ratio of peoples that reflects the diversity of our society. But despite appearances, there is no real, that is, logically consistent and compelling conflict of interests here. The conflict could not occur if the institution were to serve the aspirations of a fair society. The demands of creating a fair society would always outweigh the ambitions of any individual or institution when that individual or institution systematically thwarts the freedom of other individuals. We may safely assume that the wish to pursue a career as architect is not reserved for white heterosexual males of whatever age, and that means that it would be fair to make sure that others with such ambitions be given the same chances. Moreover the careful selection of diverse architects to do diverse design jobs in a society gives us a win-win situation with regard to our aspirations of creating a fairer society. So the rule that any institution should employ people in ratios reflect-

ing the diversity of society is a fair one. And society should be so organized that this does not pose a problem to institutions employing people.

Fairness demands commitment in action. Any institution, even those geared to financial profit, must serve the society they are part of and not contradict its ideals expressed in norms and values. If they do not serve society, either intentionally or unwittingly, they must ipso facto be working to undermine that society, even if they do so thoughtlessly and without malafide intentions. It is for this reason we have laws and regulations.

There are situations where deviance from the norms and values of a society is defensible from a point of view of fairness, namely in those societies which are patently unfair to minority or even majority groups. A society that aspires to be fair, is a society that itself works as an instrument to make it possible to give everyone a worthy place and a fair share of the goods, moreover, it works to expel from itself any unfairness it comes across. Such a society would include in its image of profit, the dividend of fairness, which, although it should not be expressed in monetary terms, is not for that reason to be dismissed as vague nonsense; working towards fairness is a concrete aspirational task we are saddled with, if we want a fair society.

Assuming that we do we must foster diversity in gender, race and sexual preference. Such diversity then becomes a primary requirement for any institution to embrace and not a secondary one. With that I mean that fairness should be the primary dividend of any undertaking, while any other value-gain, however it is expressed, must be secondary to it.

Now what does this mean in concrete terms? It means, for instance, that any temptation to ask a prospective employee whether they will be able to cope juggling career and children, should be repressed and become a taboo. It is no business of a prospective employee to meddle in private matters. Any serious job applicant should know that one’s commitment to a job is a thing to be taken very seriously, as seriously as bringing up children. And if, as was recently shown, women do fall ill more often than men, perhaps because they have had to look after a sick child, then that is a reason to chastise the men for not doing their share of these things.

1

2

Images: 1. Jacob Voorthuis (source: Voorthuis Archive) 2. Man on staircase in FRAC, building of Lacaton+Vassal (photo: Filippe Ruault)

Sources: 1. Studiekeuze123. “Bouwkunde”. 2017. Studiekeuze123. nl 2. Het Nieuwe Instituut. “Feminismen in de Architectuur”. April 6, 2017. collectie.hetnieuweinstituut.nl 3. John Rawls. “A Theory of Justice”. Cambridge Mass.: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1999. 2. CBS.“Meer ziekteverzuim bij vrouwen dan bij mannen”. October 17, 2017. cbs.nl.

FILE 29

In every Chepos an article is published from the Pantheon// and vice versa.

Pantheon// is the magazine of Stylos, Study Association of the Built Environment, Delft.

This article, in the form of a comic, describes the role of women in architecture by asking what if?

30 THAT’S WHY

Building the present, Creating the future

Innovatief en duurzaam BAM heeft de ambitie voorop te lopen in duurzaamheid en innovatie. Robotisering, 3D-printers en drones bieden nieuwe mogelijkheden in het bouwproces. Met internet of things, data en virtual reality kan slim worden ingespeeld op de behoeften van eindgebruikers. En wat is het effect van zelfrijdende auto’s op de infrastructuur van de nabije toekomst? De klant, de eindgebruiker en de omgeving staan centraal in ieder project, daarom zoeken wij voor elke vraag een duurzame oplossing. BAM vernieuwt. Jij ook?

Wil je weten hoe het is om te werken bij BAM? Kijk op onze website en social media voor verhalen van jonge BAM-medewerkers en lees wat jouw mogelijkheden zijn: bam.com/nl/werken-bij-bam Koninklijke BAM Groep nv @WerkenbijBAM @WerkenbijBAM

Leidende posities in Nederland, België, het Verenigd Koninkrijk, Ierland en Duitsland.

Wereldwijd projecten in meer dan 30 landen.

Actief in alle fases van het bouwproces.

Circa 21.500 medewerkers.

Stages

Startersfuncties

BAM Graduate Programme

Young Engineers Programme

▸ Meewerkstage

▸ BIM engineer

▸ Vier functies in twee jaar

▸ BAM International

▸ Afstudeeropdracht

▸ Technisch adviseur

▸ Technisch én strategisch

▸ Expat life

▸ Werkvoorbereider

▸ Zelf richting geven

▸ Two-year-programme

▸ Tenderstrateeg

▸ Persoonlijke ontwikkeling

▸ Projectontwikkelaar

THAT’S WHY 31

For this article, I invite you to unfold the restricting mechanisms of your mind and take a look at movable architecture. We have been taught to think in terms of rigidity and permanence when designing buildings, but construction can have a wildly different meaning to it as well.

Take for example the San Pablo swimming pool in Seville, designed by Félix Escrig, Juan Pérez Vacárce and José Sanchez in 1996. It shows the flexibility and agility deployable structures can result in very well. In this article we will unravel its design and ask ourselves the question; can we use deployable structures in future designs?

Text: Mats Rekswinkel

The structural components consisted of four-armed scissors as interconnecting elements, rather than the more conventional three-armed scissors. This did not only reduce bending due to its additional hinges, but also created a more compact fold package. Additionally, the eccentrically placed hinges enabled a circular deploy1 ment, as can be seen.

Open up

2

This shows the three-dimensional deployment of a single unit of the total construction. Now, this shows especially well that the structure becomes more compact when folded up. When unfolded, it adheres to the arched alignment of the structure as a whole.

3 For the actual deployment of the building, the structure was loaded into the pool standing upright. After which it was stretched out, as can be seen in the right picture. The two separate structures were then connected and the final step was the actual deployment into a spatial figure. After this stage diagonal bars and an exterior fabric were added to make the structure rigid and a coherent whole.

32 THAT’S WHY

The transition from paper into a real artifact of extraordinary engineering nevertheless had troubles in its way and this is not hard to imagine. 55 years have passed since Emilio Perez Piñero, an pioneering architect on the area of deployable structures, introduced his revolutionary techniques with the design of a moveable theatre. Since then little to no response has been given, leaving the concept of deployable construction to wander solely in the theoretical realm. As a consequence the technology has more or less stood still, dooming it a risky endeavor rather than a potentially fruitful alternative domain of architecture.

An homage must therefore be made to the Seville project, because they had the courage to take on exactly this risk. Of course, this also meant that during the project they encountered many problems, impracticalities, disagreements, etcetera and had no immediate solutions at hand, simply because they were entering a new domain, into which not many had entered before.

Certainly all construction projects at some point lead astray, but in this particular case some of the difficulties were inevitably precarious.

They could not be solved by engineering solely, merely because there was at times a lack of knowledge. Solving this by means of more intense cooperation, which, to be fair, does seem inescapable, slowed down the process significantly.

Furthermore, as mentioned before, this project was exposed to quite a lot of risk and it goes without saying that this is not advantageous for the client. For this particular project the designers managed to persuade the client of the project’s added value with difficulty. This also brings us to the main question that is at stake here, how cán future clients be persuaded, what is the added value of using these techniques in the built environment?

To answer this, let’s first take a step away from architecture, yet remain in the territory of engineering. The aerospace industry first saw the potential of using deployable structures in the 1950s and can be seen as the main driver behind the technology’s development so far. It is not so difficult to see why though, since this allowed structures to be stored in very confined spaces to be extruded only when necessary.

However, whereas in astronautics the theory of deployable structures has been adopted and refined to suit the needs of aerospace design, architecture has thus far shown little interest. A reason for this might be the significant contraries in terms of the contextual climate of each discipline. When designing, in one of the first stages one must consider the environmental circumstances that come into play and it goes without saying that this is wildly different for a space station than for, well essentially any building on earth. Not only in terms of climate but even in terms of the outmost difference regard-

ing the actual physics working in the situation.

Putting all this rebuttal aside, does this mean that deployable structures have no place in architecture simply because the circumstances do not allow the technology to be used optimally?

Well, no. Despite the little interest shown by the built environment thus far, it would be premature to exclude this discipline in its entirety. In its essence the architectural world namely is quite prone to traditions, but even though deployable structures are quite unconventional, there is still potential to be seen. An example of this is best shown again by the makers of the Seville swimming pool cover. In their case, upon completion Escrig and co. were not able to persuade the client of the ease of the dismantling of the construction. Even though the aspect of dismantling was one of the main aspects around which the entire design revolved, this added value could not be seen by the client simply due to the unfamiliarities that were in the way. Needless to

A step further would be to start designing buildings that do not only accommodate spaces for interior functions but in fact create them. say is that there will always be trouble with the integration of new technologies into the existing infrastructure.

ture. This means that buildings should be able to house different functions over their life course. To relate back to deployable structures, the flexibility that can be gained from using this technology could play a key role in this development. Of course, flexible designs have been in the running for quite some time, but their importance will only increase and it is here where new technologies can be of major benefit.

In her book Deployable Structure, Esther Rivas Adrover, an architectural researcher at the University of Cambridge, describes the potential of deployable structures in the following way: “It would seem that deployable structures offer great potential for creating truly transforming, dynamic experiences and environments. Their lightness and transportability allow them to adapt to a society that is constantly evolving and changing. Furthermore, these are reusable structures that make efficient use of energy, resources, materials and space, thus embracing the concept of sustainability.” However, she also concludes that the definition and classification of deployable structures still forms a great gap in the discipline. Grouping of the several techniques that can be shared under the category of deployable structures can be a step towards maturation of the concept and integration into architecture.

On a final note, as Adrover addresses in her book, much research needs to be invested into the geometries of these deployable structures.

Nevertheless, she also states that this would mean a whole new world opening up as the very nature of deployable structures and their complex geometric configurations “allows for almost infinite applications”. As it has meant much for other disciplines, such as aerospace, it can mean much for architecture as well.

Deployable structures can, if we allow it, play an important role in the working towards a sustainable built environment by turning the rigidity of current constructions into flexible, multi-functional structures. Moreover, according to Adrover we must create order in the chaos of wildly differing geometric shapes of deployables that now exists, but, and perhaps more importantly, we must also open up ourselves and truly consider the possibilites.

In fact what this example shows as well is the main power that comes from using adjustable structures, which is its flexibility. The construction world is changing, namely, introducing topics such as increased lifecycles and refurbishment projects to be more on the forefront of the scene. This development is continuing, leading to perhaps a whole new way of looking at the built environment. This also means opportunities are arising. Opportunities, perhaps for structures that can open up, expand, rotate, and, in other words, adapt to its surroundings. Think about it, our buildings have always served as environments suited to the needs of, that is right, us. A step For further information on the subject, read further would be to start designing buildings that Esther Rivas Adrover’s pocket book Deployable do not only accommodate spaces for these inte- Structures. ISBN: 978 1 78067 483 4 rior functions but in fact create them altogether.

Now, of course the question arises whether we require this change. Is this development an inevitability that we need to keep going forward, or even to persevere at all? Yes, a change, and perhaps not in the idealistic sense as described above, is required in the built environment that would change the way we look at buildings. In designing new buildings, an increased lifespan must be weighed against our ever-changing economy and the effect it has on our infrastruc-

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Images: 1. Seville swimming pool San Pablo at night (source: geocoaching.com, 2014) 2.

Explanatory graphics Seville swimming pool (Mats Rekswinkel)

Sources: 1. Deployable Cover on a Swimming Pool in Seville.

1996. IASS 2. Deployable Structures by Esther Rivas Adrover. 2015.

Laurence King Publishing

THAT’S WHY 33

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As an architect it can be difficult to think about what else is possible within this trajectory. Many who go into architecture and stick with it will have a linear mindset of them ending up as an architect. Career changes occur quite often nowadays regardless of how long one has been working in that particular field.

However, the architecture profession is rather unique, and so changing from architecture to anything else unrelated to architecture might be unthinkable. What exactly are these clichés, but also, what out of the box jobs can these architects take on in their second life?

Text: Tafara Simon There is a point in time where each one of us has a ‘what if’ moment. We romance with the thought of doing something different, being an alternate self. Essentially what you are today could potentially not be who you are in the future. This is a trend that has surfaced, and many are wandering about the career world ‘searching themselves’, perusing their passions and true desires. Some are lucky and yet, some are left stuck with a nail in their foot. This is something that happens at all points in life, from being a student right down to the point when one is deeply rooted in the profession he or she is doing. With this there is a fear, of course, of actually having what it takes to make the switch. This is far easier earlier compared to the point where one is at the top of the game in the career lane. The one lingering thought that is common across the board is ‘Do I have what it takes?’ Some career changes are extreme and others somewhat sensible.

The architect as individual is a diverse character. Unpredictable by nature and aroused by the beauty of everything and anything in a world blind to it all. They see what most do not see and thrust themselves unequivocally in the work they do, sometimes feeling misunderstood. When the sleeves have to be rolled up one will wonder of course what an architect can add to the table, for instance as a business analyst. Sometimes all one needs to do is to add a cherry on top like the pastry chef, Dinara Kasko. The work she does has its roots in architecture. The smooth curves, perfect glazing that reflects the light in such a seductive manner. She creates, through sensual interaction from the beauty that is seen, the world that is tasted, the inner voice that is heard, the smudge that is felt and the teasing nature of the smell that pushes you and pulls you

rhythmically. The architect at heart never dies, just the title. The ability to finetune their architectural instinct into new fields brings a new dynamic to the natural flow of that respective field. The years of toil that they damn themselves, sculpts a work ethic that is unbreakable.

There is an array of skills taught in architecture school that will take pages to explain. Essentially this gives them the ability to mold their way of thinking into something else or simply export this to a new area, but doing so in a meaningful manner. This is something that can be seen in the different career options that are opted for. On the one hand it could be jewelry design, such as Linda Bennett, who’s designs draw towards architecture. On the other hand, it could be construction economics, which is a lot more rigid. Architecture can of course be frustrating in the sense of freedom. One finds that they cannot do explicitly what they sought out to do due to the man in the corner called sustainability, and another enemy in a different corner called budget and feasibility. Of course, these have to be invited and listened to which usually results in the thwarting of ideas and expression. Some search for areas where this is not involved or partially involved, or some will want to tackle those aspects of the building entirely, maybe to ensure that others benefit what they could not. Overall it is a search or a want for more.

Will architects exist in the future?

The field of architecture comes with a lot of praise, a certain prestige and quite inversely a lot of critique as well. There is not one reason as to say why one has forsaken to be an architect to become a chocolate-marijuanaconnoisseur for instance, but questions arise, such as: ‘‘will architects exist in the future?’’

However, these are not the kindest of questions to take on. Architecture does come with its own stereotypes, such as budget breaking black clothed high ego glass wearing persons. Stereotypes can of course create a negative perception in the eyes of another party. This means that stepping out of the box of architecture into a new field becomes interesting, due to the pre-conception that exists about architects and

possible personal constraints. Such a challenge is also attributed to the ropes and chains that tie one to being an architect, such as passion, ‘stability’ and possibly money. Money, a laughable matter. In contrast to that there are several pulls that draw an architect into a different path. The work does come with its challenges.

Worth noting of course are the long working hours, the possibility of getting socially crippled and, once again, money.

Emily Turner Hunter, an American architect who became a lawyer and eventially started a restaurant chain is one such example. Her drive? Ensuring convicts’ access to housing and healthcare and, of course, the love of food.

This brings to light the social responsibility architects feel and have. The game does not only have one ball in play. Thomas Rau is a Dutch architect who turned entrepreneur, who changed his architectural firm into a company that helps in the development of business models for entrepreneurs with a sustainable motive. This just goes to show what is possible.

Some changes require a lot of work, such as starting a fresh education, to enable that transition while others really just fall in line.

There are some famous people who decided to take up the challenge of studying architecture at some point in their lives. The list consists of the likes of Ice cube who took architecture as a plan B, and the star with the serenading voice, Seal, who has an associate degree in architecture. Furthermore, Samuel L Jackson began with architecture and then shifted into dramatic arts, and even three of the members of Pink Floyd belong on the list of people who studied architecture.

The possibilities for changing jobs are endless.

‘The world is your oyster’ so they say. ‘The future is in your hands’. All these statements make total sense, but it is easier said than done. Nothing comes without challenges, the joy is in taking on the challenge and making it out alive. Changing jobs for architects is not a fantasy. Architecture, though specialized, consists of individuals with a wide range of skills to immerse themselves into a new field.

From becoming a user expert right down to a zoning specialist, the possibilities are endless. It is like a maze. Sometimes you get through and sometimes there is a dead end, you just need to find another way to get to the end.

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Images: 1,2 &3- Tafara Simon. Inspired

by Malika Favre

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Sources: 1.Who cares contest, prijsvraagwhocares.nl 2.Rijksvastgoedbedrijf, www.rijksvastgoedbedrijf.nl/

THAT’S WHY 35

From cathedral to casino A reflection on cultural values through architecture

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“Architecture is an expression of values” - Sir Norman Foster; but what happens when our values change?

Architecture has since its beginnings been a reflection of a time, embodying zeitgeist and carrying it forward to present generations.

In this way architecture, with its contextdependent characteristics, acts as a tool for understanding the past. This is for example how we know of the warring culture in places with fortification, or the level of technology used to complete (what were then) innovative buildings. Particularly influential factors can be traced through much historical architecture, and the unparalleled permanence and impressive nature of religious architecture draws attention here. Like the world’s most indiscrete trail of breadcrumbs, prominent religious buildings dot the globe. Religion is a big player in this game. Text: Kim Sinnige Both religion and architecture have changed significantly over time, and for millennia architecture as a concrete materialization of religious beliefs has been treated with highesteem. There was “no holding back” when it came to bringing holy spaces to life. A notorious example being Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, with 43 years worth of design invested in it before Gaudi’s untimely death. Still incomplete, the building is expected to reach completion in 2026, 143 years after construction began. Gaudi is said to have remarked on the timely duration of the process: “my client is not in a hurry”.

My client is not in a hurry.

Looking even further back the Great Pyramid of Giza (or Pyramid of Cheops) built around 2560 BC is another example. As a tomb for Pharaoh Khufu, it is claimed that the pyramid was seen by the people as a physical link between heaven and earth. The belief that Pharaohs themselves were living gods places the fundament of construction in religious belief. If it were built today, with modern technologies, cost estimates are around €1.3 billion. This is similar in cost to modern buildings such as the Yankee stadium or Burj Khalifa.

The religions that have shaped this impressive architecture have since then evolved, and are continuing to do so. Recent studies are showing that religion in the west is on the decline.

Those self-identifying as agnostic or atheist now make up about half of the population in most western European countries. Even the United States, known for its widespread christian culture, has seen a rise of millennials which are reluctant to associate with religious institutions. Although this decline in affiliation

with large-scale religion is present, it does not mean a lack of faith. Many still claim to be believers, but are not attending church in the conventional sense: religion is adapting.

This formal decline has given way to secularism: separation of the state and religious institutions. As religion is increasingly disconnected from government and larger social systems, it is perceived more as an individual spiritual experience. Although underpinning values and morals guiding social systems are still seen to be based off of religion, it has become a progressively personal experience. Secularizing trends demand that public buildings remain separated from religious affiliation, and an increasingly pluralistic society cannot find sanctity in something as monistic as a concrete building.

There are many more factors affecting prominent buildings than religion of course. But with a divergence in values and an increasingly pluralistic society, it becomes challenging to identify common values which may act as a basis to justify new monumental structures.

Having said this, the west can still be seen to maintain a common system with regard to economy. It is here that we look to capitalism, as a capitalist pluralistic society maintains at least one common value: money.

When we look more closely at money we may choose to analyze how it is being spent. And today the west’s most expensive buildings list is littered with luxurious hotels and casinos.

Prime examples being the Cosmopolitan and Wynn casinos and hotels in Las Vegas, with respective price tags of roughly €3.5 billion and €3 billion. Another notable building is the One World Trade Centre in New York City. A few residential towers and office buildings also make the list, but casinos and hotels make up the majority.

Our inability to place a quantitative value on cultural heritage means it becomes chronically undervalued within capitalist society, leaving money-making buildings such as casinos at the top of the investment food-chain. It would appear that sacred value held in the past has been traded for something more tangible: money. Somewhere along the way buildings began to be recognized for their moneymaking potential, and those investing in buildings are looking to profit. Large companies such as Apple, Samsung and many more are shovelling out the money to build massive structures as tributes to their success and power. The way money is being spent is entirely dependent on who is spending it, and kings and donors are no longer the largest investors.

So is money the new God in the West? The architecture says yes. Capitalism as a culture is the driver behind some of this generation’s most monumental architecture. But are these casinos and resorts going to become world

heritage sites? It seems hard to imagine groups of people gathering for selfies (or the future equivalent) in front of ruins of grand casino’s many years from now. But this was probably not what was expected for the future of many of our greatest religious monuments either.

Making a judgement based on monetary investment is an oversimplification, and does not make for entirely accurate comparison, especially across long spans of time. Nonetheless it is a quantitative measure of value in today’s world, and the architecture seems to reflect the numbers. The fundamental shift from public to private investment is at the heart of this capitalist architectural revolution.

As the group within society with the money, and consequently those making the decisions, has shifted dramatically due to these cultural adaptations and this is, quite literally, shaping the world we live in.

So is money the new God in the West?

To conclude, it is not one thing that has caused this evolution. Rather the connectedness and interplay of cultural features has led to the change. Here we have noted on how religion’s dissipation into a fragmented, rather than wholesome, presence, as well as capitalism’s booming strength have both been triggers for this. Although as individuals we may not necessarily recognize this, we are parts of a larger system. And those at the top of our value system are defining us and our world, and today that value system is capitalism.

Whether capitalism will play as big of a role as religion has done is unclear, but it is certain that it will not be the last player in this game.

What comes after capitalism is anyone’s guess, but undoubtedly architecture will adapt as it always has done.

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Images: 1. Inside Granada Cathedral (photo: Wenjie Zhang) 2. Inside the Wynn Casino (source: Sparta Report, 2017)

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Sources: 1. Esther Raventos-pons.“Gaudí’s Architecture: A Poetic Form”. Mosaic: An Interdisciplinary Critical Journal. 2002. p. 199212. 2. John Romer. The Great Pyramid: Ancient Egypt Revisited.

Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2007. 3. CNN money. “$1 billion to build the Great Pyramid today”. 2011. youtube.com. 4.

Hubert Knoblauch. “Europe and Invisible Religion”. Social Compass.

2003. p. 267-274. 5. Detlef Pollack, Daniel V. A. Olson. The role of religion in modern societies. New York: Routledge, 2008. 6.

Matthew Nitch Smith. “The 19 most expensive buildings ever constructed”. 2016. businessinder.com.

THAT’S WHY 37

The push& pull of public space The definition of public space is very versatile. When speaking of public space, one of the first things that comes to mind is probably an open space like a square or street where people can meet; some sort of gathering place. Others might think that government buildings like public libraries and the town hall belong to public space as well. In a way they do, but these buildings are not always open to the public: they close at a certain hour and some parts are staff only. As for squares and streets; they are open to the public at all times. The attitude towards public space of the last century received a lot of criticism. Giants like Jane Jacobs and Jan Gehl are playing a big part in this movement. But what exactly happened during the last century? Text: Martha Boekestein Cities and buildings are often a reflection of our thinking and our idealisms. After the Second World War, people were grieving all they had lost. Handling quickly to reduce housing shortage was the main drive. Modernist copy paste neighbourhoods were put up everywhere, since they were cheap and fast to build.

People wanted a bright future: forgetting the painful past. America became the inspiration for so many countries and the car took over the world. Streets became wide avenues, changing the velocity and movement of cities.

Pedestrians had to stick to the sidewalk, small as it was. But the positive attitude of modernism produced results. The world and the economy were slowly recovering from the fear that dominated during the fifties.

The focus until then, had been on giving people a roof above their heads. Public space and public greenery were somewhat neglected.

Of course there was greenery, but it was most often on roof tops, resulting in blind walls on the eye level of people on the street. The greenery that was there was most of the times seriously neglected, often having a negative influence on the atmosphere of the neighbourhoods. During the seventies, though, came the oil crisis. For the first time in years, the economy was struggling again. People wanted to complain, as people do, and it seemed as if their eyes were opened for the first time in years. Among these people were urban plan-

38 THAT’S WHY

ners. In their eyes, architects had forgotten about the actual human being. Sure, we were almost completely recovered from the war, but the way we did was now criticized by many.

Especially in the suburbs there was hardly any liveliness on the streets and social control and safety were almost absent.

One of the biggest criticists and activists on urban scale at that time was Jane Jacobs.

Her first book, the Death and Life of Great American Cities, had a great impact on the way urban planners think. Jan Gehl, the person who is now quite often mentioned in one breath with Jacobs, was inspired by her as well. The biggest difference between Gehl and Jacobs, has to be that Jacobs was more of an activist, and Gehl is an analyst. Whereas Jacobs was not an official urban planner, and her focus was on waking people up, Gehl is a professional urban planner who analyzes public space before giving concrete suggestions how to improve it. For instance, during the seventies, he and his wife studied the famous Piazza del Campo in Siena, Italy. They focused on the movement of people, with the research question of “why are Italian cities experienced like they are the best?”

Turns out, people are confused by wide streets with traffic and high-rise buildings: they simply cannot relate to that scale. We travel at five kilometres an hour, when cars travel at fifty. We

are on average one meter and seventy centimetres tall, high-rise buildings can be taller than seventy meters. Do not get me wrong, cars are good things in many ways: they connect us with the world and the people we love. Also, the necessity of high-rise buildings because of the increasing population is clear.

But we should not forget that we are only human. According to Gehl, people want a city on a scale they can relate to, one that makes them feel safe and comfortable. We need to focus way more on what human beings want.

Therefore, all the ideals and ideas of Gehl are based on the human scale.

But what has to happen to public space, in order for it to have a positive influence on city life? To make life easier for everyone, Gehl came up with some points to keep in mind when designing, for instance, a square. These points can be found more detailed in his book, Cities for People, but they basically focus on the safety and movement of people. People interact with each other and with nature.

People want to be made curious, and feel safe at the same time. Smaller streets, open plinths, clear edges on a square: we want to feel the protection and excitement of our built environment. We want benches that actually invite us to sit, greenery to give us the feeling we are in contact with nature. Kids want to play, grownups want to meet and greet. That is why Jan Gehl became a fan of the way the Netherlands dealt with suburbs in the late seventies.

Residential areas with woonerven, where cars were forced to slow down by one way streets in so called cauliflower districts, because of the tree shaped road network. Each district had a green axis and a shopping centre: grownups had enough opportunities for social interac-

tion, kids had a chance to play outside in a safe environment with social control. Though they still were not perfect esthetically, architecture finally was placed in context. Architects and urban planners were focusing more and more on human beings, cars were forced to the background.

After many years of adding new suburbs, it slowly became impossible for cities to continue expanding because of lack of space. Therefore the Dutch government stated that cities had to

First we shape cities and then they shape us stop expanding outwards, and start expanding inwards. The solution: more high-rise buildings.

A consequence of this, is that these buildings have a huge impact on the surrounding public space. They are not on human scale, and often make the environment unpleasant. Just look at the Hague, where wind tunnels are now dominating the streets near the main station. Also, we should not forget that our inner cities are still on car scale. Discouraging car usage in the inner city is therefore one the biggest ambitions of Jan Gehl. This is not only an improvement for the human scale, but also for the cleanliness of the air. Luckily, some Dutch cities are already making an effort to achieve this.

For instance Eindhoven, where the municipality is making plans to discourage car usage by making the Vestdijk a one way street. - If you want to experience this new situation: the municipality made a 360 degree tour on beleefde-

vestdijk.nl. - So, removing cars from the inner cities, adding greenery and stopping to make skyscrapers, is that the solution? Of course not, and the right solution will be different for each city, neighbourhood or square. It will take a lot of analyzing and creativity to make cities human-friendly but there are some basic ideas that every inner city could implement, like for instance making slow traffic more dominant.

Car free zones, with squares that are attractive places to visit and stay. High-rise buildings are a necessity and will always be around, but there should be public space that is designed for us humans. We should take better care of the existing greenery in our cities and have more respect for our habitat, in order to prevent history from repeating itself.

Designing public space on a human scale, or at least at the parts where people live, move and work, will remain a great challenge. Nonetheless, it is one of great importance. Currently, the economy is recovering, reflecting our attitude towards building. High-rise buildings are booming and may seem like a great solution, but we should never forget about the context.

Most of all, we should never forget about us: human beings. Making the inner cities more like the suburbs can be a solution, but we have to stay realistic. When looking at all the things that make inner cities most different from the suburbs – the amount of nature, no high rise buildings, social control – it is not feasible to bring all of this to the inner cities. But we could try to make the built environment a better place to visit. Just think of public squares and streets that are attractive to stay even when one is not spending any money. Because, as Jan Gehl puts it in his book Cities for People: “first we shape cities and then they shape us.”

The long term effect of our built environment on our well-being is something we should never deny.

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Images: 1. Siena, Piazza del Campo Palio (source: pxhere, 2017) 2. Amsterdam, Bijlmerflat Hakfort (source: Wikipedia, 2010) 3. Nieuwegein, cauliflower neighborhood Doorslag (source: Wikipedia, 2014)

Sources: 1. Our Story. 2017. www.gehlpeople.com 2. Jan Gehl: In The Last 50 Years, Architects Have Forgotten What a Good Human Scale Is. 2017. R. Alonso (Trans. A. Pimenta). www.ArchDaily.com 3. The Human Scale. 2012. www.vimeo.com

THAT’S WHY 39

Form follows force The main function of most structures would be the support of a live load. Other loads, such as wind loads and especially dead weight, a structure’s own weight, should be limited as much as possible. By optimizing a design, the ideal shape of a structure can be created, reducing the impact of those loads. Where wind loads are inevitable to prevent to a certain level, the impact of dead weight however can be influenced by the designer to a great level. The term lightweight structures suggests structures that are made out of materials with a low voluminous mass. This is incorrect, lightweight structures are about the efficiency of material use. By understanding the relation between external forces, the form of a structure and internal stress paths, structures can be made out of as little material as possible. Three lightweight design principles will be analyzed. Text: Lars Hogenboom

Compression arches Arches are one of the well-known forms of lightweight structures. Everyone knows some iconic arch structures, like for example the Pont du Gard, a monumental aqueduct built by the Romans. This type of structural design uses the great compressive strength of stone-like materials.

The arches are individually shaped in such a way that all the forces acting on the structure are transferred as compressive forces internally. A second ingenious design principle of these arches, as placed by the Pont du Gard, are the horizontally distributed loads at the bottom of the arches.

At the bottom of the arch, the forces can be dissolved in a horizontal and vertical component. The vertical component is handled through the foundation, horizontal components are rather difficult. These horizontal components however, are nullified by placing an arch directly against it.

In this way, the two horizontal components of both arches are balancing each other out. The only horizontal forces present are the ones from the two arches at the sides.

This way of form finding, keeping the ‘vector force’ constant in the structure, is minimizing the bending moments in the structure. When symmetrically loaded in the ideal situation it is safe to state that there is absolutely no bending moment. The only bending moment in the structure could be created by asymmetrical loading by for example persons or vehicles. Those loads are however very small in comparison to its own dead weight and would not have a great impact on the behavior of the structure. The voussoir stone is a well known stone used for compression arches. Hence its wedge-shaped form, the stone takes a maximum advantage of its compressive strength. The voussoir stone is also used in the Pont du Gard.

Cable-stayed bridges A construction that uses the high tensile strength of for example steel is cable constructions. A famous design principle of cable constructions is the so-called cable-stayed bridge. This type of structures gained popularity during the 1950s. The low construction cost was the main reason to build these type of structures, besides the low speed of corrosion and the long spans made possible for that time. A famous example of these type of bridges is the Erasmus Bridge. The bridge, in the middle of Rotterdam, was built to connect the two parts of Rotterdam that were divided by the Nieuwe Maas.

It is clear to see that the cables transfer most of the loads deriving from the deck to the pylon. However, these forces would create an undesired bending moment when this pylon was placed orthogonally. This would lead to buckling of the column. And since the maximum allowable buckling load is enormously influenced by the length of the column, this is a phenomenum that needs to be greatly reduced. By bending it to one side, the forces were distributed more directly, reducing the buckling effect. This provided a shortened pylon, which was way more efficient in material use.

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Images: 1. Reception- and exhibition building (source: National Monument Camp Vught, 2002) 2. Inside the memorial center (photo: Claudia Redux) 3. Eindpunt of tussenstation (photo: Claudia Redux)

Pneumatic structures Pneumatic structures are a special kind of structural design, hence its primary structural principle does not depend on the so-called ‘mainstream’ elements such as steel beams, concrete columns or whatsoever. Pneumatic structures, or air structures, are foldable and flexible, which is an advantage for temporary structures. The first pneumatic structures where linen balloons and nowadays we build entire pavilions following this design principle.

Pneumatic structures are very lightweight in comparison to any other basic building material, for example concrete, steel and even timber.

There is however an air inlet required to perform internal pressure, otherwise these kind of structures would deflate. Deformations, due to wind load for example, are allowed due to the great flexibility of these materials. The possibilities for the spans are enormous, these type of constructions could theoretically lead to spans of kilometers. Besides this, these types of constructions are very low cost for temporary constructions, due to the easy way of transport and way of constructing. A last advantage is shown at the Allianz Arena, where Bayern München and 1860 München are both playing their home matches.

Bayern is playing in red, while 1860 München is playing in blue. The pneumatic structure is, besides performing stability, capable of changing color. This is shown in both pictures of the Allianz Arena. Cable systems are applied in the bigger pneumatic structures to take care of the acting tensile force due to the fact that these pneumatic structures try to move upwards. These two structural elements together create a very stiff structure. Most of the problems regarding these constructions are leakage at details and for example at the door.

Another example of a pneumatic primary structure is the Arctic City, a concept designed by Frei Otto. The concept suggested the realization of a dome above 40,000 people, with a diameter of 2 kilometers. The dome really reflected the zeitgeist of the 1970s, a first concern about the ecological future combined with the promise of a better tomorrow, due to for example several oil crises. The impression was one of an accelarating development during those years. Humans were on the moon, computers were invented and social changes in our western world. Combine this with an increase of material properties such as plastics, and suddenly a pneumatic dome over an entire newly built city does not seem that far-fetched. Even the inside of the dome was fully designed, including for example the entire routing for the inhabitants.

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Images: 1. Pont du Gard (source: www. agauchedupont.com.com) 2. Voussoir stone 3. Erasmus bridge (source: www.upload. wikimedia.org) 4. Allianz arena lighted blue (source: www.dailymail.co.uk) 5. Allianz arena lighted red (source: www.lightings.philips.be) 6.

Tensairity principle 7. Arctic city dome by Frei Otto (source: www.hyperallergic.com)

Sources: 1. Frei Otto’s Arctic City (www.iconeye.com) 2. Reader course Lightweight Structures, structural design (Arjan Habraken) 3. Arctic city (www.architectmagazine.com) 4. Geotechnical Engineering for the Preservation of Monuments and Historic Sites

THAT’S WHY 41

Programming_ as_a_design_ tool: Reviewing_Dynamo

For this edition of Tools, our editor has worked to review a type of software relatively unknown amongst students: Dynamo. Without prior knowledge, the software was mostly tested on its benefits for design. Text: Eva Pabon Programming as a design tool: this is one of the tools that Dynamo offers. The program is an extension to Revit and works with the same parameters. One of the major advantages of Dynamo is the ability to automate certain commands. These commands can be combined into a sequence of related actions, which saves the time of doing these actions by hand. Think about a program automatically naming objects or creating viewports and layouts. Or you could write a program that quickly calculates which rooms meet the fire safety rules and which need to be reconsidered. Once such a program is created in Dynamo, it can be applied to any Revit file you want. However, besides such analyses and automated commands the program also offers something else. Just like Rhino, Dynamo is able to model from parameters.

For a couple of weeks I have used this software

42 TOOLS

for the modeling of a shell structure. The design had several requirements that made it difficult to model the shape in Sketchup or Revit alone.

The shell-shaped structure had to consist of perforated panels, of which the size should be adapted to the exposure of sunlight. Additionally, the thickness of the panels would depend on the intended sound level and, of course, the panels had to meet esthetical requirements as well. Although the shape was already decided, these parameters alone made for enough variation in the design. However, as this was my first time working with Dynamo, it meant a new way of thinking as well.

The basics are simple. Dynamo works with nodes, small programs that all have their own function. Although you know what they do, you don’t know how they work. The nodes are - and look like - black boxes: you enter an input and it gives an output. Whatever happens in the box is a mystery, or at least to me. You connect the output of a node to the input of another and thus create a sequence of actions. This is the first challenge. Programming is a process of trial

and error. You might have created a seemingly logical sequence of black boxes, but once you run the program it might not work as you intended. Or not work at all. It is possible to find out where the program went wrong, however why it went wrong is often another story. For example: For modeling a shape in a specific sequence I had created a line. However, the line was not made of the right type of data and the program did not work. These lines may look exactly the same; mind you they are not. To fix it I needed to find the box that turned my input into the right type that could be used for this sequence. With my new line consisting of the right type of data, the code finally worked.

This was like baking an apple pie where the oven would not turn on because I used Golden Delicious instead of Granny Smith apples. Programming is relentlessly discriminating.

However, with patience, experience and Google, it is possible to make a model that works. And as it is with every aspect of design it is necessary to adapt that model. This is where Dynamo shows its strength. Would you like to try your shape

have quite some knowledge of both Revit and Dynamo. However, if you just expect to design with this tool, it might be better to use a more intuitive program like Rhino with Grasshopper.

time repays in additional design freedom. With limited understanding of the program, the versatility of Dynamo will not be used to its full capacity.

So far, I have been able to work with Dynamo in two different ways. Firstly, it is possible to use codes of others as an example and apply them to your own designs. Parts of the original code might be applicable to yours; the challenge here is to find out how to connect them.

This requires that you determine exactly how the

After a few weeks of working with Dynamo, I noticed that with more knowledge of the program, the control over the design increased.

In the forest of nodes, codes and output it is easy to lose the goal of the design and find yourself spending more time thinking about coding rather than designing. The two can be extremely far apart and a limited knowledge of either will decrease the result of both design and code. However, programming and designing are similar in some ways. Both require a certain amount of creativity, making what you can with the means you have, and thinking on a conceptual level. Exactly these restrictions can lead to new perspectives and insights into the design. The only requirement is to work smart.

In this way, the model becomes more than a reflection on your knowledge on the program, and can bring the design one step further.

This was like baking an applie pie where the oven would not turn on because I used Golden Delicious instead of Granny Smith apples with another color, another grid, a different shape? It is changed in the blink of an eye. All the time that went into programming is generously returned in efficiency. With this feature the program triumphs over programs like Sketchup, but it is its downside at the same time. Dynamo offers a great deal of possibilities, which at the same time counteract intuitive use. This versatility is helpful if you expect to use it, and if you

original code works, which is a great way to learn the program. However, writing a piece of code takes up a lot of time in this way and it limits your own creative input. The other possibility is to use your own piece of code based on your design goals. However, this requires a thorough understanding of Dynamo and a great deal of problem-solving time. This

Images: 1. Graphic (Eva Pabon) 1

TOOLS 43

Dec 7

Nov 10 - Dec 15

Transformation congress

Photo exhibition Art Library

This day consists of a versatile programme, made up of discussions, excursions and inspiring sessions. Different speakers will reflect on the transformation challenge of Rotterdam and look towards to the future.

Acties.vastgoedmarkt.nl I Rotterdam, De Doelen

Since recent years photography pieces have gradually become a larger part of the TU/e’s art library, for which the University collaborated with Galerie Pennings. To honour this now ending partnership, a farewell exhibition has been set up in Flux on Floor 1 at the walkway to Gemini.

Tue.nl I Flux, floor 1

Oct 3 - 10 Dec

Oct 16 - Jan 10

Bye Bye Bajes

De Tweede Kamer in de steigers

We already touched upon this subject in NL News, but the Bijlmer prison area is set for transformation. The plans for this can now be seen in the former Bijlmer prison building, in what used to be the transport hall to the kitchen. Tours have unfortunately sold out already.

Arcam.nl I Amsterdam, former Bijlmer prison

On work days from 10:00 to 17:00 you can visit this exhibition showing the Binnenhof throughout the centuries. Also you can see the plans for the upcoming renovation starting the summer of 2020.

Tweedekamer.nl I Statenpassage, Tweede Kamer, The Hague

Dec 14

Dec 3 - Feb 25

De Stijl as interior project

Exhibition Limburg Design Award

Huis Sonneveld in Rotterdam will house a duolecture by Sabine Marcelis and Hetty Berens, respectively a designer and architecture historian.

These two talks will go into depth about the influence of this famous movement and discuss its relevance even to this day.

Hetnieuweinstituut.nl I Huis Sonneveld, Rotterdam

The Cuypershuis in Roermond facilitates the Limburg Design Award this winter. Here you can visit the three nominated designs of this edition and, in addition a tour along the design highlights of Roermond is organized.

Cuypershuisroermond.nl I Roermond, Cuypershuis

Agenda CHEOPS & Built Environment 44 AGENDA

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