CHEPOS built environment magazine
54 June 2016
Holzer Kobler Architekturen. Rendering by LMcad Studio.
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EDITORIAL
In 1935 the London Zoo, the world’s eldest
diums and infrastructural projects all around the
scientific zoo, became home to an interesting
world. Though it all started from structural engi-
penguin enclosure that was not only interesting
neering, Arup now almost offers every advisory
for children, but also for structural engineers.
service in the built environment and does a lot
This was due to the retreat being a complex
of research on for instance 3D printed structural
constructed from reinforced concrete and
steel nodes. As impressive as all that is, structural
consisting of elegant curving ramps, for the
engineers are not always placed in the spotlight
birds to swoosh over, boxes for their nests and
and they often act as a silent force. For this issue
an elliptical perimeter wall at chest height,
we wanted to see who those people are that
preventing the visitors from falling and taking a
have helped realize the architectural marvels that
dive themselves.
we know today.
What makes this retreat so interesting are the
Staying within the realm of structure and con-
Penguins, the well-known and interesting
paper-thin interlocking spiraling ramps that al-
struction, this issue also features a number of
creatures that live in the Antarctic, exist in many
most seem to float. These ramps were conceived
remarkable ongoing projects around the corner.
different shapes and sizes. They are not found
after extensive studies of natural penguin be-
Furthermore, we headed out to the west side of
everywhere in the world, just like many other
havior and were shaped to emulate their natural
the country to see why it is time for renovating
animals and thus we as humans have come up
habitat. Though seemingly small as project, it
the Binnenhof and have an interview with David
with zoos. Penguins often do quite well in zoos,
was huge for the reputation of its structural en-
Gianotten, managing partner at OMA. For those
drawing huge crowds that come to see them
gineer, Ove Arup. From that now iconic project,
of you wanting to travel south this summer, then
walk, dive and swim. I myself have vivid mem-
Arup his reputation, expertise and philosophical
check out our new section “3x1� that this time
ories of visiting the penguin retreat in the Artis
thinking grew, which eventually lead up to him
features three student cities in Belgium.
Zoo in Amsterdam when I was younger, it being
to set up his own firm. That firm has from then
one of the highlights of a joyful day at the zoo.
on been growing into a company that almost
Just like there are many different species, there
encompasses all aspects of the built environment
are many different zoos each with a different
and has been involved in the conception of the
Justin Agyin
penguin retreat.
biggest and most famous towers, museums, sta-
Editor-in-Chief
CHEPOS built environment magazine
EDITORIAL
Have a great read,
CHEPOS | 1
18 NOW
FILE: ARUP
EDITORIAL 1 CHEPOST 5 reFLUXing NL NEWS 6 DEAR ZAHA, 8 REDEVELOPING THE RABOBANK 9 POTENTIAAL POTENTIAL 12 BINNENHOF: TIME FOR RENOVATION 14 COLLABORATION 17 column Adriaan Jurriëns
DRIVE FOR INNOVATION OVE ARUP the philosopher engineer OLYMPIC ARUP ARUP AMSTERDAM PETER RICE | CECIL BALMOND Sydney Opera House | Kunsthal AN INSIGHT INTO FORESIGHT SHAME AND TECHNOLOGY column Jacob Voorthuis
2 | CHEPOS
18 20 22 24 26 30 32
INDEX
INDEX
8
12
36
14
34
42
THAT’S WHY LOOKING INTO: shopping Centers INTERVIEW: DAVID GIANOTTEN RAIL VERSUS RETAIL SPACE WITH(OUT) SIGHT 3X1 STUDENT CITY IN BELGIUM STYLOS DELFT
34 36 40 42 45 46
TOOLS
26
FOCUS! 47 AGENDA 48 CHEPOS | 3
4 | CHEPOS
SUBJECT ARTICLE
NOW
chePOST Name: Geordy van Bussel Study year: 6 Bachelor/master: Master Field of Study: Architecture Subject: Embracing Flux
“never judge a building on your first visit”
Something on your mind you need to share? Send us an email on chepos@cheops.cc and your article might get published!
This story originates from a day when Eurest
properly tour the building, by taking the elevator
Initially I felt the building had a lack of personal-
failed the most loyal coffee customers once
up to the 10th floor and walking down.
ity and it had a cold appearance. While I still feel
more. Together with a friend, an architecture
While still being in the central atrium, although
the same way about the cold appearance of the
student as well, we went to get coffee at the
now at the 10th floor, the space did not seem to
building, everything is rather clean, the materials
Spar in Flux instead. While drinking the cof-
be exceptionally big or high. It felt like the space
used are mostly white and real colors are only
fee we sat down in the small ‘lounge’ located
was around three floors high, there was a spatial
used in furniture or to highlight certain areas, the
opposite of the reception. It was then when I
relationship between every corner in the room.
spatial unpredictability of the building compen-
noticed I disliked something about the interior of
Walking down the stairs this constantly seemed
sates for this coldness. It lets the spatial relation-
the building.
to be the case, while the feeling of space con-
ships and thus the people in the building create
Together we came up with multiple possible causes of this negative feeling. The materials and color of the floor and walls, the inconsistency in types of ceiling and size of the central atrium compared to the interior elements. The biggest problem however, seemed to be the feeling the building emitted. There was this feeling that the building lacked personality and had a cold appearance. I decided to write and investigate what problem I had with the building. Two months later I did a proper revisit, taking a good look at what was exactly happening and see if I could spot where the ‘mistakes’ had been made. Aspiring architects as we are, I would surely be able to find out where the studio of Herman Hertzberger failed. tinuously changed. The space and building never
its warmth. I think this is a strong combination
The start of my second visit was, again, sitting
felt huge, always quite enclosed and there were
in a building meant for ultra-technical faculties.
down in the ‘lounge’ of the central atrium, go-
people in sight everywhere. Wherever you look
They prefer the clean surroundings needed for
ing back to the moment from which the whole
you see people, on your floor or the one above
technical research, but need the warmth of hu-
story originates. My goal was to find the initial
or below you. The irregular sizes and constant
man relationships around them in order to feel
‘mistakes’ I had noted the first time and look for
differences in space keep the interior interesting.
alive. Personally this was a lesson for me, never
some more, trying to grasp what should have
This gives the building a certain unpredictability,
judge a building on your first visit.
been done differently. Afterwards I decided to
a feeling I did like.
CHEPOST
CHEPOS | 5
NL NEWS TEXT: LARS HOGENBOOM
IMPROVING STADIONPLEIN AMSTERDAM There have been plans since the 1980s to improve the so-called ‘Stadionplein’ in Amsterdam. Coming July, the European Championships in Gymnastics will be held in the Olympic Stadium. This event gave the municipal government the incentive to improve the quality of this urban area. The plan contains four core design goals, which are a design for the Noordblok, a design for the Zuidblok, a garage for the inhabitants of the area and a design for the public space. Van Dam & Partners Architecten designed the Noordblok, a seven stories tall building block, containing 100 apartments. Thirty of those are intended for social housing. The combination of Vink Bouw and IQNN Vastgoed are realizing the Zuidblok in a concept called ‘Culina
MILL FACTORY TRANSFORMATION
Experience’. The architect is Kollhoff Architekten. The block will be four stories tall, with a
The monumental flour factory in Leiden, De Sleutels,
hotel on the two highest floors. The lower half will house the museum ‘Culina Experience’.
is being transformed due to its unoccupied state since
The third core design goal, a garage for the inhabitants of the area will be realized under the
1988. The master plan in this transformation is created
Zuidblok.
by Peter Zumthor. The project covers a total area of 46.000 m2.
At the end of 2012, West 8 Urban Design was selected to draft the goals for the public space. Those goals were to create a qualitative meeting place and a reservation of space for
The former Molengebouw and Riffellokaal will house
events and a weekly market. Besides that, the public space should bind the Stadium and the
27 lofts. Besides creating lots of new lofts for rent and
Van Tuyll van Serooskerkenplein. Solutions to improve the quality of this public space are a
for sale, the master plan also houses so-called creative
fountain and the implementation of a playground for children, an artwork designed by Mat-
companies. These creative initiatives are being placed
thew Darbyshire.
in the old management office where there are no classic offices, but places where people can meet. This part
Because of the European Championships in Gymnastics, the public space is targeted for a
of the project should be completed by 2017.
completion before July 2016.
source: www.dearchitect.nl | photo source: www.demeelfabriek.nl
source: www.amsterdam.nl | photo source: www.bouwinvest-nieuwbouw.nl
RECYCLED PARK ROTTERDAM The project Recycled Park is an answer to recycle the plastic waste in the Nieuwe Maas in Rotterdam. The captured plastic will be used to give a new value to the river. It will be used as building blocks in a floating green park. This plan is an initiative of WHIM Architecture and the Recycled Island Foundation. Besides the benefits of waste reduction and more green, this Recycled Park will be designed as being an addition to the ecosystem. Especially the bottom side is designed as an addition to the housing of new life. The first exposition is set to be opened at the Wereldhavendagen 2016, this September.
source: www.dearchitect.nl | photo source: www.vpdelta.nl
6 | CHEPOS
NL NEWS
NOW MINI VILLA DELFT In cooperation with students of the TU Delft, Nilofar Architecture & Design created temporary houses for starters and students. The Mini Villa is an answer to the housing shortage in Delft and it is designed as an off-grid, collapsible and affordable house. This house is a do-it-yourself kit and can be built in one day by two people. The Mini Villa is a design product that is meant to be used in a so-called off-grid situation, almost self-sufficient. A solar energy system and a solar water heater will provide in those energy-sufficient demands. The first Mini Villa is already placed in the Harnaschpolder in Delft. The grand opening was on the 20th of May. Those interested are welcome to take a look at this project.
source: www.minivilla.nl | photo source: www.minivilla.nl
COMPLETION CONCOURSE EINDHOVEN Because of the expected 115.000 travellers per day in 2020, the train station of Eindhoven needs to be expanded. The capacity of this national monument is 60.000 per day at the moment, so it needs to be doubled. The most important factor in increasing the capacity of the station, the concourse, will be completed in July of this year. The new passage will be 13 meters wide and connected to the old passage. This old passage will no longer be a passage, it will operate as a waiting and meeting space. For Heijmans Civiel BV, the contractor, and Heezen BV, the subcontractor, the biggest challenge was the logistical aspect. The project started in 2013 and will be finished altogether in 2017. It goes without saying that such an important station cannot be closed for such a long time. Solutions for this problem were a phased implementation of the project and temporary platforms.
source: www.prorail.nl | photo source: www.cob.nl
FENIXLOODSEN KATENDRECHT In December 2015, Heijmans started with the redevelopment of Fenixloods 1 at Katendrecht in Rotterdam. At a top location in Rotterdam with a view on the Rijnhaven and the Wilhelminapier, the project is an aspect in the redevelopment of several unattractive districts in Rotterdam. The building has a characteristic concrete character, which Mei Architecten likes to maintain. So on top of the already existing warehouse, a new concrete portal construction is being realized. This new section will house 212 lofts.
URBAN AGRICULTURE THE HAGUE The building once belonged to Philips, nowa-
At the moment most of the south-east side of the warehouse is being demolished in order to make
days it houses a modern experiment: Europe’s
space for an internal parking garage and cultural or creative innovations. This part of the building
largest urban farm. It is an answer to the in-
will later be fully restored in the same style as before. Besides the demolition activities, the concrete
creasing food shortage problem. Mark Durno,
portal construction is almost fully realized. The project is set to be completed in 2018, and the real-
the person in charge of the operation, states
ized lofts will be sold for a minimum of €319.500 and a maximum of €749.500.
about the project: “In The Hague, 15% of all buildings is empty. Let’s fill them with pro-
source: www.fenixlofts.nl | photo source: www.heijmans.nl
duce.” There is a big interest in rooftop farms as the future of commercial urban agriculture. Joris Wijsmuller, head of sustainability of The Hague city council, hopes the urban farm will be a place for education and innovation.
source: www.theguardian.com photo source: www.dutchnews.nl
CHEPOS | 7
Dear Zaha, You will be missed. When I first heard the news of your untimely death, I didn’t believe it. I didn’t want to believe it. But I have come to accept it. It feels like such a long time, since I was first captivated by your work. That incredible shard of a building -The Peakhanging high above Hong Kong, where mountain and construction intersected one another creating an entirely artificial topography. How its rebellious subversion of structure and space not merely inspired me but also opened my eyes to how aesthetics and experience could indelibly challenge any stable conception of architecture. How its cantilevered beams, overlapping layers, and shard-like forms appeared like shattered remains of what once had been a structure, a building, a mountain. I kept imagining what it would feel like to be lost in its artificial geology, the primal emotions that your Peak would elicit in each and every person that experienced its spaces. But the feeling of transgression was not limited to the ideas in this project, but also to its drawings. They presented the project with a raw energy that could hardly be matched. But what impressed me the most, however, was how without ever shying away from your Soviet inspirations, you were able to relieve their forms from the weight of political ideology. No longer were those dramatic voids and narrow-angled corners pointing towards a societal revolution, but rather pushing the conventions of spatial experience. What I didn’t realize at the time was that you were establishing an aesthetic autonomy for your architecture. While the Peak was never built, the MAXXI was. The years between the two may have made your forms and spaces a bit more polished, but no less exciting. Even as the aggressive angles of the Peak were mellowed out to the MAXXI’s computerdesigned curves, its overlapping layers, its flow of spaces, its orchestration of light, even its sense of disjunction and disorientation, were finally built. Although beneath a thin veneer of politeness, transgression was also at the heart of your museum, as it descended onto Rome unapologetic to context or tradition. The autonomy of your architecture was yet again reaffirmed. Sure, sometimes the aesthetic autonomy of your architecture reached undesirable, yet entirely consistent, extremes. How else could we appreciate the swooping curves and supple whirls of the Heydar Aliyev Cultural Center Baku in Azerbaijan without chalking it to aesthetic autonomy and thus simply ignoring the ruthless authoritarian regime for which it was built? How else could we gasp over Qatar’s Al Wakrah Stadium’s structural feats without overlooking the appalling slave-like conditions of the workers building it? But as criticism mounted, you responded, as you did so often, by defiantly sticking to your convictions. That was also how you went through life; never shying from controversy. A personality bigger than life that both filled and energized architecture culture, something that was recognized by numerous prizes and acclaim, from the Pritzker to RIBA’s Gold Medal. I understand that your firm has decided to carry on without you, but I am not quite sure how I feel about that. While it certainly displays a perseverance for which you were always admired and dispels the myth of the lonely architect, something will be missing. You, your energy and, dare I say, your genius will be missing, and we are all worse off for that.
Rest in Peace,
Sergio M. Figueiredo
8 | CHEPOS
ZAHA HADID
REDEVELOPING THE RABOBANK Most of you must have noticed already. The 55 meter tall Rabobank tower was demolished last year and construction of a new building has progressed quickly.
NOW Client Address Size
went behind the scenes and found out just for you. TEXT: LENNART ARPOTS
Fellenoord, Eindhoven 25.000 m2 LFA
Employees
2.000
Completion target
2017
Architect Interior architect Project team
The construction site has been walled off from the streets by a richly decorated, three meters tall, solid wooden fence. So what exactly is happening here? We
Rabobank Nederland
Project developer Project management Advisors OVG
Advisors Rabobank
Contractor
UNStudio OTH Architecten Ferdinand van Dam Christiaan Huizinga Jasmijn Buijvoets OVG Real Estate KVM (OVG) & CBRE (Rabobank) Pieters Bouwtechniek Deerns DGMR Peutz EFPC CBRE WPC INNAX VolkerWessels BVO West (Boele & van Eesteren and Stam + de Koning)
“Demolition of the Rabobank building seems irrevocable. The procedure is alarming. This way, all WWII reconstruction heritage that is not registered on some list is outlawed.” Van Abbe Foundation | July 17th, 2013
RABOBANK FELLENOORD
CHEPOS | 9
ORIGINAL STRUCTURE
buildings were both deemed too problematic
one to improved mobility and communication
The original structure was designed in the early
and costly to renovate and they were all slated
between floors and departments, but also to the
1960s by one of Eindhoven’s great architects,
for demolition. The decision to demolish the old
fact that the entire building is composed of just
Leo de Bever. De Bever also designed the origi-
building was discussed with a consultation group
one fire compartment.
nal layout of Eindhoven Airport (the transforma-
consisting of parties that did not want to see De
tion of which was featured in Chepos 53), the
Bever’s building go.
A close collaboration between architect and in-
Catharina Hospital in Woensel and of course
terior architect was at the base of this integrated
the famous Evoluon. The site of the Rabobank
Because it was easier to transfer the property
design, wherein the border between architecture
cluster used to be part of the historic town of
to a developer without any existing structures,
and interior design fades. OTH notes that the
Woensel, a borough that was mostly flattened
Rabobank Nederland took responsibility for find-
rotating character of the façade was passed on
by a post-war demolition rage that left its mark
ing a party that was willing to gut the building.
to the interior design. The first three floors are
throughout the city. In its place came the so-
Jansen Infra eventually demolished the tower,
directed towards the central atrium, while the
called traffic machine of Fellenoord, named after
using the elevator shafts as refuse chutes and
fifth through eighth floors are oriented towards
one of the devastated neighborhoods. Alongside
recycling all of the natural
the new Fellenoord lied major stretches of empty
stone. The demolition pro-
land, meant for construction of large offices to
duced over 15.000 tons of
put Eindhoven’s new Central Business District on
concrete rubble.
the national map. Leo de Bever designed two the Rabobank tower that was finished in 1966,
DESIGNING THE NEW OFFICE
as well as the ABN-AMRO complex next door.
OTH Architects and
A second office block was added in 1982 to the
UNStudio worked closely
east of the original tower block, after the merger
together to create the best
of the Boerenleenbank with the Raffeisenbank,
design solution for Rabobank
of the major construction projects in the area;
“The building that will be replacing the old structure should at least hold the same iconic value. There are plans for a consultation group. Several representatives of the Foundation for protection of WWII Reconstruction Heritage and the Henri van Abbe Foundation will join this committee.” Van Abbe Foundation | October 7th, 2013
“Our participation in the redevelopment of the Rabobank lot is not taken seriously. We decided to withdraw from the group.” Van Abbe Foundation | January 29th, 2014
“The demolition of the Rabobank tower along the Fellenoord is comparable to that of the monumental and iconic city hall in the Rechtestraat in 1967, which is the symbol of the demolition rage in Eindhoven.” Corrie de Leeuw, Eindhovens Dagblad | February 13th, 2014
together forming the current Rabobank. The
Nederland. UN Studio’s responsibility lies with
the surroundings. The fourth floor in between is
west tower formed an iconic element of the
the design of the building’s structure, while OTH
held back a bit from the rest of the building. It
development of the area and was an important
took on the challenge of creating the best fitting
forms the link between all the different parts of
part of De Bever’s oeuvre.
interior design. The building is shaped like a
the office and this is where all of the connecting
After 47 years of service, several problems arose
rectangle, with offices surrounding a large void.
stairs meet. This floor holds a different atmo-
that could not be ignored any longer. Firstly, the
This atrium of almost 700 square meters links
sphere and houses diverse facilities for meeting,
building did not comply with today’s technical
the floors together visually and caters for a spec-
working and collaborating.
standards. Secondly, the building was stuffed
tacular view across the office. On ground level,
with asbestos, which made renovation an expen-
the atrium offers room for gatherings, meetings,
RABO UNPLUGGED
sive operation. Finally, the tower had a problem-
eating and working. According to OTH, this
OTH designed the interior following ‘Rabo
atic floor plan that consisted of a long-stretched
multifunctional plaza forms the logical interme-
Unplugged’, which is a concept of working
rectangle, which proved too difficult to redesign.
diate stepping stone between the busy down-
independent of time and place, specifically de-
Rabobank Nederland decided a change needed
town area adjacent the Fellenoord and the green
veloped for the Rabobank. This concept provides
to be made and commissioned OVG Real Estate
artery surrounding the Dommel river. The offices
room for collaboration, personal responsibility
to develop a renovation or reconstruction of
surrounding the atrium are situated on large
and entrepreneurship. The human scale was an
the office. OVG Real Estate then established
open floor areas. More private meetings can be
important concept for designing the internal
three variants, each with a differing extent of
held in smaller glass meeting rooms, much like
organization. The floors are relatively big (over
demolition, renovation and new construction.
the meeting rooms on the second, third and
2.500 square meters) and are therefore sub-
In all three variants the 50 year old tower would
fourth floors of our faculty building. Apart from
divided into four quadrants, both functionally
be taken down. The differences between them
the main elevation points, the office floors are
and visually. Every pair of quadrants has a living
mostly lie in the approach to the 34 year old
linked through large staircases that run through
room at their disposal for informal meeting.
building next door. Eventually, the old office
the entire height of the building. This leads for
Creating a comfortable working environment
10 | CHEPOS
UNDER CONSTRUCTION: RABOBANK FELLENOORD
NOW was an important theme for OTH during the
the most well-known and most renowned
designing of the interior. To achieve appropriate
energy label. There are many aspects that
acoustics, soft materials were chosen throughout
require an increase in investment of time or
the building for the floors, walls and ceilings.
money to comply with the conditions, such as design, consultancy, building materials, building methods, installations and so on. Regarding prefabricating the concrete and wooden elements, this contributes to the rating of BREEAM-NL, because a higher quality can be guaranteed.” To what extent is the new structure coherent with yet to be realized plans on the location of the neighboring office? Can the design be fully appreciated if these plans are not carried through? “An urban vision and design were conceived for the entire plot, of which the new construction on the western end is the first concrete step. The new building has the size and proportions of the original plinth on which the old tower was positioned. The constructible area in the zoning followed these contours
“The structure of the new building fits the existing structure and is an advance to the future. The new design was established in close collaboration with the Van Abbe Stichting.” Piet Snijders, Eindhovens Dagblad | March 6th, 2014
CORRESPONDENCE WITH WOUTER BLOM OF OVG
quirements wherein conditions of financial or
and therefore it was possible to acquire a regular
technical nature between Rabobank and OVG
permit for the new construction. There is not yet
What was the response to the resistance against
were recorded. But furthermore, I would not
a complete interpretation for the eastern part,
demolition of the original structure by the Van
call them so much demands, but preferably joint
but when designing this the other structure will
Abbe Foundation and the local government?
ambitions. Both parties wanted a durable and
be taken in to account. This way, both designs
Did you take account of the heritage left by Leo
sustainable office that fitted in the urban con-
can be fully appreciated.”
the Bever? “Early in the initiation phase there
text, with a design that firstly fitted the location,
was a consultation with the Van Abbe Founda-
secondly justified the demolition of the existing
tion, the Foundation for protection of WWII Re-
structure, and thirdly offered room for the un-
construction Heritage and the municipal govern-
plugged concept of the Rabobank. UN Studio, in
ment about the conceived plans. Representatives
consultation with many stakeholders, completed
of the foundations and the municipality formed
the project in a satisfactory way.”
a consultative group and with them, phases of
IMAGES
1
2
1. Rabobank tower by Leo the Bever during demolition (photo: Roderik van der Kamp) 2. Clockwise, from top right: view of the atrium, the new construction from the neighboring office, building materials on the fourth floor, old and new facades side by side, safety measures on the edge of the top floor, facade of the new construction, construction elements on the top floor. (photos: Chastity Verhoofstad)
the design were discussed. Additionally, during
Why did you decide to try to achieve a
the initiation phase, during the demolition and
BREEAM-NL ‘Excellent’ label? Why this specific
during the design and realization of the new
certificate? Which investments were needed,
SOURCES
structure, several meetings have been held for
and does prefabricating elements contribute
neighbors.”
to sustainability? “First of all OVG finds it
1. Correspondence with Christian Huizinga, OTH Architecten. March 17th, 2016 2. Correspondence with Mark Hopperman, UN Studio. March 26th, 2016 3. Correspondence with Wouter Blom, OVG Real Estate. April 18th, 2016 4. Corporate visit, Fellenoord Development, Business Core Eindhoven. March 30th, 2016 5. Project: Rabobank Fellenoord, Van Abbestichting. April 26th, 2016. www.vanabbestichting.nl
important to develop sustainably and energyWhat were the specific demands Rabobank
efficiently. BREEAM-NL is a good way to make
Nederland and the city officials set for the
this sustainability measurably and concretely
design? “Of course there were program re-
implementable. Additionally, BREEAM-NL is
CHEPOS | 11
POTENTIAAL POTENTIAL Fifty-two meters high. Twenty meters wide. Seventy meters long. Sixteen floors. That together leads to more than 26,000m2 of floor area. E-hoog, nowadays better known as Potentiaal and in the future as Luna, was one of the first buildings on the campus of the former Technische Hogeschool Eindhoven. The building is currently being transformed by construction group Dura Vermeer into a residential tower with more than 400 units, designed by Diederendirrix architects. The aim of the university to make the campus into a lively area will hereby come closer. The work of Dura Vermeer will be described and illustrated in a unique look behind the scenes, from the perspective of the builders, a guided tour by construction site manager Virgil Tas. TEXT: RICK ABELEN In September 2014 Potentiaal was transferred
complex and construction times shorter, commu-
important value for the builder and construction
by the Technical University to Dura Vermeer.
nication between parties is of great importance.
company. The guarantee for provided work is
The complete building will be stripped, remedi-
By consulting at an early stage, it is possible to
in the hands of the builder. In many cases, they
ated, renovated and then operated for a period
anticipate emerging problems. This seems obvi-
have the responsibility for the quality of the
of fifty years through a third party. The unique
ous. The complexity of such projects, however,
delivered work. The aspect of manufacturability
situation arises in this project that various stages
does not guarantee this consulting. Between
is thus important, in other words: how do you
in the process take place at the same time. A
principle detail and implementation there is a
make something?
major reason is the remediation of asbestos. The
significant development, where manufactur-
intensive remediation process forms a com-
ability, functionality and esthetic qualities have
mon thread during the transformation. Because
a major impact. This process is characterized by
asbestos was found unexpectedly at a variety of
consultations between parties and preservation
places, anticipation was necessary. An example is
of core values. Because of changes in details
asbestos that was found between the screed and
after specifications and conditions, dialogue and
structural floor. This creates a situation where
consulting about the aforementioned qualities
structural work and outfitting form a synergy, a
arise. Due to the fact of an already calculated
Per day about 125 to 150 builders are working
complex task to manage and keep track on the
price and costs, such constellations are inevitable
at the construction site of Potentiaal. Where
process. “A transformation in optima forma”
and complex.
an average workweek contains forty hours,
according to Tas. At the moment of writing there arises the oppurtunity to observe all facets of the transformation process. From remediation and demolition on the lower levels, to outfitting and mounting of the siding on the upper floors. During the tour this observation was strengthened from the inside: where on the 8th floor prepara-
‘‘BEAUTIFUL IS NOT ALWAYS FUNCTIONAL’’
here there are sixty hours on average. These
‘‘POTENTIAAL IS A TRANSFORMATION IN OPTIMA FORMA’’
extra hours on Saturdays and in the evening are reserved for logistical operations. Six days a week Potentiaal is stripped, remediated and renovated. The complex planning leaves few opportunities to deviate from the schedule. Tas shows a schedule with the exact planning of the
tions were made for pouring the floor screed, on
deliveries of materials and appliances. When a
the 9th floor the cast floor was already drying.
party is not registered it is not possible to deliver An important aim of the dialogue between
materials. The limited space at the construction
During the transformation of Potentiaal, there
parties is managing expectations. Expectations
site leads to a division of delivery and distribu-
are a number of processes which have a con-
related to budgets, drawings and the design.
tion times and days. An interesting delivery is
tinuous time cycle. For example, the asbestos
Where parties often have contradictory interests
that of the sanitary units. The bathroom units
remediation, demolition work and outfitting of
and core values Tas emphasizes that ‘beautiful’
are fully completed and sealed when delivered
metal stud walls. When designs become more
is not always functional. And functionality is an
to the site. The units are hoisted and slid in after
12 | CHEPOS
POTENTIAAL POTENTIAL
NOW which they are connected to the duct system. For these connections, it is necessary to drill new drain holes in the existing concrete structure. Using special prefabricated steel moulds, it is possible to make holes on each floor at the same location. Hereby one should take into account existing deviations between floors. Therefor the entire building is scanned. Another consideration relates to the number of construction elevators. The discussion on the use of one relatively larger of two smaller hoists is important. Eventually it was determined to install one large construction elevator, which would be attached to the façade. It has been decided to deviate from this initial decision, and attach it to the staircase of Potentiaal. The main reason to make no attachment to the façade relates with the possibility of closing the façade. To conclude, the logistical interaction between involved parties and builders is crucial. Especially in the applied method of transformation at Potentiaal. Everything stands or falls with the responsibility of builders, suppliers, managers and other parties. The completion of Potentiaal is planned at the beginning of the academic year of 2016-2017. Potentiaal will then be renamed, and proceed under the name Luna. The aim of Eindhoven University of Technology to make the campus into a lively area after five will hereby come closer. Construction group Dura Vermeer performs an important role in reflecting Potentiaal’s potential and the realization of related ambitions. Special thanks go to Virgil Tas (construction site manager Potentiaal), by whom this article was made possible.
IMAGES 1. Façade Potentiaal in optima forma (photo: Rick Abelen) 1
SOURCES 1. Prof. dr. Colenbrander, Bernard; Veldpaus MSc, Loes. ‘‘Cultuurhistorische verkenning elektrotechniek ensemble Potentiaal - Impuls - Corona Technische Universiteit Eindhoven’’. December 2011. tue.nl 2. “Hoogste gebouw TU/e wordt omgebouwd tot woontoren”. 25 September 2014. tue.nl 3. “Potentiaal - Transformatie Faculteit Elektrotechniek TU/e”. September 2014. diederendirrix.nl 4. “Camelot nu eigenaar 430 studentenstudio’s TU/e”. 28 October 2015.
CHEPOS | 13
BINNENHOF: TIME FOR RENOVATION
The Binnenhof, known for the Tweede Kamer, endless debates, Het Torentje, and so on and so forth. Did you however know that the Binnenhof has a vastly rich history? Over time it has been more than just the seat of government in the Netherlands. After cycles of dilapidation and renovation, it is now again time for the old timey building to be renovated. One could however wonder if the costs for this renovation are worth it weighed against building a new building. Does renovating the real estate yield more than a new building would? TEXT CHASTITY VERHOOFSTAD
NOW THE HISTORY
course on every third Tuesday of September
From the thirteenth century onward the Bin-
the King takes place on the throne to read the
nenhof and its surroundings have been state
troonrede on Prinsjesdag.
property. Since the beginning of it being state property, the building has been the residence of
The Binnenhof, itself a square, is the center of
numerous proconsuls and counts. In the years
a larger arrangement of buildings. Three ports
spanning the independence of the Netherlands
provide access to the square which in turn
in 1813 and the founding of our kingdom in
provides access to the different buildings, such
1815, the Binnenhof has become what it is
as the Tweede Kamer, which is the name of the
today; the focal point of Dutch politics and a
building where the Tweede Kamer is housed,
hugely popular public attraction amongst tourist,
the Eerste Kamer, where surprisingly the Eerste
drawing around 158.000 of them on a yearly
Kamer is housed. The building of the ministry
basis.
of General Affaires houses the TrevĂŞzaal and Statenzaal. These are considered to be the most
The current Binnenhof finds its origins in the
beautiful spaces of the entire complex and are
Middle ages. Since 1588 it is used for amongst
therefore used for official welcoming of guests.
others meetings of the Staten-Generaal, which takes place in the Tweede Kamer. It has however
Finally Het Torentje. This used to be the office
grown to a building that houses many functions
for the minister of Internal Affairs, however since
related to our political system. It for instance also
1849 it has been on and off the workplace for
houses the Ridderzaal, which is used for official
the prime-minister. From 1982 it has been the
national and international conferences and of
office of the prime-minister.
THE RENOVATION
tion work to a renovation of thirteen years.
Now the building has to be renovated. It does
Presumably, a renovation plan will be chosen
no longer meet current demands for fire and
that will take five and a half years. Between
safety requirements. The buildings have both
decision and execution there will also be an ad-
technical and engineering defects and have
ditional five years, as there are no plans yet on
obsolete technical installations with an age of
how to execute them. To be able to, finally, start
over twenty five years. The malfunctioning of
in 2020, there are a number of things that need
these installations even tend to cause disrup-
to be completed.
tions in the work environment. Furthermore, the building has to deal with a number of leakages
First of all the project brief should be made, de-
and related moisture problems. Additionally,
scribng what is to be expected of the renovated
mold and asbestos have been found in the build-
building and what it takes for the building to
ing. In short, there are quite some defects and
meet all laws and regulations. There will have
that is without taking the building’s structure in
to be a guideline for the architects and other
account, which is also not in the best shape and
advisors. When these have been selected, a
features carbonation and rust. Ultimately, there
preliminary design can be drawn up and the
have been threats of closing the building, lead-
required permits can be requested. When those
ing to a number of Kamerdebatten.
are in order, procurements with construction companies and installation companies can be
In the 2011 the need for renovation was already
made, after which those housed in the Binnen-
evident, but it is not that easy to renovate such a
hof buildings can prepare for the big move, not
big building complex. Beside the fact that it is a
forgetting to take along the fine art collection
monumental building, the temporary relocation
in the buildings. They will be relocated to other
of the Eerste and Tweede Kamer come into play
governmental buildings.
as well. Multiple plans have been made for the renovation of the building. In one of the Kamer-
The entire renovation is quite a big project,
brieven of minister Blok, nine different variants
which is of course also met with quite some
are mentioned, from a renovation plan of two
costs. For the total renovation a sum of 475
and a half years with round the clock construc-
million has been reserved, which includes BTW/ CHEPOS | 15
VAT and the temporary housing. These costs can
renovation.
be subdivided into three groups; the renovation
However, if this renovation is so big and costly,
itself, the temporary relocation and non-housing
one can ask why it won’t be more thorough.
costs. 59% of the budget will be used for the
Spaces could for instance be restored to their
engineering aspects, 37% will be for the techni-
original state, putting the different oppositions
cal installations and 3% will be used for the
more directly across from each other. This can
security of the buildings.
stimulate more intense debates and confrontations, not leading to pointless discussions, but
BUT…
confrontations that help.
The Binnenhof of course has a high historical value, and has long been the center of Dutch
And so there are multiple questions that remain
politics. Besides that it draws a lot of tourists
unanswered. Perhaps in a future issue we can
which is of course profitable for the economy,
see what it all has led to.
but then still is it worth the investment and where does this money come from? In one of
IMAGES
the Kamerbrieven can be read that only the necessary interventions will be done to meet the
1
laws and regulations as long as they are sober and expedient. But the renovation does not focus on the restoration of historical symbolic and monumental values, why is that? In the Lentenota of 2016 can be read that the Hoge Colleges van Staat in part finance the
116| CHEPOS 16 | CHEPOS
1. Cleaning samples on a façade of the Binnenhof (photo: Lennart Arpots) 2. Binnenhof, as seen from the Hofvijver (photo: Lennart Arpots)
SOURCES 2
1. “Groot onderhoud en renovatie gebouwen Binnenhof”, April 26th, 2016. www. rijksoverheid.nl 2. “Renovatie Binnenhof: varianten onderzocht”, April 26th, 2016. www.rijksoverheid. nl 3. “Monitor Toerisme 2010-2014”, November 2015. Gemeente Den Haag, DSO / Programmamanagement, Strategie en Onderzoek
BINNENHOF: BINNENHOF TIME FOR RENOVATION
NOW
COLUMN: Adriaan Jurriëns Adriaan Jurriëns is alumnus and former writer of Chepos Magazine. In every edition he writes a column about his daily findings as self-employed architect.
Collaboration some this may sound outdated but I don’t see that, due to the development of knowledge and
how the input of experts is overlooked and they
A lot has been written about collaboration.
tighter regulations, it was too complex for one
can still create a coherent design. This is why
There is simply no human activity which doesn’t
discipline to oversee a whole project. The answer
many projects simply lack quality and attention
relate on some level to collaboration. Especially
seemed to be in the idea of radical collaboration
to detail.
in this economy in which we see an ongoing
between supposed equals.
division of labor, we are dependent on an
What does this look like in my daily work as
increasing number of people. In our specific
Sadly the discussion almost never addresses the
an architect? Take, for example, a detail like a
case of design and construction we rely on an
question of who has the supervision of a project.
post cabinet (for multiple apartments). A lot
increasing number of experts. This can be seen
Probably the idea of leading sounds a little less
of architects decide not to fully design it and
in the rise of relatively new fields of expertise,
sympathetic then the idea of collaboration.
leave the details for the contractor, with all
for example building physics or specialized
But to me it seems evident that supervision is
the consequences that this entails. With my
construction which are solely focused on drilling
essential when multiple parties work together on
role as supervisor, I tend to work out all the
and cutting holes into concrete. Collaboration is
one project. Furthermore it is a misconception
relevant details, as well as the details that aren’t
simply inevitable, but letting a group of people
that stands in the way of collaboration. Leading
necessary for the design. This also allows me to
work together is not as easy as it sounds.
is not synonymous of a top-down structure
establish a collaboration with the manufacturers
of management. Don’t great leaders usually
and by doing so I get an insight into detailing,
When I read about collaboration in our field
distinguish themselves by listening carefully to
(unexpected) costs and utilities that I might have
I always wonder what exactly is meant by it.
their advisors? I would argue that the discussion
otherwise missed. In one of my projects this
Often, it is used as some kind of incantation
on collaboration would be more meaningful if
lead me to pay more attention to the abilities of
which magically leads to the solving of some
we also talk about supervision and how this role
the intercom in which we could save money for
problems. As is the case with more of these
can best be fulfilled.
elsewhere in the design.
more than some kind of platitude in a sales
I think the architect is the best discipline to
Without collaboration with the manufacturers
pitch. What exactly is meant by collaboration is
fulfill the role of supervisor. Not only does the
of post cabinets and intercom systems it might
not explained at all.
architect take the first steps into a building
have lead to unnecessary cuts in the budget
magical words, I get the impression it is nothing
design but, as a designer, an architect can also
or insufficient systems because nobody did
A lot of forms of collaboration were discussed
oversee the whole project more easily than
research on these things. What is important is
back in my time as a student. Definitions such as
other disciplines who are mostly occupied by
that we realize these things might be ignored if
“integral design” and “design- and-build teams”
one aspect rather than the project as a whole.
nobody has supervision over the design. More
(in Dutch: bouwteams) came around often
Also things like (technical) quality and durability
essential, is that a good collaboration starts with
when collaboration was discussed. The very old
cannot be seen as separate parts from the design
the observation that collaboration is needed
concept of one architect who was in charge of
as a whole. That is why, in my view, the architect
in the first place. And in order to do so needs
the design was dismissed for the idea of a team
should not only be the designer but also the
somebody to take the lead.
of experts in which the discipline of architecture
chief engineer who leads the design towards a
was only one of many. The assumption was
detailed plan and into the process of building. To
COLUMN: ADRIAAN JURRIËNS
CHEPOS | 17
DRIVE FOR INNOVATION What do the Sydney Opera House, Arnhem Central station and The Gherkin have in common? They were all engineered by Arup, the global player in the world of structural design. Ever wondered who structurally waged itself to the deconstructive shapes of Zaha Hadid or OMA’s large colossal volumes? Which company has a large share in the Olympic stadiums of both Beijing and London? The answer to both questions is: Arup. The company is represented all over the world and has become the go-to for structural design for nearly all the major architecture offices. From 1946 on, founder, philosopher and engineer Ove Arup has been innovating the market of structural design and beyond. The company today focusses on a wide range of markets including cities, transport, energy and water. Combining the drive for innovation under employees with the goal to shape a better world in these sectors makes Arup what it is today: A worldwide innovator. TEXT & IMAGE: JIMMY HENDRICKX
OVE ARUP THE PHILOSOPHER ENGINEER
20 | CHEPOS
OVE ARUP
FILE: ARUP Ove Nyquist Arup, though not extremely
This was an odd perception for a rather conser-
THE KEY SPEECH
well-known outside the world of building,
vative world and often frowned upon.
As previously seen, it was essential for Ove
he was one of the most influential engi-
Arup realized there were many conflicting
Arup that all of the personnel, from architects
neers of his time. His strive for excellence
architectural theories. He started questioning the
to secretaries, carries out the same philosophy,
in making (iconic) buildings makes him
meaning of architecture. From his point of view,
especially after expanding their services to ad-
legendary, and resulted in a firm with a
the aim for a building or structure should always
joining fields like architecture, planning and envi-
household name and strong background.
serve its purpose. Other aims besides this, were
ronmental engineering. Ove Arup was asked to
Who is the man behind the firm Arup, and
that the building must not be too expensive and
share his vision, which was then documented in
how did he come to founding Arup?
it must be structurally sound. For Arup it was
a paper called ‘The Key Speech’. This document
clear that the main problem in equally serving
is still required reading for everyone who joins
these aims, was the amount of people involved
Arup. The Key Speech focuses on aims, results
in the design of the same building. In his opin-
and tools to achieve this. For Arup, ‘Total Archi-
Ove Arup was a British engineer with Danish
ion, ‘Total Architecture’ was the answer to this
tecture’ was his vision for the company. As said
roots, who is considered to be among the fore-
problem.
by Arup in The Key Speech: “The term ‘Total
TEXT: ILKE BROERS & LARS HOGENBOOM
most architectural and structural engineers of his
Architecture’ implies that all relevant design
time. In 1913 he first began studying philosophy
START OF ARUP
decisions have been considered together and
at Copenhagen University, and in 1917 went
Here lies the foundation of his own company
have been integrated into a whole by a well-
to the Technical University of Denmark to study
Arup, which he founded in 1946. Ove Arup had
organized team empowered to fix priorities. This
civil engineering. For him, studying philosophy
several ideas about the ideal type of construc-
is an ideal which can never – or only very rarely
did not give answers to the questions he had
tions, and he was ready to execute those ideas
– be fully realized in practice, but which is well
set out to solve. In fact, philosophy only gave
in his own name. For example, he tried to design
worth striving for, for artistic wholeness or excel-
him more unanswerable questions. On the other
multi-story buildings with reinforced concrete.
lence depends on it, and for our own sake we
hand, civil engineering gave him the feeling
This was unconventional at that time, as steel
need the stimulation produced by excellence.”
that designing was something which was good
multi-story buildings were the standard. His
Arup felt excellence is an ideal worth striving for,
in itself, no matter if the mysteries of the world
strive for using this material was one of the
and this is his main reason for founding his own
were solved or not.
reasons to start his own firm.
company.
CHRISTIANI AND NIELSEN
Another major reason for the foundation of
His first job immediately created the foundation
Arup was his strive for ‘Total Architecture’.
of his own philosophy. While working at the
Architecture means teamwork; there are differ-
firm Christiani and Nielsen, Arup noticed that in
ent people in the design process of one building.
the organization of the building industry all at-
This teamwork is based on mutual understand-
tention went out to the lowest price in a design,
ing and identity of aims. It works best if every
but hardly any care went into getting the best
team member has the same philosophy in his
design. Where designing for civil objects was
work as the architect or civil engineer. Although
mainly the department of a consulting engineer,
there were likeminded firms, the quest for qual-
the contractors of the firm Christiani and Nielsen
ity made Arup realize it would be best to expand
did feel the need to intervene in the design
services beyond structural engineering. This way
progress by suggesting they could save a lot of
they could perform under their own moral code
money in the long term by altering the design.
and philosophy, and strive for the desired result.
IMAGES 1. Collage of pictures from doodles and doggerel Ove Arup (images: Ove Arup) 2. Ove Arup (image: arup.com)
1 2
SOURCES 1. Arup. “Ove Arup: The philosopher engineer”. February 28, 2014. video.arup.com 2. Ove Arup. “The Key Speech”. (London: Ove Arup Partnership, 1970) 3. Ove Arup Partnership. “Doodles and Doggerel”. (London: Ove Arup Partnership, 1989) 4. Doggerel. “An artist in small matters”. May 19, 2015. doggerel.arup.com
Besides being an architect, a civil engineer and the founder of a multinational firm, Arup was a philosopher. He first and foremost thought about the meaning and purpose of life. The purpose of life was not entirely unraveled by Arup. As written up by himself: “We know so much, it’s unbelievable, and everything now seems achievable; but what we haven’t yet found out, is what the whole thing is about.” This continuous flow of thoughts resulted in iconic doggerel, not only about the meaning of life, but also about the concept of ‘Total Architecture’, his own work and his morals, and the struggles that come with them. His doggerel was collected, and accompanied by his own doodles, in the book ‘Doodles and Doggerel’, a limited edition published by Ove Arup Partnership in his memory. CHEPOS | 21
OLYMPIC ARUP Introducing Arup’s engineering through olympic projects
Arup has offices all around the globe, as it engages in building almost everywhere. This means people from many nationalities are working together within the company as well as between the company and external parties, with many projects as its result. Probably most resembling for this international cooperation are the projects designed for the Olympic Games. These projects, designed for athletes coming together from all around the world, often ask for very specific design solutions because of the very specific design demands. First of all, such stadiums need to be designed for both the Olympic Games and what happens afterwards. Furthermore these buildings, as all stadiums, have very variable live loads, because of all the people who could be seated in the building. Moreover, these people also have to move into and out of the stadium, and so on. The following Olympic Stadiums range from the Olympic Winter Games in Turin to the coming Olympic Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro. They were all (partially) designed by Arup, yet are quite different from one another because of the environment they stand in, the sports that are performed in them and what has happened or will happen after the Olympic Games. TEXT: JEROEN POSPIECH
TORINO PALASPORT OLIMPICO
the seats right into the construction. However
ceremony was held here, after which it was the
The Turino Palasport Olimpico was the ice hock-
the Palasport Olimpico’s entire bleachers have
main stadium for the athletic events, specifically
ey stadium during the Olympic Winter Games
a separate structure, which can be taken out
track & field, and the Olympic football final. For
of 2006 in Turin. The building was able to hold
leaving a very large uninterrupted open space
the track events the center of attention is usually
12.500 spectators during ice hockey games,
in the building, making the Palasport Olimpico
the finish line, this differs from the field events
however it was made to hold up to 18.500 in
well fit for a much larger variety of uses than
where such centers are spread around the field
its post-Olympic use. With this capacity, it is
if the bleachers had been a permanent part of
and the football events where the center line
the largest indoor arena in Italy, made possible
the structure. Through a massive truss structure,
forms the center of focus. Yet regardless of so
by the large roof span of the building. When
the roof is held up over a span from behind the
many different sports none of the seats is re-
the building was built, acoustic systems were
bleachers on one side all the way to the end of
moved further from the field than 140m, which
already installed for the post-Olympic use of the
the bleachers on the other side. The bleach-
is impressive for a stadium this large.
stadium. Today, it is a multipurpose hall which
ers themselves have been made out of a steel
Few structures are so visible yet so mysterious
holds events such as sports games and concerts.
cantilever construction.
NATIONAL STADIUM BEIJING The National Stadium in Beijing, also known as the “Bird’s Nest” because of its dynamic structural design, has been built for the Olympic Summer Games of 2008 in Beijing. The original capacity of the stadium was 91.000, which included 11.000 temporary seats which were taken away after the Games. The building’s interior was designed for all spectators to have an unobstructed view of the sports competitions Unlike many other stadiums, the Palasport Olim-
held in the stadium. This brought quite a design
pico does not have its bleachers incorporated
challenge, since various sports competitions were
in the structure of the building. Many stadiums
held at the stadium with different centers of at-
are built that way since it saves space building
tention. During the Olympic Games the opening
22 | CHEPOS
OLYMPIC ARUP
FILE: ARUP
as the National Stadium’s. First of all, the Bird’s
referring to both the several nearby rivers on
2 and 3 will be able to hold 10.000 spectators
Nest lays in one of the most seismic active re-
Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and the sports
watching various martial arts and fighting sports.
gions of the world, meaning earthquakes occur
performed within the stadium. Therefore the
Each of the arenas will be used in the 2016 Para-
frequently. Because of its sheer size, the building
structure holds up a curvature roof, the design
lympics as well. After the 2016 Olympic Games
could not be constructed as one. Therefore the
of which Arup has been involved with.
in Rio de Janeiro it is to be transformed to the Brazilian Olympic Training Centre. As part of this
stadium consists out of 6 concrete bows which can move separately instead of breaking where
Generally when making a large span, an up-
transformation, 11.000 seats will be removed
they would have been connected. The steel
wardly arched construction is chosen to form a
from the Carioca Arena 1 and make place for
structure around it not only functions as an
catenary based upon minimizing the bending
various facilities including a velodrome.
aesthetic wrapper, but also holds up the roof.
moments within the structure. However Zaha
It has been designed separately so that if the
Hadid’s design based on waveforms meant the
Though each of the Carioca Arenas is structur-
concrete construction would fail, it would not
roof structure had to be arched both upwards
ally independent, they share a single façade. This
bring the roof down with it. The steel beams rise
as well as downwards. Arup designed a large
façade is made up out of laminated rectangular
up from outside of the stadium, then hang over
truss system in the roof’s longitudinal direction
pine columns which hold stainless steel plates
the bleachers and come back down again behind
supported at three points as well as in the cross
between them. The façade can support itself,
them. Such a portal structure repeated in circular
direction. However because the roof becomes
but there are also concrete columns independent
fashion gives the stadium its iconic exoskeleton.
thinner towards the side of the building, there
from the façade which hold up the roof struc-
From above the building appears to make a lot
was no more space for a truss system. Therefore
ture. The roof itself covers a larger area than
more sense than when looking at eye level.
the outer parts of the shape of the roof at these
its façade, so it will drop shadow on the walls
points are designed to support themselves. This
rather than have sunlight shine directly upon
AQUATICS CENTRE LONDON
is achieved through the tension in the curved
them, causing the temperature to rise drastically
The Aquatics Centre in London was designed for
shape of the roof which connects to trusses,
inside. Since the roofs are separate from each
the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Its pools
which function as a cantilever construction
other, even though they share a single façade,
were used in all the swimming and water polo
directing the forces towards the contact points.
each of the arenas is still recognizable.
usually hold 15.000 spectators, however during
THE ARENAS CARIOCAS
IMAGES
the 2012 Olympics the capacity was increased
The Arenas Cariocas is a complex incorporat-
by 2.500 to 17.500 spectators. Like the Torino
ing three arenas within one stadium, making it
1234
Palasport Olimpico, the Aquatics Centre too
a very multifunctional building hosting a large
5
had to have a very large roof span, as sup-
variety of sports including basketball, judo and
porting structures around the two competition
fencing. During the coming summer the Carioca
pools were not an option. Zaha Hadid’s design
Arena 1 will be able to hold 16.000 spectators
was based on the geometry of flowing water,
watching the basketball tournament, both arena
matches during the Olympics. The stadium can
7
6
8
1. Palasport Olimpico (source: www.architravel.com) 2. National Stadium Beijing (source: www. layoverguide.com) 3. Aquatic Centre London (source: www. designapplause.com) 4. The Arenas Cariocas (source: www.riomais. net) 5. Bleachers Palasport Olimpico (source: www.google.com) 6. Structral Design National Stadium (source: www.abandiara-civil.blogspot.nl) 7. The Arenas Cariocas under construction (source: www.riomediacenter.com.br) 8. Section Aquatic Centre London (source: www.zaha-hadid.com)
SOURCES 1. Passion for sports and design. 2015. arup.com 2. Arata Isozaki: Palasport Olimpico di Torino. 2016. archiweb.it 3. Beijing’s Bird’s Nest National Olympics Stadium. 2014. aboutcivil.org 4. London Aquatics Centre. 2011. zaha-hadid.com 5. Especial Rio 2016: Fachadas contínuas unem as três arenas. 2016. arcoweb.com.br
CHEPOS | 23
ARUP AMSTERDAM Arup is a company which originates in
utes to a rather different culture. Arup has even
shapes the (in)formality of the work environ-
London, England, and was founded in
been recognized as a top employer for women
ment. In Amsterdam, employer-employee
1946. In the years to follow, Arup offices
in the UK, and is in the Top 50 Employers for
contact is more informal than in Poland.
started to rise everywhere around the
Women, according to newspaper The Times.
world, and as we speak add up to nearly
Alan Belfield, Chairman of the UKMEA Region
RIJKSMUSEUM
40 offices in total. The office in Amster-
commented the following:
To complete the renovation of the Rijksmuseum
dam has been one of them since the year
in Amsterdam, Arup delivered the lighting
“Being shortlisted for the fifth time highlights our continued efforts to encourage and empower all employees, irrespective of gender, race or sexuality, to perform to their fullest potential and contribute to the greater goals of the firm. We still have a way to go, as a firm and as an industry, but awards like these inspire us to keep the momentum going.”
design, building services and building physics
Over the years, this of course was an inefficient
Arup companies distinguish themselves from
GRONINGEN
way of working. This is why in 2000 an Arup
other companies in many ways. When one starts
In 1959 the NAM, the Dutch Oil Community,
office was founded in Amsterdam. Contrary to
working for Arup, one receives a share of the
discovered a gas bubble: the Groningen gas
what you would expect, Arup does not have its
company. Compared to for example BAM, which
field. Originally this bubble was expected to
own building here, but shares one with other
is listed on the stock markets, this contributes to
contain 60 billion cubic meters of gas. Accord-
companies. Due to rapid growth over the past
the intrinsic motivation employees are sharing
ing to the last estimate, this was 2800 billion, of
3 years, Arup expanded from owning one
and creates a very united group of employers
which 727 billion is said to be remaining. Since
floor to two office floors. Amsterdam employs
and employees. Another example in which Arup
then, there have been drillings to extract the
approximately 250 people who make up 2%
sets itself apart from other companies, is the
gas. Due to the high oil prices of the last years
of the total number of employees worldwide.
horizontal organizational orientation, lead in a
it was very interesting to keep exploiting this
Within the company there is a high diversity, and
transformational manner. Because of this one
fossil fuel. Unfortunately, due to the drillings
compared to other companies Arup has a high
can for example easily enter the CEO’s office.
earthquakes started occurring in Groningen,
number of female employees. This is not very
Although this characteristic is recognized by
and buildings started to become damaged. To
common within the building sector and contrib-
employees worldwide, a country’s culture also
prevent future damage, Arup started research-
2000. TEXT: PIM LABEE & EVA PABON
AMSTERDAM OFFICE Before Arup set foot in Amsterdam with an actual office, the company already was working on several projects on Dutch soil. The extensive portfolio includes the Public Library in Amsterdam, the Rijksmuseum and Arnhem Central
advise. All the building services had to become invisible, which was quite a challenge since the original 19th century monument did not have the space for the distribution of modern installations. This challenge was solved by a multidisciplinary approach: by finding new innovative ways to integrate their solutions. The main goal of the lighting design was to bring back the dominance of the natural daylight.
Station. To do so, experts had to be flown in.
24 | CHEPOS
ARUP AMSTERDAM
FILE: ARUP
ing preventive measures for structural upgrading
moral compass. Every employee is required to
of buildings in the area. With plenty of seismic
do an ethics training, something which is found
expertise available through Arup’s global teams,
highly important by the management. Lastly, the
LESLIE PAVILION
Arup has been working as consultants for the
perfect employee will obviously have read and
The enthusiasm of the employees and the
design of buildings which can withstand seismic
will try to work by the morals of the Key Speech.
encouragement of personal development pres-
activity. The work in Groningen is one of the
In conclusion: in a perfect world the Arup em-
ent themselves in one example in particular: the
main reasons for Arup Amsterdam’s increased
ployee is a talented, passionate individual who is
Leslie pavilion. This project was done by Arup
numbers of employees in the past 3 years.
willing to do more than what is expected.
employees and arose from their passion for
PROFILE
OPPORTUNITIES
by the Leslie speakers in Hammond organs. The
In a perfect world, there is a perfect Arup em-
Where the employees are expected to give it all,
famous sound effect of rotating sounds can
ployee. What does such a person look like? For
the company gives back. As mentioned before,
also be achieved by an installation of hypars
starters, it can be a man or woman, as diversity
every permanent employee is a stakeholder in
(hyperbolic paraboloids). The structure, built by
is a hot topic and important goal for Arup. This
the company and will share in the profits. Ac-
employees of Arup Amsterdam in collaboration
partly means they would like to include more
cording to employees the work environment in
with a joiner was showcased at the International
women in their company. This does not mean
Amsterdam is pleasant: the company does not
Association for Shell and Spatial Structures
that men are excluded, but for this story let us
have many rules or guidelines and people know
(IASS) Symposium in 2015. The Leslie Pavilion
say the employee is a woman. This woman is
each other on a personal level. The latter has
was designed and built outside office hours by
without a doubt a talented enthusiast, who loves
decreased somewhat recently, as the company
enthusiastic engineers, emerging entirely out of
a challenge. Complex problems do not scare, but
grew and was compelled to spread their office
their own passion for innovation.
encourage her. She loves to learn and to develop
space over two floors instead of one. In return
further within her discipline. Not only does she
for the willingness of employees to develop
keep expanding her knowledge in her area, she
themselves further, the company will try to offer
also keeps developing herself as a person. The
them this opportunity within the firm. It is with
perfect employee works well in a group and will
good reason that our people is the very first of
try to think laterally (“out-of-the-box”, broadly).
five main focus points of Arup Amsterdam, fol-
She is willing to go the extra mile, sometimes lit-
lowed by our client, our quality, our total design
erally, as doing a long or short-term assignment
and our market and business. This is in line with
SOURCES
in other countries is highly encouraged. She is a
the Key Speech, where profit and finance are
realist, who will not only help the client by doing
not left out, but listed last, as a less important
the assigned work, but will look further than
goal compared to the others. Additionally, Arup
1. Alan Belfield et al “A2 Magazine” (The Future is here), issue 17, 2008 2. “Rijksmuseum”, 2015. www.arup.com 3. “Kunnen we wel zonder het gas uit Groningen?”2014. www. volkskrant.nl 4. Interview with Renske van der Straat, Arup, 2016
that. She will always try to find ways to help the
Group Ltd. has several policies that benefit the
client beyond what was asked of her. She is not
work environment as well as the quality of the
only an employee with passion, but also has a
work: health and safety, quality, sustainability,
diversity and inclusion, ethics and privacy.
sound and acoustics. The pavilion was inspired
IMAGES 2
1. The Atrium of the Rijksmuseum (source: www.archdaily.com) 2. Leslie Pavillion (photo: Arup)
1
CHEPOS | 25
PETER RICE humanist - analyst - engineer Many engineers are seen as straight-forward people, who analyze and calculate. But sometimes there are exceptions. One was Ove Arup, but Peter Rice is an exceptional runner-up on that list. His approach to engineering had a great similarity to Arup’s as seen in his goal for everything being in the benefit for human kind. Peter Rice was a senior partner of Arup, Piano & Rice Associates and Rice Francis Ritchie (RFR). But under his coworkers and collaborating architects namely remember him for his humanistic approach to engineering.
TEXT: ILKE BROERS Peter Rice (1935) was born in Dundalk, Ireland
competition with a design the French initially
Arup declined the assignment for La Villette,
and spent his entire childhood there. After he
did not want. The three did have the support of
after which RFR picked it up. For the project,
began studying aeronautical engineering, which
president, Georges Pompidou, to build their idea
the engineers and designers were faced with
he found uninteresting, he switched to civil en-
of a ‘human machine’. The engineering solutions
the problem of the support system for the glass
gineering at Queen’s University in Belfast. After
for the architectural issues were also not the
façade. Francis, with his design background,
he received his engineering degree, he spent
most common, but they fitted the concept. For
mentioned that engineers do not understand
another year at the Imperial College in London
instance the articulated joints; the span of the
that glass is a flexible material. This gave Rice
before joining Arup in 1956.
beams was 50 meters, but this would cause a
a eureka moment; if that was the case, they
momentum that was too big. Rice did not talk
did not need a supporting structure, they could
His first project was immediately a big one:
the architects out of the idea of this huge span.
use cables. These days, this cable glass support
The Sydney Opera House. At Arup he worked
He went along and designed the articulated
system is a standard in the engineering world.
for three years with a small team on the Utzon
joints. Although being of great significance, it
shells, before moving to Sydney with his family.
was not until much later that this was recog-
Multiple architects and engineers who worked
He was supposed to work as assistant engi-
nized. Martin Francis, Rice’s partner in his later
with Rice, described him as a rare creature. He
neer to Ian MacKenzie, until after one month
firm RFR, mentioned that Rice once said: “No-
had a drive for exploration and doing new or
MacKenzie fell ill and was hospitalized. This left
body will realize what you have done until many
different things, and had a degree of the philo-
Peter Rice in charge as on-site engineer, at the
years afterwards.” Francis felt this was also the
sophical side Ove Arup also had, which showed
age of 28.
case with Rice himself.
in his goal for everything being in the benefit of mankind. He wanted to know how people re-
The next big project, for which he is most
The Museum of Science & Industry at Parc de la
spond to his structural buildings when they were
widely known, was the Centre Pompidou. In
Villette was one of the initial reasons for Rice to
completed. Next to that, he always took time
1971, the French Government announced a
start his firm RFR in 1977, with Martin Francis
to talk about art, life and feelings, before going
competition for an art complex in the center of
and Ian Ritchie. Rice was also partner at Arup,
into the nitty-gritty of the structural design.
Paris. In this highly conservative France, Richard
but was given the freedom to start his own
Rogers, Renzo Piano and Peter Rice won the
company, which put him in this unusual position.
In 1991, Rice found out he had an aggressive brain tumor and not much longer to live. In his last year, next to writing his book ‘Peter Rice: An Engineer Imagines’, he was also awarded the Royal Gold Medal for Architecture. He was the second engineer ever to receive this award, the first being Ove Arup. The architects who loved to work with him, put his name forward for the award, which they did to recognize his contribution to the advancement of architecture. Rice found this to be a great honor. He eventually past away at the young age of 57 in 1992.
26 | CHEPOS
PETER RICE
FILE: ARUP
CECIL BALMOND designing between art and science In the traditional conception of science it is believed that things are what they are. World renown creator Cecil Balmond has spent a lifetime investigating the inner forces that shape structure itself, changing the very idea and conceived traditional limits of space and structure. He has been of great importance for architectural masterpieces and art around the world, for which he received the title OBE for services to architecture in 2015 and has been heralded a multidisciplinary genius. Balmond was Deputy Chairman of Arup, Chairman of Arup’s European Building Division and founded the famous AGU. TEXT: JUSTIN AGYIN Cecil Balmond (Sri Lanka, 1943) was born to
have to see him every few months, and he’d ar-
had to write new software to predict how the
parents with of both Sinhalese and European
gue for the poetic qualities inherent in concrete
fabric skin would behave when it was stretched.
descent. His father taught European-history as a
over steel, for example. I was really refining my
There was a lot of speculation about what was
professor at the University of Ceylon. When Bal-
game.” After that project, he worked on projects
holding it up, Zaha Hadid for instance specu-
mond was a teenager, growing ethnic tensions
of increasing complexity and advanced his
lated that the red skin was made of steel. He
forced his father to flee the country. He and
thinking on structure and design. In the 1980s
took Hadid aside and told her to punch it. Both
his wife moved to Ibadan, Nigeria in 1960 and
he teamed up with Rem Koolhaas. Their first col-
projects demonstrate how ambiguity is central
were joined by Cecil Balmond in 1962. There he
laboration was for the competition entry for the
in a lot of his designs and the Bordeaux house
enrolled in the university and learned a lot about
The Hague City Hall in 1986. Though they did
is an archetypical example of him escaping “the
three-dimensional thinking from a Senegalese
not win, it was the start of a fruitful and dynamic
Cartesian cage”; the formal grid-like arrange-
math professor, which triggered a new spatial
collaboration between Koolhaas and Balmond,
ment of columns and beams on which almost all
awareness in him. To complete his education,
and their respective firms OMA and Arup.
construction relies.
Southampton where he earned a degree in civil
For Balmond a significant OMA-Arup project
The Serpentine Pavilions have also been a
engineering in 1965. Afterwards, he returned
was a private house in Bordeaux, completed in
productive laboratory for Balmond. For the 2002
to Nigeria and got a job at the Arup office in
1998. For this project he came up with a daring
pavilion, Toyo Ito proposed to build a box that
Ibadan. The Biafran War however forced him to
structural approach, which he called “a levita-
is not a box. Balmond was intrigued by the idea,
leave Nigeria, upon which he joined the Arup
tion”. For Balmond this building demonstrates
but disapproved of the conservative “Cartesian”
office in London.
what it means to be a structural engineer, to
structure of Ito’s proposal. Balmond’s answer
he went to England to attend the University of
“route gravity through structure”. This routing
came from a simple sketch that is based on a
Balmond’s first big project was a brewery in
is often anything but obvious in his projects, as
simple algorithm. He took a square and con-
Northampton, built in 1970, which was super-
also was the case for Marsyas; an art installation
nected the midpoint of each rib to a point a
vised by Ove Arup himself. He took Balmond
he did together with Anish Kapoor in the Tur-
third of the way up on each adjacent rib, which
under his wing, an experience which Balmond
bine Hall of the Tate Modern in 2002. For five
together form another square. By repeating this
describes as follows: “Mr. Arup was my critic. I’d
months, they spent half a week sketching at an
process, the design of the pavilion unfolded,
Arup office in London
its form generated from a single starting point,
while the Advanced
releasing its inner energy.
Geometry Unit, an en-
CECIL BALMOND
gineering, architecture
The in 2006 completed Pedro e Ines bridge in
and research practice
Coimbra, Portugal, was the first project to fea-
Balmond had set up
ture his name as architect. He however has ad-
within Arup, explored
mitted that there are advantages to working in
the structural possibili-
the shadows as “the more anonymous you can
ties of their ideas. The
be, the more freedom you have”. His insatiable
shape of the installa-
curiosity of structural form and logic eventually
tion turned out to be
drew him away from Arup to set up his own
so complex that Arup
design studio in 2011; Balmond Studios. CHEPOS | 27
PETER RICE: SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE
1
The Sydney Opera House was Rice’s first project
and went with it (2). In retrospect, the engineers
and it piqued his love for architecture. He was
should then already have warned Utzon. The
said to be influenced by Jørn Utzon quite much.
parabola would cause a big bending moment at
The design of the Opera House, and especially
the footing.
the engineering part of it, is immensely complex. Therefore only the development of the shells will
The parabolic scheme was found to be a prob-
be highlighted in this article.
lem. Multiple ideas were proposed, but most of them were rejected by Utzon, as they did not
2
3
Jørn Utzon won the design competition for the
fit his idea of a smooth eggshell, which he had
Sydney Opera House in 1957. This was the be-
since the beginning. In 1961 they had a break
ginning of several long years of designing. The
through; two elliptical schemes were proposed
design was chosen because it was simple and
where one had a smooth shell (3) and the
clear, and it departed from the conventional cus-
other was made up out of ribbed profiles with
toms of theatre design. Although the beauty of
pre-stressed concrete (4). Although wanting
the roof was already present in this early design
the smooth shell for four years, Utzon preferred
(1), Utzon did not have enough of a technical
the ribbed scheme. This was also after he had
background in acoustics and theatre technique
seen the beauty of the Concourse Beams Arup
to design with the right proportions for the
designed for the area under the grand staircase.
height of the shells. He initially chose heights
These beams had a cross-section which ran from
which he hoped were sufficient. They were not.
a U to a V to a T shape and made it possible to span many meters without needing columns.
When chosen as the winner, two assessors of the
Like the Concourse Beams, the ribbed scheme
competition recommended Utzon to nominate
expressed the structure according to its function,
Ove Arup as the structural engineer. Arup was
and was therefore chosen to continue with.
already an established engineer at this time, and
4
delivered several shell roofs. Next to that, they
Although figuring out the ribbed scheme, in the
were both of Danish descent, which meant that
summer of ’61 Utzon was afraid they would
there would be no language barrier. This took
not find a solution for it to be constructed in a
away most of the anxiety the people of Sydney
rational way. Then he was struck by an idea;
had, when the unexperienced Utzon was put
what if the ribs could be cut out from a common
onto the project.
surface? For instance a sphere? He discussed this with Arup, who was extremely impressed by the
5
As the shells designed for the competition were
architect for proposing such a simple but clever
not suitable, the engineers at Arup asked Utzon
idea. The most important matter was that the
how he would define the curves. Utzon, the
ribs, with a constant angle of 3.65 degrees, were
pragmatist, responded by bending a Perspex
now suitable for mass production. The design (5)
bar, tracing the curve and sending it to London.
was indeed a breakthrough and the light at the
The engineers found it to look like a parabola
end of a long and dark tunnel.
IMAGES
1 2
3 4
1. Joints Centre Pompidou (source: collège Joseph Suacot) 2. Glass and cable structure La Villette (photo: Greg Kerr) 3. Design developments Sydney Opera House (drawings: Yuzo Mikami) 4. Concourse Beams (photo: Naomi Huveneers) Page 26 background: Centre Pompidou (photo: Rudy Pické)
SOURCES 1. Arup. “Traces of Peter Rice”. December 13, 2012. video. arup.com 2. Archiseek. “Peter Rice (1935-1992)”. 2009. archiseek.com 3. Engineering timelines. Several articles. engineering-timelines. com 4. Yuzo Mikami. “Utzon’s Sphere”. (Tokyo: SHIKOKUSHA Publishing Co., Ltd., 2001)
28 | CHEPOS
PETER RICE
FILE: ARUP CECIL BALMOND: KUNSTHAL One of the earlier, though canonical Koolhaas-
loads preventing them from buckling. This arch
Balmond/OMA-Arup projects is the Kunsthal in
is again an interesting way to think about the
Rotterdam. When visiting the Kunsthal, there are
design of structure, as at first sight it is not
some interesting aspects you can observe and
necessarily clear what that thin red line is. It can
experience. It is not exactly clear what is part of
be structure, pattern, architectural devise or all
the spatial architectural experience and what is
three. It is again ambiguity that lies present in
merely part of the structure. The building chang-
the reading of the building. Structurally it acts as
es when you move through it, as its structure
the bracing of the building against vertical loads
of the spaces frames the relevant program. For
and is a three-dimensional horizontal network of
Balmond, the Kunsthal project was another op-
brace rather than one central vertical core.
Brace
portunity to break out of “the Cartesian cage.” This breaking out Balmond calls the informal. In
SLIP
his 1995 manifesto he defines the informal as:
In Hall 1, the columns slip past
“opportunistic and an approach to design that
each other. Instead of a grid-like
seizes a local moment and makes something of
layout of the columns, in this hall two parallel
it. It ignores preconception or formal layering
lines of columns have moved past each other. It
and repetitive rhythm. It keeps one guessing
opened up a space that initially was subdivided
and its ideas are not based on principles of rigid
by four central columns. Now each column has
hierarchy, but on an intense exploration of the
a certain degree of independence. In that way,
immediate. The informal has three principal
and by Koolhaas his idea to encase the steel
characteristics: local, hybrid and juxtaposition,
columns with wood and the space with glass,
active ingredients of an animate geometry that
the columns started to become part of the trees
embraces the linear as well as the non-linear. It
of the adjoining Museumpark.
Slip
gives rise to ambiguity; the interpretation and experiment as a natural course of events.”
FRAME In the Auditorium, columns lean
In the design of the Kunsthal these aspects can
over at a sharp angle. A column
be traced. Balmond for instance did not make
leaned over of course causes horizontal forces
use of a repetitive post and beam structure, but
that have to be harnessed, and the column
he inclined the vertical, sloped the horizontal
has to be kept from falling. The initial idea of
and allowed parallel lines of columns to slip past
Balmond was to stabilize these raked columns by
each other. There was made use of intricate con-
making use of the dike adjacent to the Kunsthal.
figurations of framing and stabilization, as was
This however proved to put too much down-
the case for other Arup projects where Balmond
ward pressure on the piled foundation. Instead,
was involved. For the Kunsthal, Balmond took
Balmond came up with a frame by making use
structure as a generator rather than overlaying a
of the slanted floor of the Lecture Theatre in
space and subdividing it by columns and beams.
combination with the concrete roof slab.
Frame
Juxtaposition
To do so, he made use of four structural ideas: brace, slip, frame and juxtaposition and so tried
JUXTAPOSITION
to start a dialogue between structure and archi-
Upon approaching the entrance of
tecture. He and Koolhaas made structure part of
the Kunsthal from the adjacent dike,
the space and help shape it.
one can observe three columns close together
IMAGES 1
2 3
in front of the façade. The three columns each
BRACE
differ in size and shape, marking the entrance.
In Hall 2 of the Kunsthal a thin red
Though the profiles are heavily used in the built
line can be observed in the roof
environment, it is their proximity that makes
space, a small structural tube that, in plan, fol-
them distinct. Their placement arose from sepa-
lows the path of an arch. This arch is intersected
rate roof loads that were directly supported.
by the roof beams and picks up their lateral
CECIL BALMOND
4 5 6 7
1. Cecil Balmond (source: Balmond Studios) 2. Maison à Bordeaux (source: Balmond Studios) 3. Marsyas (source: Balmond Studios) 4. Kunsthal Hall 2 (source: Balmond Studios) 5. Kunsthal Hall 1 (source: Balmond Studios) 6. Kunsthal Auditorium (source: Balmond Studios) 7. Kunsthal dike façade (source: Balmond Studios) Sketches: Cecil Balmond Page 27 background: Gallery pavilion 2002 (photo: Sylvain Deleu edited by Justin Agyin)
SOURCES 1. Cecil Balmond. Informal. (Munich: Prestel Verlag, 2003) 2. David Owen. The Anti-Gravity Men. (The New Yorker, June 25, 2007, 72-81) 3. Balmond Studios. “Cecil Balmond on the Serpentine Pavilion”. July 29, 2015. youtube.com
CHEPOS | 29
An insight into
In the spirit of Ove Arup’s ambition for Total Architecture, which
Foresight is an independent division in the Arup organisation, giving
is a far-reaching integration of disciplines, Arup investigates
insights into the future of the built environment, both for internal use and
future developments in the built environment. At Arup Foresight,
for external clients. This visionary department is exceptional within the
part of the Arup University, a team of researchers works full time
company, and indeed within the entire structural engineering branch, in
at identifying opportunities for innovation.
that it is not so much about finding answers as it is about finding questions. Corresponding to Ove Arup’s philosophy it was established in 2002
TEXT: RIK DE BONDT
to stimulate the awareness, reflection and the exploration of new ideas, all essential to maintain a front position in good design. So as of today this still is the lion’s share of their activities.
Supposedly their work is not just crystal ball gazing These predicting expeditions are predominantly conducted by bright Ph.D.s with impressive curriculis vitarum, like Dr. Chris Luebkeman (a protégé of Santiago Calatrava) and Dr Gereon Uerz (sociologist, Volkswagen Group Research). So supposedly their work is not just crystal ball gazing.
EXPLORING Foresight has a strongly explorative character; they are focussing on identifying so-called and capturing the state of the art. This is done through constructing a database of new (technological) insights, projects and casestudies, making use of a world wide network of prominent reasearchers and engineers. In the resulting library of ideas, called Inspire, different pieces of knowledge and experience can be connected to form new insights. Furthermore, collected data can be analyzed for trend research. Combining
30 | CHEPOS
ARUP FORESIGHT
FILE: ARUP
Foresight has a strongly explorative character; they are focussing on identifying so-called drivers of change and capturing the state of the art. information about developments in technology, society, economics, politics
published in 2011 that shows the opportunities of using Built Environment
and environment, Foresight can describe trends in particular contexts and
Modelling in the design process.
markets for all kinds of organisations.
FORESIGHT’S MERIT In 2014, Foresight published It’s alive!, sketching the urban building of the
What most noticeably appears when studying the work Arup does, is their
future in the form of a collage skyscraper. It shows a selection of state-
technical approach to problems like urbanization and climate change and
of-the-art building systems like algae facades and robotic maintenance
their nearly unlimited optimism about high tech solutions. Most clearly this
as a response to problems caused by population growth, climate change
is expressed by Foresight in the It’s alive publication, with the high tech
etcetera. These kinds of publications serve as a source of inspiration for
skyscraper. High tech is appealing, it reminds one of progress and iPhones
corporate strategy and innovation processes, constituting a good founda-
and whatnot. On the other hand, it is argued and demonstrated, for
tion for discourse and debate.
instance by Chilean Pritzker Prize winner Alejandro Aravena, that a social approach to design, and low tech architecture can respond just as well to
PLANNING SCENARIOS
the issue of sustainability. Foresight’s merit is probably that it has embedded
Once evidence is collected and maps are sketched out, different scenarios
a wider, more social, economical and political approach in Arup’s strategic
can be constructed. Scenario planning is about extrapolating parts of the
planning and process thinking. Still, Arup’s striving for technical excellence
world as known of today. A whole range of possible futures are drawn and
will remain their default mode when it comes to design. And in their way
written out, which can function as guidelines for strategic consultancy, but
they will undoubtedly keep amazing us.
also for concept design. Foresight has a wide spectrum of publications that sketch scenarios for, among others, the future of rail ways, factories, museums and retail.
IMAGES 2
MAKING TOOLS Research at Foresight is not seldomly open-ended, but can also lead to con-
1
crete results, directly useful for Arup Engineers. Foresight unravels the chaos
3
1. Urban building of the future (Hargrave, J., Mistry, R., Wilson, R. (2014) It’s Alive! URL: www.driversofchange.com), edited 2. Urban airports - The future of aviation (illustration for Arup by www.hammo.com) 3. Private and corporate airports - The future of aviation (illustration for Arup by www.hammo.com)
of all available modelling, calculating and communication software of today,
SOURCES
and assembles design and communication methods and tools for all users in
1. Arup Foresight (2016) Services. URL: www.driversofchange.com 2. Arup, O. (1970) The key speech. URL: www.arup.com 3. Palumbo et al. (2016) Jury citation Alejandro Aravena. URL: www.pritzkerprize.com
the design chain. This work is reflected, for instance, in an elaborate manual
CHEPOS | 31
COLUMN: Jacob Voorthuis Jacob Voorthuis is a publicist, speaker and lecturer at the Eindhoven University of Technology. He professes enthusiastically about philosophy, art history and architecture.
The subject I was supposed to respond to in my
within the discipline of architecture, which, in
are not approaching their task in the spirit of
column was the ‘the occasionally conflicting
his time, would have included the disciplines
their university-level professionalism. What we
relationship between what an architect wants,
of mechanical engineering, civil engineering,
do not want is compromise. Compromise is a
and what the structural engineer can achieve’.
military engineering, structural engineering,
situation in which no one is completely happy
That is an important subject and one that
building technology, industrial design,
and the intellectual challenge has not been met.
we should be able to be brief about. If such
architecture and urban planning. The structural
So rather than settling for compromise which is
a relationship does indeed end in conflict,
engineer, the systems engineer and the designer
often mistaken for wisdom, but is in fact a form
both parties should feel properly ashamed
of cities are, in his world, as much ‘architects’ as
of intellectual cowardice, let’s give real wisdom
of themselves. And with that we have said
the designer of houses and temples. I for one
a chance to have a go at this knotty issue. And
everything that should need to be said about
heartily agree with that notion and if we all did,
that wisdom should be given a chance to solve
it. The reason for both parties to feel ashamed
it would mean that anything we design needs to
our dilemma is in itself a wise decision as both
should after all be perfectly clear and obvious to
be sturdy enough for forthright and robust use,
‘wanting something’ and ‘being able to do
anyone with a modicum of wisdom.
useful enough for the purposes it is intended
something’ are the prime concerns for wisdom
and attractive both to use and to behold. Surely
to grapple with.
However, just in case there are a few doling
I am not saying anything new here. So when
creatures among the Chepos readership for
a structural engineer and an architect together
Wisdom is the knowledge of good means to
whom this isn’t the case, I shall rehearse the
face a challenge they should both be familiar
good ends and the ability to value both ends
argument in concise terms. Vitruvius imposed
with the criteria upon which their own work will
and means appropriately. The wise person
three criteria for good architecture: any instance
be judged by society.
knows to apply the right means to achieve
of architecture, he wrote, should be durable,
worthwhile ends and to value both the ends he
in other words it should be able to withstand
So what happens when a conflict arises such as
pursues and the means he employs to pursue
the use made of it under normal to reasonably
was described by my dear editor? The architect
them in relation to the greater issues of life
extreme conditions; it should be useful, at least
wants something and the structural engineer
and society. Now you might say, Jacob, that is
for the uses it is intended for, and it should
can’t deliver. We appear to have two options:
wonderful news, but not all of us are wise. Well,
be attractive both to use and to behold. After
either the architect should want something
that is precisely the reason for those who are not
all there is no need to spit people in the face
else or the structural design should do a bit
wise to feel shame and to begin to do something
with your public creations. Even for the most
more research. However, this should be the
about it. Wisdom is after all there to be had
radical, innovative and ambitious architecture
kind of situation any self-respecting architect
by anyone who wants it. That does need to be
we do not need to give an inch with regard
and structural engineer should relish. Problems
qualified. It is true that being a wise man is in
to these criteria. Furthermore they will do
like that are what innovation is all about! The
principle accessible to anyone capable of being
for anything that Vitruvius saw as included
arising of a conflict surely means that they
a man, and being a wise mother is accessible to
32 | CHEPOS
COLUMN: JACOB VOORTHUIS
FILE: ARUP
SHAME AND TECHNOLOGY anyone capable of being a mother. Being a wise
about the kind of dilemmas I have been asked to
and society. You have spent years at university
friend is possible for anyone capable of being
write about. There are no two ways about it, a
to become wise, both as people and as critical,
a friend and being a wise architect or structural
proper professional worth his education, knows
innovative and creative professionals.
engineer is accessible to those capable of being
good ends and good means to achieve them,
an architect, or structural engineer.
moreover he knows how to value them in the
The very idea that you should allow a conflict
context of his own personal ambitions and in
like that to appear says really only one thing:
However, in today’s complex world of
the wider context of society. So, if an architect
better yourself! If you were tempted at this point
professionals such specialised wisdom needs
wants something the structural engineer can’t
to bring in the argument that wisdom is not
considerable training. So the wisdom of being
deliver and if this leads to a conflict rather than
conducive to innovation, I would dismiss you
a professional is open to anyone willing to
‘an interesting challenge’ they are both keen
with itchy impatience. The wisest men of history
undergo the training and put in the hours.
to solve, we have a classic case of a shameful
have also been the greatest innovators in our
What is it, do you think, that a university is for?
situation in which pig-headedness, vanity and
thinking: Socrates, Jesus, Confucius, Buddha,
A faculty of the built environment is, or should
indolence are clearly the cause. The architect
Kant, you name it. It is the job of the wise
be, almost completely devoted to bringing forth
by designing the impossible, confesses to know
architect to create wonderful architecture, sturdy,
wise practitioners in those disciplines that it
nothing about construction, the principles of
eminently useful and moving. It is the job of the
counts as its special responsibility. And education
which he should have used to guide his design.
structural engineer to create the most brilliant
is about much more than learning the technical
And rather than being married to a specific
structures man is capable of, that do their job
means to any end. It is about learning good
solution demanding an absurd construction,
well and are a wonder to behold. And remember
means to good ends and learning how to value
he should think in terms of the qualities he is
that a well-made brick wall should be counted
them. In fact society, in the form of paying
trying to achieve in his design. The structural
among them. Furthermore both professionals
parents, subsidising governments, taxpaying
engineer should do the same with regard to
have a duty to remain within budget and work
citizens and hard-working teachers, to say
understanding architecture and be au fait with
together. Anything less from people who burden
nothing of those devoted researchers and clever
the very latest possibilities in structural design.
public space with their creations is shameful.
clods who have developed the innovations
Instead of whingeing about conflict, go and do
we so gratefully make use of, have invested
The idea that society, which has invested so
justice to the immensely privileged professions
heavily in trying to generate wise professionals
much in the wisdom of both these creatures,
you have the ambition to become a member of.
to be of benefit to themselves and to society.
should be held ransom to gorilla antics of the
And because building projects are becoming
aggressively proud and the peacock strut of
heinously complex, we are even investing
the ridiculously vain, or the helpless dull-witted
considerable means in getting the various
gestures of the uninformed is, to put it mildly,
specialisations to talk to each other sensibly
shameful. You are here to serve yourself, yours
CHEPOS | 33
Looking into:
Shopping centers and the disappearance of intermediate retail Famous retail concepts are collapsing like rotten trees, city and
And the problem is not only limited to city centers, illustrated by
shopping centers are fighting emptiness, and there is a clear shift
WoensXL, the big shopping area in Woensel, Eindhoven. I am dis-
taking place in the shop types most cities have to offer. Eindhoven
cussing these topics with Stijn Wenders, fellow student at the fac-
is not an exception. With the V&D declared bankrupt, one of the
ulty of the Built Environment, Chairman of the regional committee
biggest retail buildings of the city center is vacant in the epicenter
of the Jonge Democraten (or Young Democrats) of Eindhoven, and
of the shopping area. On the other side of the street ‘Demer’, the
passionate criticaster on his own twitter profile.
increasingly empty Piazza by Massimiliano Fuksas has not yet become the extension of the Demer as was originally intended.
34 | CHEPOS
TEXT: SVEN VAN DER HULST
LOOKING INTO: SHOPPING CENTERS
THAT’S WHY “It is all about marketing and branding these days” is what comes up first
social cohesion it may be worse.” The gap can reflect on society and that
when we start our conversation. That is mainly where intermediate retail is
is not desirable. But intermediate shops missed the train. Shopping is not
losing ground. Look at the shops in the center and you will agree. Tommy
the core activity anymore. Combining a bookstore with a café (Van Piere),
Hilfiger or Scotch & Soda shops are shoulder to shoulder with discount con-
a clothing shop with disco lights (The Sting); “The total experience is what
cepts like Primark and SoLow. The famous brands have the money to make
counts.” What is that ‘total experience’? It is not about going to the city
fancy television campaigns, the discounters advertise with the low price.
center purely for the sake of buying. Shopping is more and more starting
The intermediate retail, shops for the middle class, are missing both. We
to become a social activity. That brings us to the second biggest shopping
think the big gap between these concepts is only getting bigger because
center of Eindhoven: WoensXL. Where the city center of Eindhoven does
our society is based on two neoliberal pillars: individual freedom and the
have that pastime quality, WoensXL has a whole lot of steps to take. It is
concept of a free market economy. “Doing it ourselves” is the underly-
eighth on the list of cleanest shopping areas of the Netherlands, however
ing thought. When you want to study, you can, but you have to pay for
that is one of the few awards this shopping center will get nominated for.
it yourself, regardless in what class of society you are or the level of your
WoensXL was infested by empty shops just after the great renewal in 2007.
study. For the rich that is not a problem, they will not get poor. The poor
“WoensXL is just a bunch of grey boxes of one or two levels, and a bakery
will only grow poorer and as George Monbiot argues, the middlclass will
does not differ from a clothing shop. A perfect example of modernistic
get less wealthy. Hence the gap between rich and poor will grow and the
segregation of duties, shopping in one place and living in the other”, it does
middle class will slowly disappear. This trend can also be seen in shopping
not have any pastime quality. The new public transport with a big stop just
areas. But is it a bad thing? Why should the intermediate shops not disap-
in front of the third center of Eindhoven, after the city center and Strijp-S,
pear? Stijn: “For the city itself it is not a bad development I guess, for the
could play a big role in the further development of WoensXL.
‘WoensXL does not have any pastime quality’ Stijn: “Eindhoven is famous because of the Triple Helix developments. Triple Helix is a concept where companies, the government, and universities and other schools work together and they can push WoensXL to its full potential. At the TU/e there is loads of information on quality in urban planning. Why can they not work together with WoensXL and the city of Eindhoven, to make sure that they take full profit of the new transport hub across the street.” Stijn even goes further: “I think that the success of that new bus stop even depends on how WoensXL anticipates.” The social atmosphere in this part of Woensel is not too good at the moment. Big glass doors prevent anyone from entering the center at night. Combine WoensXL with housing above the shops and not only the public transport will be stimulated, but also the social security will rise, and so would the quality of life as a whole. Of course the pastime quality has to rise, and only future residents can make that happen. When those houses will get build with CPO (Collective Private Commissioning) the people will become attached to the place and the glass doors may disappear. Important for this type of development is that the government should facilitate, the companies should want to cooperate, and people should want to live there. With this concept the 20th century segregation of duties would slowly disappear. Eindhoven could prove once again that the Triple Helix is what the city excels in. “If Eindhoven wants to be distinctive from Rotterdam or Amsterdam, it really needs to look at what it wants to be now.” IMAGES 1. Stijn Wenders and I, standing in front of the vacant V&D building. (photo: Daniël Kersbergen) 1
SOURCES 1. George Monbiot. “Neoliberalism – the ideology at the root of all our problems”. April 15th 2016. Theguardian.com
CHEPOS | 35
On a sunny yet chilly morning we head out to the city of Rotterdam. After exiting the grand central station, we have arrived in the hustle and bustle of the big city and find ourselves amid the dwarfing towers in the center of Rotterdam. Within that center, a pixelated cloud has landed with a radiance of serenity. After a brief visit to this cloud, better known as the Timmerhuis, we visit a rather mundane office building. This building however houses the biggest architectural office of the Netherlands: OMA. After an impressive tour through the design quarters we sit down with the front man of this architecture powerhouse and get to know who he is as a professional and as a father of two. TEXT: JUSTIN AGYIN & LENNART ARPOTS
36 | CHEPOS
INTERVIEW: DAVID GIANOTTEN
THAT’S WHY
DAVID GIANOTTEN THE PROFESSIONAL FATHER OF TWO About a year and a half ago you were appointed managing partner at OMA. How did that come to be? “Victor van der Chijs stopped about three years ago as managing partner and then a question arose. Do we find a
As a managing partner what are the first three things you do when you wake up? “Probably first kiss my wife, then I see if one of the children is already awake and make breakfast. I make sure everything is up and run-
manager from outside who is not an architect? Or do we transform the role
ning, then I bring one of the children to school and then go to work. It is
to having one partner that is an architect and also has a larger management
a very un-work related start of the day. I never want to start the day with
responsibility, but shares that responsibility amongst the others? The second option felt better within the partnership. My natural relationship with ar-
thinking about work.”
Even in deadline periods? “In deadline periods you think about work 24/7
chitecture, urban design and my management and international experience
and don’t sleep at all, so then I also do not wake up either. It’s one continu-
in Asia over the last six years, made me the best positioned to take on that
ous stream of the post wake-up.”
role. I however am not doing all the management on my own. Ellen and I
Does your wife do anything related to design? “No, I am also not married
look at the finances for instance and together with Ellen and Chris I look at
to an architect on purpose, so I can leave my work outside of the house.
the HR. There is a larger end responsibility of the office in my hands, but I
She is trained as a construction manager, but she is in a completely differ-
still do projects which is the biggest part of my job.”
ent field at the moment. She works on consultancy for small and medium
Do you have a lot of differences of opinions between the nine partners?
enterprises regarding their corporate social responsibility. When there are
“Yes constantly, but because of that we come to conclusions and form
projects that big companies execute, in the areas where they produce, she
strategies. If we had all been like ‘oh yeah fine’, then the criticality just dis-
is involved in the aspect of social well-being of these projects. Now she is
appears. If you want to stay at the forefront of things, you have to debate
also interested in the use and social heritage of cities and is developing nice
about everything which is tiring, but that is how it works. It’s in our DNA.
strategies to maintain the uniqueness of developing cities.”
Everything is discussed to the maximum and we are never satisfied, which is
You do not use her engineering background to test some of your ideas?
also a quality I think.”
“No never. Of course we talk about my work and ideas and she is always
How are the work relations? Do you spend time together outside of work? “No, our relations are very professional. Of course we are friends in a professional sense, but no, our families do not spend a lot of time together. I sometimes spend some time privately with Rem but that is also quite limited.” It’s not like you see each other 24 hours a day? “No, luckily not.” (laughs)
Before becoming managing partner you ran the Hong Kong office of OMA where you worked amongst others on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange for which you had five days before the competition deadline. How did
interested, but it’s not like a bouncing ball. We can stimulate each other by traveling together, by seeing cities. For example, we just returned from New York this morning. It is an extraordinary city, but it’s not about having to talk professionally together. It is merely inspirational.”
So you returned from New York this morning. There is this saying “vakidioot op vakantie”, which means that on trips you look up things that you heard about in the field you work in. Is this the case for you as well? “No, this weekend we did not go to see a lot of buildings. You see them of course and take pictures of them, but we did not go for an architectural
you manage to come up with a proposal that also worked for building it
tour. We wanted to go for an exhibition, we went to restaurants and my
after winning? “The building is right in the new central business district of
wife Lisette and I are both jazz lovers, so we went to jazz cafes and small
Shenzhen and this building could be its heart. However, in the project brief
jazz bars. It was really a personal trip. Of course I am in a profession where
it was described rather differently. The building had to have a huge podium
you build buildings and buildings together form a city, thus you see a lot of
with a tower in the middle and because of that podium it would push all
buildings, but that was definitely not the goal and I can let go of that pretty
the people to the sidewalks, there was no collective space. We went for a simple gesture of lifting that podium to create huge squares underneath and in turn providing direct access to the tower for people to reach the roof of that podium, which we designed as a public park.”
Why did you opt for the translucent glass in the façade? “For one we wanted to show the structure of the building. A lot of people see it as a
easily. There is a time for other things. Many of my holidays are not in cities, although I am totally a city person. We love to explore nature and love to dive, we are always outside. Furthermore, my wife would kill me in an instance if she had to go from building to building.”
Do your children go along on trips? “Yes, they do, but not this time. This was really just about the two of us, finally after two years. But yes, we
complex building, because of the cantilevers. We found out that it is actu-
have done a lot of traveling with them, and they are very small; five and
ally quite simple to make, as it is just a superstructure of that podium hung
three at the moment. Tycho, my son, already had to have a new passport
back onto the tower. The tower is the most generic thing you could think of; it’s just a column grid going down. Secondly, it makes the building more interesting to look at, as sometimes it absorbs the light and sometimes reflects it depending on the angle you look at it. The third element is that I absolutely, seriously hate external lighting and in China people really love
when he was five. Not because it was expired, but because it was full. I think even when he was still in my wife’s belly he had already visited five or six countries. Last year before we came back to the Netherlands we made a huge trip and took them to Nepal, Myanmar and… I forgot the name. That’s strange, my God. Now I have to know (grabs phone). This is CHEPOS | 37
it. The only way to avoid it is to put it behind a translucent façade so that
tiredness from the long flight. I am now googling the world, conquering
the building starts glowing at night. It then becomes more like a diamond
the world through my smartphone. Ah! Bhutan. So we took them to Nepal,
rather than something like “Beam me up, Scotty”, because that podium
Bhutan and Myanmar. And then we went back to the house in Hong Kong
with downlights under it would look like some kind of spaceship leaving
to pack our stuff. After that we went to New Zealand. This was all in three
earth. That would have been a disaster!”
months and from day to day we visited someplace else. We hiked through
So you talk of this tower being generic, but in a lecture you have men-
the Himalayas, my daughter was still carried, but my son walked most of it.
tioned that OMA tries to avoid genericity. How do you deal with this
They have explored a lot of countries and you can see it. My son can speak
paradox? “Here we talk about generic in a different way. We mean the
Dutch, English and a little bit of Chinese. He cannot understand that I had
ideal floor plate, the ideal structure, the right bay-width in the façade for sustainability, light and air. So, generic in a way that we believe the building should provide to the optimum. We do not mean doing something every-
never been in a plane before I turned eleven, he was in a plane when he was three months old. They are also easy travelers, because what do they need? A bed, clothes and food, that’s it. They will adapt and make con-
where the same, which is often considered as generic. To us every project is
nections with anybody. And they are not scared. If you go to Bhutan you
unique and needs its own solution, but that does not mean that we cannot
should not expect any luxury or whatsoever. They do not need it, and that
achieve high efficiencies and be responsible in many ways.”
The time in between building the Kunsthal and De Rotterdam was about twenty years. How did that come to be? Did Rotterdam not want more OMA? “We did do more proposals for buildings
is interesting.”
Do you learn a lot from them? “I wish that I would have had some of these opportunities at a younger age, as I can see that you gain a lot from it. They are already getting wise at this young age. Some of the big differences in society are here today, because people are not exposed to the different
here in Rotterdam, but it was the phase
side of things and with my children that is not an issue. Different color,
the office was in, the phase the city was
language, habits or food, these things are natural to them, so why would
in, and the phase architecture was in I
we not welcome anybody that is different? I think I learned that even when
think. Now we are building a lot of build-
everything can be researched and found on the internet, the world is still
ings in the Netherlands, while it was un-
so narrow minded which is totally unnecessary. People are nomads that
thinkable OMA would do these projects
can go everywhere, so please GO everywhere instead of judging people
in the Netherlands five or six years ago.
coming from other places. I can see it in my children, they will ask the right
We were seen as the international office
questions instead of judge on the wrong premises and I’m pretty proud of
in the Netherlands that was not capable
seeing that in these small human beings. I hope they will maintain that,
to serve the Dutch market, which was
because it is a great gift. Of course we are in the luxury position that we
totally not true of course, but that was
can travel, while there are also a lot of people who cannot. But then still, a
the stamp we had. Also this Rem Kool-
lot of people could do more I think.”
haas mark that we had is gone now. Of
Is there something in this office you could point out that is very dear
course people ask for him, as he is very famous, but it is the collective that clients
to you? “Firstly my pen, I drew my graduation project with this one and it never leaves my side, I got it from my dad. It has brown ink so that
ask for. Everybody knows that building
everybody knows who made the drawing. Secondly, my closet is very dear
De Rotterdam was not only Rem. He was
to me. I took it with me from Hong Kong. When we were moving into our
involved in the design of course, but it
new office there they forgot to give me any storage space, so I went to an
was built by others of OMA. The same
antique store and bought this 400 year old antique closet. The models on top are also dear to me, you can see the model of the Taipei Performing Arts Centre. I like to travel and build small models. Then there is some stuff from my children which is obviously very dear to me. The big book standing up is the Perth museum that we won recently, which is a huge project INTERVIEW: DAVID GIANOTTEN
THAT’S WHY
goes for G-Star, the Timmerhuis and the Feyenoord stadium. Rem and soc-
for me in Australia of which I’m really proud and it is one of our biggest
cer?! (makes a perplexed face) That is unthinkable! There are other people
preservation projects. Then there is the silver key of CCTV, which I got dur-
doing that and for clients that is completely evident. It’s not about iconic
ing the final stages. We did the handover after it was finished, which was
architects anymore; it is about offices that know what they are doing. We
of course very special and then I received a silver key. There are only two;
are capable of doing any typology anywhere in the world at the moment
Rem has one and I have one, so that is also dear to me. There are so many
and that is a unique feature. People now understand that we are not just an office that is critical about everything, but that we are an office that knows very well how to build buildings with a reasonable budget that make a huge impact.”
things! My little books that are everywhere, those are dear to me. I have a closet full of little books. My office is an extension of my home in a way. I do not spend much time here, but when I do I need to feel at home. In my other closet I keep all my books, project books. Of all the projects that
During our office tour we walked by a model of a proposal for the rede-
I have done in OMA I keep one copy of the project book. One stack is of
velopment of the National Dance Theater in The Hague. At the moment
successful projects and one stack is of unsuccessful ones.” They are about
the building is being demolished, but it is going rather unnoticed. Why do you think that is? Or is it not that strange as the building was only
the same height. “Yeah, I’m doing pretty well.” (laughs) And have you done very personal projects for family for instance?
supposed to be there for fifteen years? “It is not going so unnoticed I
“Yes one. I said I will never ever build for friends or family, except for my
think, but I think the Dance Theater was also a part of that moment, of
mother and then she was accidently also the one that asked! My mother
that time. Now the demands have changed, and with the proposal we
and her new partner bought a small house in France. The house became
tried to incorporate the new demands within the old building. We tried
the complete opposite of traditional French houses, something white, and
to keep a part of it, but unfortunately that is not going to happen. As an
concrete. My mom is probably even more modern than I am. I have failed
architect you also need to have peace with that, because the profession of
three times for the French beauty committee, but then the mayor thought
an architect has changed so much. There is a kind of new speed to it. Some
it was so beautiful that he approved it. This took my mom a few bottles of
of the buildings I will outlive, that is the reality of today. You do not build
wine I guess.” (laughs)
for hundreds of years anymore. There will be buildings that will represent a
How is to have your personal assistant, Winnie, at your side?
certain era or a certain period of time and others will be torn down. Is that
“She is a God blessing. Last week, she was already exactly six years with
bad? Not as long as they fulfilled what they had to fulfill and I think that
me. I was traveling so I congratulated her, and I gave her a present the
the Dance Theater definitely did that. It was considered a very good theater
moment I saw her again. She started more in a general role and after a year
that regenerated that part of The Hague and actually made it vibe so much
already became my personal assistant. She knows my schedule inside out,
that it overtook the original proposal. That is a compliment to the proposal
sometimes even better than I do. She makes sure that people can get close
obviously. Not to say that Rem does not find it a pity that the Dance The-
enough, but not too close to keep my job manageable. She is also an unbe-
ater is not there anymore, but you don’t need to stop that, you can see it as a compliment.”
What would you advise students aspiring to become architects not to
lievably kind and friendly person. She needs to know my wife and children very well, still in a professional way, but there is a responsibility back and forth; for her to my family and for my family to her.”
do? “Not to do? They should not be easily satisfied. They should not be lazy and they should explore to the maximum in a way that feels best for
IMAGES
them, as long as you explore. Take my graduation studio at the TU now
1
for instance. I set the agenda, I set the tasks, but I do not set any of the answers. As long as you have explored and are able to explain what you have explored, because in the end you need to convince a client of your
2
4
solution. If you cannot do that because you haven’t explored enough, and you say, ‘because it looks beautiful’, then forget about it! It is not going to work. You cannot do that and get away with it.”
3
1. David Gianotten and his dearest belongings; a little book, the famous brown pen and his phone with which he conquers the world, (photo: Lennart Arpots) 2. International projects on a shelf in his office (photo: Lennart Arpots) 3. Shenzhen Stock Exchange (source: www. oma.eu) 4. Tiny models, the projectbook of the Western Australian Museum in Perth, and his children’s drawing. (photo: Lennart Arpots)
SOURCES 1. Interview with David Gianotten on April 12, 2016
CHEPOS | 39
RAIL VERSUS RETAIL Delft, Utrecht, Arnhem, Den Haag, Breda, Tilburg, Eindhoven and Rotterdam are all examples of cities which recently underwent major redevelopments of their central stations. But what is the vision of the NS (Dutch Railways) on how to exploit these exemplary pieces of architecture, now that all these projects are finished? TEXT: PIM LABEE
STRATEGY: ‘SPOORSLAGS BETER’
Limburg in 2015. Additionaly, the Fyra fiasco has
continue their journey in a fluent and uninter-
Over the past twenty years there has been a
brought a lot of discredit to the Dutch railway
rupted way. There is a strong synergy provided
total estimate of one billion euros to realize the
company. Train stations like Breda were being
by these three combined activities. The NS
tremendous projects mentioned above. As can
redeveloped partly to anticipate on the high
however cannot fulfill this job on its own. To
be deduced from the infographic, none of the
speed train and to facilitate for it. Besides this
increase reliability of the transport, the NS will
projects were realized within their estimated
travelers are not elate with the service the NS
work together with ProRail. Main goals with
budget. On the contrary, most of the projects
offers, mainly because of overcrowded trains.
regards to reliability are to reduce disruptions in
cost double the estimated budget. Mansveld,
Main shareholder Minister Jeroen Dijsselbloem
the field of infrastructure by 20%, the field of
our Secretary of State for Infrastructure and
of Finances partly enforced the new strategy:
materials by 15% and a speed increase of 50%
Environment at the time when the new strategy was developed, divides these financial setbacks in two categories: problems with for example groundwater that led to unexpected expenditures of 306 million euros and another 581 million euros was spent on price adjustments
restarts after disruptions.
“IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THE NS PUTS THE SOCIAL PUBLIC TASK, THE TRANSPORT OF TRAVELERS, BACK ON THE FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD PLACE.”
by the building parties and tax increases. Delft
New materials are a way to realize this. At this very moment there is a shortage on trains, even though there are 170 carriages in use from strategic backup. Renovated material and newly acquired material should be on the rails at the
is even at the edge of bankruptcy due to the
NS is going to try to realize this by focusing on 3
end of 2016. There will be an investment of 2,5
project ‘Spoorzone Delft’ (referred to in Chepos
core activities: the main rail network, the stations
billion euros. These are concrete examples of
53). This resulted in unproportioned degradation
and the door-to-door journey.
what will result in a more comfortable journey.
on the project its facilities , which the inhabitants
Other examples of which you can think to
of Delft now need to turn up for. According to
CORE ACTIVITIES NS
improve the journey, are investments in better
the magazine Binnenlands Bestuur, the living ex-
The NS is realizing more and more that they are
Wi-Fi facilities in the trains and in the stations.
penses in Delft are 13% higher than elsewhere,
a corporation with a social as well as a corporate
and 9% higher compared to the 35 biggest
goal. The corporate goal is to realize a healthy
NS RETAIL AND EXPLOITATION
communities.
environment for employees and shareholders.
NS Retail is the most profitable branch the NS
The social aspect will get the main attention
owns. Although one of the top executives,
But luckily everyone can agree that the new
now, and from this social perspective the NS is
Roger van Boxtel did not want to give away
Delft Centraal is very appealing to the eye.
going to put the travelers at the first and most
the exact number, the retail is said to annually
Since all the new magnificent stations grew im-
important place. Affordable transport in clean
yield 400 million euros, which is 8% of the total
mensely and developed themselves into fancy
trains which depart and arrive on time is what
turnover of almost 5 billion euros. There can
malls you would expect the NS to exploit these
the NS wants to offer travelers with the main rail
be made a distinction between the own retail
opportunities. With the new strategy ‘Spoorslags
net. Among this main rail net, and at the begin-
formula from the NS and NS-franchise-stores.
beter’ which was published on the first of March
ning and end of ones journey there must be a
2016, the NS nevertheless wants to chase a dif-
welcoming place, which is clean and provides
The NS will stop with almost any retail exploita-
ferent trail, which is actually at odds with the de-
fluent logistics. The stations determine approxi-
tion, the franchises, but even their own formu-
velopment of the past decades. The NS for one,
mately 25% of the satisfaction of the travelers.
las. From a total of 236 stores, only 35% will
is repelling their direct retail exploitation, and will
When a traveler arrives at their destination, the
remain open: the Kiosk. This means that 65%
try to focus on their core business. One reason
final core activity of the NS, or at least how they
of the employees of those stores will get a new
for the change of plans is the fraud concerning
see it, has just begun. Services like the public
employer, which might put their jobs at risk.
the tender offer regarding public transport in
transport bike, are offered by the NS to let one
40 | CHEPOS
RAIL VS RETAIL
THAT’S WHY RAIL VERSUS RETAIL
estimates costs
the figures
600 €mln
estimates costs
2014
The NS in €
own ns formulas
2015 6 5 4 3 2 1
total turnover
retail turnover
€bln €bln €bln €bln €bln €bln
19
19
12
166
starbucks rituals i am hema ah to go
profit
50
shop
NS Franchises
kiosk smullers de broodzaak julia’s
65
19
8
56
70
4 13 2014 Completion 675€mln
360€mln 2005 start building 60€mln 2003 Start design
NS REAL ESTATE
The NS has the busiest real estate positions
Although the retail will almost completely be dis-
within most cities. Because of the auspicious lo-
IMAGES 1. Infographic (Pim Labee, 2016) 1
posed of, most the real estate will remain in the
cations of the stations within cities, the costs for
possession of the NS. The real estate left behind
this real estate are relatively high in comparison
by the disposal of the NS formulas and the NS
with other locations throughout the city. Due to
franchises will be leased to other corporations
the new developments in and surrounding the
SOURCES
like the Albert Heijn. It is likely that a com-
stations, these prices increased even more. It is
pany such as Ahold wants to exploit the stores
questionable if the renting costs yielded by the
themselves. The market leader of the Dutch su-
new strategy weigh up against the prosperous
1. “Zo’n mooi station daar betaal je als delftenaar toch graag extra belasting voor”. 2015. nrc.nl 2. “Vijf nieuwe stations en dat mag wat kosten”. 2016. nrc.nl 3. “NS verkoopt zijn winkels om mensen tevreden te stellen”. 2016. nrc.nl 4. “Stations een miljard te duur”. 2015. dearchitect.nl
permarket sector has many AH To Go establish-
possibilities this real estate could offer.
ments inside the stations, but also exploits their formula in other locations, such as busy streets. CHEPOS | 41
Berry den Brinker (Rotterdam, 1946) still draws, paints and makes photo art, despite his visual impairment. If his sight had not deteriorated as much as it has, he would have loved to have been an architect or a painter. Even though his sight might have partly disappeared, his interest in the built environment never did. After his psychology studies and after having worked as a researcher in human movement sciences, he now actively promotes the interests of the visually impaired. His book ‘Zicht op Ruimte’ shows the daily struggle of visually impaired people in the built environment, and how their problems can be improved in a way for everyone to enjoy space.
SPACE WITH(OUT) SIGHT As students aspiring to become engineers of the built environment, we seek to create buildings, and their environment, that can be enjoyed by everybody, the able-bodied as well as those with an impairment of some sort. For people to do so, they should - first of all be able to enter and make use of a building. Good accessibility and usability of buildings and public space are key notions for us. Every student has probably dealt, at some point, with the wheelchair accessibility of his or her design, as wheelchair access is mandatory by law, but have you ever thought about visually impaired people visiting your building? Though progress has been made, there are hardly any rules or regulations in The Netherlands for designing accessible and usable buildings and public spaces for the visually impaired. This allows designers the opportunity to let esthetics overrule ‘accessibility for all people’. We spoke with Berry den Brinker, an expert in low vision and almost blind himself, to learn more about designing a visually accessible built environment, and the importance of this for others without a visual impairment. experiences we could understand why Berry is
RIJKSMUSEUM, AMSTERDAM
involved in multiple interest groups to improve
In 2013 the renovated Rijksmuseum opened
During the Experiarch workshop, one of AnAr-
such building sites. Moreover, while these
to the public. With over two million visitors a
chi’s activities, multiple students experienced
adjustments are essential for visually impaired
year from all over the world, proper accessibility
Metaforum with little or no sight. Supervised
people, they are often useful for everybody. Ac-
should be of the utmost importance. Unfortu-
by their fellow students and Berry den Brinker,
cidents can happen to anyone, especially if you
nately, the stairs of the building proved to be
they learned more about experiencing archi-
are distracted. Twenty degrees outside of your
rather unsafe for people with impaired vision
tecture and its accessibility for visually impaired
fovea, the focus area on the retina of your eyes,
and anyone not paying attention to foot place-
people. We discovered that many locations in
you can only see up to 5%. Proper edge mark-
ment. In merely two weeks after re-opening
and around the faculty building did not facilitate
ings can make a lot of difference here. To get a
numerous accidents occurred and thus it was
independent walking for these people. A lack
better understanding of the daily struggles Berry
important to find a quick and easy solution.
of contrast, no edge markings on stairs, and
den Brinker and others deal with, we visited
The problems mainly happened due to a lack of
railings or banisters in the wrong place make it
him in Amsterdam and talked about solutions,
railings and edge markings on the steps. Berry
hard not to fall or bump into things. After these
legislation and education.
talked with one of the architects about the origin
TEXT: ALDO HEIN & RENÉE THIERIJ
42 | CHEPOS
SPACE WITH(OUT) SIGHT
THAT’S WHY of this problem. Initially, the markings were
In the two examples above in The Netherlands,
not imply having no sight at all. According to
planned to be executed in copper, too luxuri-
the impact of the interventions was relative
the definition of the World Health Organization,
ous a material for the client and consequently
small in contrast to the necessary intervention
blind means that your visual acuity is less than
omitted. The stairs in the Rijksmuseum are now
in Switzerland. “The Dutch building regulations
5% of normal sight. Instead of thinking about
provided with black 3M strips.
mainly focus on wheelchair accessibility and
tactile aids only, visual aids are valuable as well.
sometimes on access for tall people. For visually
ROLEX LEARNING CENTER, LAUSANNE
impaired people there are a few guidelines, but
Another useful method that can help us gain
as the word indicates they are not mandatory.”
a better understanding of accessible design
In 2010 the Rolex Learning Center opened in
Although strict regulations make sure everybody
for vision is the IDED method. ”I invented this
Lausanne, Switzerland. Even though it had been
can enjoy space, they may conflict with the ideas
method to check whether the applied contrasts
designed by the Pritzker Prize winning duo of
the architect has in mind. In order to prevent
in an area are sufficiently high. Everyone can use
SANAA, major adaptations had to be made to
this, esthetics and accessibility have to be
the method by editing photos in Corel PHOTO-
the central hall after completion. The build-
integrated at the beginning of the design phase.
PAINT.” The next page shows an example of this
ing was designed to reflect the beautiful Swiss
Regulations and recommendations should be
method including an instruction of how to make
landscape and the hall therefore contains differ-
well thought through and should be subtle and
use of this method yourself.
ences in height to resemble the sloping nature
balanced. Also, it should not just be about tick-
of the surrounding hills. You can hike through
ing all the boxes, but about understanding what
In our education not much awareness is raised
the building, with a view over the wonderful
is actually needed. In this way a space can be
for the needs of people with a visual impair-
landscape. Not a problem at all you might think,
made accessible for everybody without harming
ment or other disabilities. Recently, the Dutch
but in order to make the building meet the strict
its esthetic quality.
Senate adopted the United Nations Convention
Swiss building regulations, the architects had to make sure every space was accessible for everyone. This led to paths for the blind and wheelchair users with stair lifts and railings all over this artificial landscape, a space that feels less fluent and graceful than the architects had in mind.
on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The
“THE DUTCH BUILDING REGULATIONS MAINLY FOCUS ON WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBILITY “
accessibility of the built environment is part of this convention. Therefore, a new focus on this topic in our education is needed to make future engineers aware of its impact on our designs. As designers we need to think about the users of
To help us, future architects and urban design-
our spaces to make sure no disturbing alterations
PLEIN 1944, NIJMEGEN
ers, have to ensure that our designs are acces-
are needed later on, because even simple things
In public space one also has to deal with acces-
sible for everyone; Den Brinker gave us some
such as railings now often go wrong. Consider-
sibility issues. Recently the empty space between
recommendations. ”To start with, the NEN-ISO
ing accessibility should start at the first step,
the new residential buildings and shops on the
21542 standard is a good set of guidelines for
no sooner, no later. Subtle changes need not
ground level of Nijmegen’s Plein 1944, has been
designing accessible and usable buildings. Zicht
change your design dramatically, but your design
transformed into an attractive public space. The
op Ruimte is based on this standard with exam-
will become more accessible without changing
transformation is successful, but the natural
ples and proposals for designing. For example,
its esthetic quality. Don’t introduce differences in
stone pavement created problems for people
it can tell you more about the use of contrast as
height when there is no need for it since it may
with limited mobility or impaired sight. The
a visual aid.” This might sound strange as we
require markings and other ugly adaptations you
stones were too bumpy and had to be replaced.
are talking about blind people and low vision
don’t like.
This pavement not only caused discomfort for
people. Therefore it is important to mention
the visitors, it also led to huge avoidable ad-
that although Berry is called ‘blind’, he still has
At the moment Den Brinker is working hard to
ditional costs.
functional vision. Being blind by definition does
set up a module about accessibility to be implemented in the education of future architects and urban designers. For this initiative he has already been awarded with €10,000.- by Bartiméus, an association which supports visually impaired people. “The goal is to set up this module together with experts of the built environment. Hopefully influential architects and urban designers, like the ‘Rijksbouwmeester’, will join his initiative.” We wish Berry den Brinker all the best with the next steps in this major project and want to thank him for his inspiring story and his hospitality. CHEPOS | 43
DO IT YOURSELF THE IDED-METHOD To see if there is enough contrast in a room or
Step 3: Upgrade the image by upsizing to the
Do you wish to know more about this topic?
original number of pixels. The result is a blurred
Den Brinker published several articles in Ver-
version of the original image reflecting the
keerskunde and De Architect. Furthermore,
visual acuity that you want to simulate (Image >
Zicht op Ruimte is still available on www.
Resample(Anti-alias=on))
silvur.nl, It is a perfect guide for architects to
open space the IDED method can be used. The
create a more safe and a more comfortable
results of this method can be observed on the
Step 4: Now it is time to find the edges (Effects
right-hand side. Here is a step-by-step Corel
> Contour > Find Edges). Use the same value for
PHOTOPAINT instruction to learn how to apply
‘level’ as needed for the calibration object.
this method yourself.
environment.
IMAGES 1
The image now shows exactly where sufficient Step 1: If you use a color image, put the image
contrasts can be found for people with the
in gray scale. Also do this for the same picture
preselected level of visual acuity. As seen in the
that contains a calibration object with the de-
pictures below, the stairs in front of Metaforum
sired level of contrast. (Image > Mode > Convert
have clear edge markings.
2
3
4
1. Photo-art by Berry den Brinker 2. Trappen Rijksmuseum (source: www. dearchitect.nl) 3. Interior Rolex learning center (source: www.unifor.it) 4. Pavement Plein 1944 (source: www. gelderlander.nl) 5. Stairs Metaforum TU/e regular, and IDED
5
to Gray scale). In ISO 21542 and Zicht op Ruimte you can find Step 2: Degrade the quality of the image by
more information about contrast scales and the
downsizing the number of pixels of your image
needed contrast values for different situations.
to the lowered level of visual acuity that you
The IDED method can be applied to interiors
want to simulate with your picture (Image >
as well as the design of exteriors, for example
Resample).
bicycle lanes or other public spaces.
44 | CHEPOS
SOURCES 1. Berry Den Brinker, Atja Apituley, Jeroen Smeets. “Zicht op Ruimte” (Silvur, 2014) 2. ICON (2010) “SANAA’s Rolex Learning Centre”, 20-04-2016. www.iconeye.com 3. NOS (2016) “Eerste Kamer stemt in met gehandicaptenverdrag Verenigde Naties”, 20-04-2016. www.nos.nl
SPACE WITH(OUT) SIGHT
THAT’S WHY Like the Netherlands, Belgium has several typical student cities. These cities are defined by the combination of their history, ethos, (student) activities and the ratio between students and non-students. The three cities
3X1 STUDENT CITY IN BELGIUM
featured in this article are all student cities that are worth a visit, or even an option to continue your study; all three have a university where you can get your Bachelor and Master in both Engineering and Architecture. So, do you want a taste of the real Burgundian life? These cities are all within two driving hours from Eindhoven. TEXT: ILKE BROERS
LEUVEN As the oldest university of the Low Lands, and one of the oldest in Europe, the KU Leuven has a rich history. Ever since the foundation in 1425, it has left its mark on the city; from the medieval University Hall to the neo-Renaissance library and the many 18th century colleges and residence halls. It can also be seen in the numbers; half of the population of Leuven consists of students. They give the small city a dynamic feel, with plenty happening all around. Another plus; because of the students, the prices are kept low in the bars. Sources: kuleuven.be | allesoverbelgie.nl
Image: focleuven.be
ANTWERPEN Antwerpen is a popular city with the Dutch, mostly because of its reputation as an excellent shopping city. Next to that, it offers a range of historical sites, like the Grote Markt with the Onze-Lieve-Vrouwe cathedral, and several museums. With not even 10% of the population being students, and only having an official university since 1971, Antwerpen is not the first city to think of as a student city. But the many campuses provide a wide range of students spread out over the entire city, which leads to student bars and events all over town. Sources: uantwerpen.be | gate15.be
Photo: Ilke Broers
GENT With its tangible history, Gent is arguably one of the most beautiful cities of Belgium. Hotspots as the Belfort, Sint-Baafs-Cathedral, the castle Gravensteen and the famous Graslei and Korenlei are all in the city centre, within less than five minutes from each other. The biggest event is the Gentse Feesten in July. This ten-day event is all over the city and brings students and others together. People even prefer Gent over Brugge, because of its dynamic ambience, which is mainly due to the large amount of students (70.000). Sources: ugent.be | stad.gent
3X1
Photo: Maarten Baijens
CHEPOS | 45
STYLOS
FAQ:
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 is a review about the developing skyline of London.
BEROEPSERVARINGPERIODE Since January 1st 2015, all graduates in architecture, urban design, landscape architecture and interior architecture have to complete a professional traineeship before they are permitted to enter the Dutch Register of Architects. On this page, we will answer some of the most frequently asked questions. If your question is not answered, make sure to visit beroepservaringperiode.nl. TEXT: VITA TEUNISSEN
INDEPENDENT ROUTE
INTEGRATED ROUTE
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE INDEPENDENT AND THE INTEGRATED ROUTE?
JOB
The requirements and content of the indepen-
PROFESSIONAL TRAINEESHIP
dent and integrated route are the same, the only difference is the organization. Graduates that
MODULES
choose to do the independent route have to
MEETINGS
put the program together themselves, while the integrated option is all-inclusive. WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BEP AND
I HAVE ALREADY COMPLETED AN INTERN-
DO I HAVE TO PAY FOR THE PROGRAM MY-
PEP? BEP is the Dutch abbreviation of Beroep-
SHIP WHILE STUDYING, DOES THAT COUNT?
SELF? It depends on the firm you are working
servaringperiode (Professional Traineeship). Pro-
No, it’s not possible to apply for exemption
for. It is possible that the costs for the Profes-
fessional trainees choose between an integrated
based on an internship. You might, however, be
sional Traineeship are paid by the firm, in which
and an independent program. PEP (Professional
eligible for exemption if you have already gained
case the firm is allowed to pay you minimum
Experience Program) is one (and currently the
practical experience during a paid job.
wage (instead of the wages determined by the
only) provider of the integrated route.
CAO for architects).
Integrated route
Independent route
intake meeting
€140
€270
interim meeting
N/A
€270
with a straightforward number, because there
final meeting
€320
€420
are many different options. On the left are some
modules
€200*
€0 - €360
indicative prices (21% VAT excluded, meetings
company visit
€220
N/A
full route
€3980
N/A
HOW MUCH DOES A PROFESSIONAL TRAINEESHIP COST? It is hard to answer this question
with Bureau Architectenregister are tax-free). * For the integrated route, you have to take a set program of 20 modules. For the independent route, there’s not a set list of modules. You will have to put together your own selection. For a complete overview, visit archined.nl.
DO I HAVE TO FULFILL A PROFESSIONAL
DO NON-DUTCH STUDENTS HAVE TO FUL-
HOW LONG DOES THE PROFESSIONAL TRAI-
TRAINEESHIP TO GET A JOB? No. The titles
FILL A PROFESSIONAL TRAINEESHIP AS WELL?
NEESHIP TAKE AND HOW IS IT ORGANIZED?
architect, urban designer, landscape architect
No. All students (regardless of their national-
If you find a job for 32 hours a week or more, the
and interior architect are protected in the Neth-
ity) who have finished their master’s degree in
Professional Traineeship will take twee years. The
erlands. That means you can only use these titles
architecture, urbanism, landscape architecture
independent route is organized as shown below.
if you have fulfilled your Professional Trainee-
or interior design at a Dutch university have to
ship. You do not need one of these titles to work
successfully complete a Professional Traineeship
at an existing firm. In fact, you can even start
to enter the Dutch Register of Architects. This
your own firm without using one of the titles
issue can be quite complicated. When in doubt
mentioned above.
about a particular situation, we advise you to get in touch with Bureau Architectenregister.
PREPARATION Find mentor to supervise Find job for at least 32 h/week Write PPP (Personal Progress Plan)
46 | CHEPOS
COMPLETION
PROFESSIONAL TRAINEESHIP Apply for Professional Traineeship Plan intake meeting with Professional Traineeship Committee
Plan interim meeting with Professional Traineeship Committee
Plan final meeting with Professional Traineeship Committee Enter your name in the Register
STYLOS
TOOLS
FOCUS! After a day at the university, it is time to go home again. What have you done today? Did you get some work done or were you distracted all the time by Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, …? Ever wanted to change the habit of checking Facebook every 5 minutes but did not succeed? Here are three simple tools to start working without distractions and stay focused. TEXT: JIMMY HENDRICKX
FOREST (IOS, ANDROID, WINDOWS PHONE, CHROME, FIREFOX) The reason your attempt did not succeed the first time, was because you were still able to access the apps that were distracting you. Of course you could block the websites, but it is very tempting to unblock them the minute you feel distracted. The app Forest will help you. You start off by planting a tree. As simple as that. You can set the timer of the tree to your desired focusing time. The longer you focus, the bigger your tree will be. After planting it, you cannot access your phone or browser. If you do, you kill your tree. At the end of the day, it is up to you whether you have planted the new Amazon rainforest or just destroyed the original one. forestapp.cc
NOISLI (IOS, ANDROID, CHROME, OTHER) After isolating yourself from the world of social media and entertainment, you might find it disturbing to work in complete silence. On the other hand, opening YouTube will make you start procrastinating again. For these people, there is Noisli. It is an application / website that creates a background sound for you. You can either choose a random mode or create one yourself by combining the calming sound of rain, the wind whispering through the trees and the background of a busy café or many other sounds. The website even has its own built-in text editor if you register for a free account. noisli.com
RESCUETIME (MAC, WINDOWS, ANDROID, CHROME, FIREFOX) When successfully shutting down your environment and finally being able to work focused, you might want to know what you have done in a day’s work. Have you succeeded in working without procrastinating or did you secretly visit Facebook for half an hour every time your tree has grown? RescueTime tracks the activities on your computer and categorizes them by type of activity. It already categorized several programs as distracting in order to get you going. You can always adapt the settings to your own preferences, for example if you deem checking your e-mail productive. After a day, week or month, RescueTime will show you your productivity score and the total amount of hours you worked on your computer. The challenge now is to see how many hours you can make in a deadline week! rescuetime.com
FOCUS!
CHEPOS | 47
AGENDA
TOOLS
MIES & the inheritance of Modernism
APR 01 - AUG 7
Bauhaus, the Barcelona Chair, Less is more. Mies
Day of Architecture
JUN 18 - 19
The Day of Architecture will take place on the 18th and 19th of June. All of
van der Rohe designed among the most famous buildings in cities like
the big cities in the Netherlands will make the most interesting buildings
Barcelona, Berlin, Chicago and New York. Van der Rohe is the founder of
accessible. Every city has its own theme, depending on the biggest social
the so-called term “Neues Bauen” together with Le Corbusier and Walter
and special problems on local level. This year the overarching theme in
Gropius. This exposition is dominated by the future of Modern architecture.
Eindhoven will be landscape architecture. The kick-off is a lecture given by
Glaspaleis, Heerlen
Gerrie Andela, author of Licht op groen, on Saturday June 18. Her lecture will focus on the impact and importance of the so-called “Philips-groen”.
IABR
The Netherlands
APR 23 - JUL 10
The International Architecture Bienale Rotterdam
2016 focusses on the question: What is next? It takes our biggest current
Introduction week Eindhoven will be flooded with
challenges as a starting point and focusses on the development of the city
AUG 15 - 19
within this frame. Besides being an exposition, IABR is also a working place
you are not a first years, your agenda could be filled with activities. Keep an
with debates, conferences, lectures and workshops. This year’s IABR is an
eye on the CHEOPS Facebook and the CHEOPS website to stay up to date
invitation for people to actually participate in designing the ideal city.
with the latest news!
De Fenixloods II, Rotterdam
Eindhoven
Plugged festival
Inauguration 31th board of CHEOPS
JUN 2
On Thursday the 2nd of June, the fourth edition of the Plugged Festival will take place. This winning
SEP 8
new students this week. Even if
After the successful sixth lustrum year, the 31th board of CHEOPS will take over.Their inauguration is set
combination of good and mostly local music, the sun, tasty food and cheap
to be on the 8th of September and consists of the change of board, the
drinks, will result in a great ambiance. The festival grew from 400 to an
General Members Meeting, and the inauguration drink.
estimated 2000 visitors last year. The festival is accessible for free.
t.b.a.
KOE-veld, TU/e
PROVADA - Real Estate meeting point Open Monuments day
JUN 7 - 9
Several aspects of the built environment are constantly changing at an increasing
SEP 10 - 11
The theme of the European Heritage Days in the Netherland 2016 is Icons
rate. Therefore, every real estate company constantly needs to act within
and Symbols. The 30th edition of this event will refer to objects that have a
this dynamic field. The advice: think ahead. PROVADA has composed a
special meaning, objects that actually transcend themselves. Approximately
program around this theme. There will be a program focusing on smart cit-
threehundred municipalities will participate and all they have their own
ies, a program will focus on game changers and on the last day there will be
program.
a program about business innovations.
The Netherlands
RAI, Amsterdam
Agenda CHEOPS & Built Environment 48 | CHEPOS
AGENDA
COLOPHON CHEOPS, Study Association of the Built Environment Eindhoven University of Technology Groene loper 6, Vertigo 1.15 Mailbox 513 5600 MB Eindhoven T 040-2473140 info@cheops.cc www.cheops.cc Chepos, built environment magazine ISSN: 1873-183X chepos@cheops.cc www.chepos.nl www.facebook.com/CheposPage www.issuu.com/chepos_cheops Chepos editorial board Rick Abelen, Justin Agyin (editor in chief), Lennart Arpots (chairman), Rik de Bondt, Ilke Broers, Jimmy Hendrickx, Lars Hogenboom, Sven van der Hulst, Pim Labee, Eva Pabon, Jeroen Pospiech, Renée Thierij, Chastity Verhoofstad Chepos is a publication of CHEOPS, Study Association of the Built Environment. Content may be used for research and study purposes, if credited properly. Exeptions include copyrighted imagery; these may not be reproduced or published without specific consent by the original author. Collaborations Geordy van Bussel, Sergio Figueiredo, Aldo Hein, Adriaan Jurriëns, Daniël Kersbergen, Renske van de Straat, Jacob Voorthuis, Stijn Wenders, David fotografie, Study association Stylos Acknowledgements Wouter Blom, Berry den Brinker, David Gianotten, Sarah Gormley, Mark Hopperman, Christian Huizinga, Jasmine Labeau, Rikke de Jonge Mulock Houwer, Wouter Loomans, Virgil Tas, Frank Wassenaar, Winnie Wong Images Cover: photo by David fotografie Editorial page 1, source: Arup Index page 2-3: Ove Arup (photo: Godfrey Argent, National Portrait Gallery London), Zaha Hadid (photo: Brigitte Lacombe), Binnenhof (photo: Chastity Verhoofstad), David Gianotten (photo: Lennart Arpots), looking into shopping centers (photo: Daniël Kersbergen), Sydney Opera House (photo: Naomi Huveneers), potentiaal (photo: Rick Abelen), space with(out) sight (artwork by Berry den Brinker) Chepost page 5: photo by Lennart Arpots Spread image page 18-19: artwork by Jimmy Hendrickx Column Adriaan Jurriëns page 17, source: www.sandamadonna.it Column Jacob Voorthuis page 32-33: www.riberasolutions.com CHEOPS & Built Environment: Mies van der Rohe (source: .syb.co.uk), Plugged Festival (photo by Hans Jellema) Colophon: photo by Naomi Huveneers Offset Drukkerij Snep BV, Eindhoven Circulation: 1200 Advertisements & exploitation Pim Labee: pr@cheops.cc Co-Main Sponsor Saint-Gobain Want to be an editor? Want to share your opinion? Contact the editorial board via chepos@cheops.cc