Felix Verheyden portfolio 2017 - 2022
contents2 2017-2022 1/1 essay I p.4 curriculum vitae p.5-6 Student projects p.7-16 essay II p.17-26
Introduction This portfolio consists of two essays and two projects. The first essay is introductory and treats the question of the value of good architecture and how I want to contribute as an architect. Afterwards, two academic individual projects are shown which are quests for what good architecture can be. Finally, the second essay is conclusive and compiles the ideas gained through design research into a set of beliefs, substituted and illustrated by fragments of craft throughout my studies.
Architecture with the purpose to stimulate a sense of community
Erasmusphoto exchange to ENSA Paris-Belleville design studio: Architecture de la Résilience 2021 Prof. Cyrille Hanappe, ch@air-architecture.com
Architecture are walls, doors, windows, stairs, floors and roofs that direct our daily lives. It directs who we encounter along streets, hallways and rooms. It directs who we see and don't see along doors, windows and walls. It directs who we share a roof with when it rains.
Architecture creates community
Architecture incites us to think Buildings can sometimes be so overwhelming with their beauty that they make us pause. In other words, beautiful buildings encourage introspection. They inject spirituality into the daily lives of their users. Philosopher Alain de Botton, for example, argues that when we find a building beautiful, we are in fact recognizing human values that we suspect are lacking in ourselves, in others, or in the world.3 Plato says that if we dwell more on life, we will feel better about ourselves. Architecture can help us design places for that purpose.4 Architecture takes care of people In sum, architects have the social role of constructing our buildings in such a way as to create an atmosphere that brings us closer to others and ourselves. The more generous the space, the more we are encouraged to improve the way we feel and behave. In times of polarization, loneliness in densely populated cities, a lost sense of identity, the role of architecture as a social binder is priceless. In times of burn-outs, rushing and acceleration, the role of architecture as a place of relaxation and reflection is equally so.
1 Apostel, K., Janssen, D., & Pittillion, F. (2008). Bouwblokkenboek. Asp / Vubpress / Upa. 2 De Botton, A. (2016). De architectuur van het geluk (18de editie). Olympus. 3 Ibid. 4 Life, S. O., The School of Life (Londen), & Ridder, S. (2016). The School of Life. Grote denkers. Bohn Stafleu van Loghum. p.17.
Architecture builds communities and makes you wonder
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essay 1/1
image design1:and excecution of a wooden pavillion in a transitional living center rue Saint-Denis, 93300 Aubervilliers academic project, group work 1st Master - 2nd Semester
Architecture doesn't merely organize our connections with other people by giving status to space - private, collective, public.1 Good architecture can make us eager to interact with each other. In pleasant places we are more likely to speak to each other, to be friendly than in unpleasant places. It steers our mood. 2
EconomyOLVE-collegeand Languages (ASO)
Academy Wilrijk Piano classical education (DKO)
Academy Wilrijk, Branch Edegem Piano accompaniment practice (DKO)
2nd Bachelor: completed, passed all courses whereof architectural design 1st sem: 14/20 architectural design 2nd sem: 18/20
University of Antwerp, Bachelor and Master of Architecture
curriculum4 vitae 2017-2022 1/2 personalia name Verheyden surname Felix nationality Belgium adress Alfons Wellensstraat 19 postcode 2610 district Wilrijk phone 0032498416543 email felix.verheyden@hotmail.com sex man birth date 13.10.1999 languages Dutch (mother language), English (fluent), French (good), German (beginner)
2nd Master: in progress
3th Bachelor: completed, passed all cources whereof architectural design 1st sem: 14/20 architectural design 2nd sem: 19/20
hobby’s music composition, drawing, sport skills Photoshop, Indesign, Illustrator, Revit education
1st Bachelor: completed, passed all courses whereof architectural design 1st sem: 16/20 architectural design 2nd sem: 17/20
1st Master: completed, passed all courses whereof architectural design 1st sem: 18/20 architectural design 2nd sem: 16/20
VAA, debate between different Flemish architecture schools between teachers and students, comparing and criticizing approaches, role: organiser and moderator 2021 - Erasmus Exchange to ENSA PB (École Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture de Paris-Belleville) for six 2021months-19th
2021 - Porto Academy, workshop with Buchner Bründler Architekten, research about the possibilities of high rise typologies at a riverbank As a job student: 2017 - bartender and server at Melkerij Nachtegalenpark, from June until August 2019 - bartender at Jazz Middelheim, 4 days in August 2020 - assistant at the University of Antwerp, assistance in the organization of the course ‘Initiation Design’ in the 1st Bachelor of Architecture, making podcasts on architecture in collaboration with the professors of this course, from September until December 2021 - Job student at RADAR Architecten, from August until September 2022 - assistant at the University of Antwerp, assisting students with an exercise for the course ‘construction’ in the 1st Bachelor of Architecture, 1 day in March, 1 day in June As a student at the University of Antwerp: 2018 - TAXI lecture: Keeping up with the EYP, lecture about EYP at the University of Antwerp role: lecturer 2019 - panel discussion with externals on the quality of the architecture program at the University of Antwerp, role: 2020delegate-Rendez-vous
Design Project Competition at the ULB (Université Libre de Bruxelles), multidisciplinary team of 5 to 6 students, ranked fourth out of nine teams 2021 - design and execution of a wooden pavilion at a temporary residential center in Aubervilliers as part of the design studio ‘architecture de la résilience’ at ENSA role:PB designer and executor 2021 - Taxi lecture: THE TRUE, THE BEAUTIFUL, AND THE GOOD. WE’RE ALL EXPERTS. WE’RE ALL MESSERS. WE’RE ALL THINKERS. WE’RE ALL DOUBTERS. WE’RE ALL STUDENTS. role: lecturer together with Tom Corbett 2022 - speed dating event ‘Mix & Match’ held by the University of Antwerp between university students and secondary school students to give an outline of the different programs and student life at the university 2022 - panel discussion between students and teachers regarding the curriculum of the University of Antwerp’s Architecture program
Self-introduction video https://youtu.be/oveNEehHEKA
curriculum vitae 2017-2022 2/2
5 noteworthy participation As a member of the European Youth Parliament (EYP): 2017 - Europolis I, Belgium, role: delegate 2017 - Yugosphere - 1st International Forum of EYP Bosnia and Herzegovina, role: delegate 2017 - 1ste BeNeLux Training Week-End, Netherlands, role: trainee 2018 - Bruges - 24th National Selection Conference of EYP Belgium, role: organiser 2018 - Basel - 1st International Forum of EYP Switzerland, role: delegate 2018 - Leuven - Regional Conference of EYP Belgium, role: organiser 2019 - Europolis II, Belgium, role: organiser As a member of a scouting group: 6 years as a scout, 1 year as a scouts leader, occasional food caterer on scout trips up to present Architecture Summer schools: 2019 - ETH Zurich: Visualizing the Architecture Competition as “Contact Zone”
type6 of project academic, individual work, 2nd Bachelor - 2nd Semester location Lange AntwerpWinkelstraat,2000,Belgium goal designing a student housing, in which the site is a former parking lot program student dorms with shared spaces such as kitchen and recreation rooms challenge implementing a simple program on a complex site, with a social vision and coherent concept date of jury 05.06.2019 supervision Prof. Liesbeth liesbeth.vanderstraeten@radar-architecten.beVanderstraeten, 1. Student housing at Lange Winkelstraat academic project 1-2/4
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1.8 Student housing at Lange Winkelstraat academic project mass public space + horeca collectivegreenspace public circulation collective circulation transition space fragmentation 3-4/4
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Social approach
The student rooms are divided into three U-shaped building blocks around a patio. The fourth side for the enclosure of the patio is given by a gallery with claustra walls. The collonade connects the building blocks. They also mark an entrance along the public space. The narrowing (collonade) between the public space (street) and collective space (patio) implies a transition. The complex connects with the surroundings by cascading from lower buildings to higher buildings, so a collective terrace is created for each kitchen. The orthogonal character expresses a certain control and order, in contrast to the spontaneous articulation of the facade. Following the example of Sitte, each patio retains a clear rectangular shape. The façade wall of the ground floor follows the silhouette of the surrounding buildings to experience visual embedding, despite the orthogonal nature of the form. The student rooms on the ground floor are adjacent to the patio and the corridor on the street side, in light of privacy. On the first and second floors it is the other way around, the corridors are in contact with the patio, so that the patio enclosed by corridors forms a core of affiliation. The collective kitchens on the ground floor connect the street with the patio's through small openings.
Form and layout
The aim is to create a setting that encourages spontaneous interaction, to prevent student loneliness. The solution translates into small collective patios and evokes the idea of a village or hamlet . Following the example of Citiesforpeople by Jan Gehl, his propositions are contained in the design. It intends to fragment the plot in such a way that spaces are created on a human scale. Thirty meters is the benchmark, this is the maximum distance at which facial expressions can be distinguished. Squares with a diameter larger than thirty meters give a feeling of alienation. The complex has a maximum of three floors so that verbal contact between floors and ground floor can thus take place smoothly.
type10 of project academic, individual work, Bachelor thesis, 3th Bachelor - 2nd Semester location Building block between Vrijdagmarkt, AntwerpSteenhouwersvest,KammenstraatGierstraat,and2000,Belgium goal designing a multi-functional complex, in which the site is an omitted part of the built environment of a building block program post office, brewery attached to a cafeteria, retail space, a craft workshop, art gallery, a meditation room, various residential types challenge implementing a complex program on a complex site, with a social vision and coherent concept date of jury 18.06.2020 supervision Prof. Sven jan.meersman@uantwerpen.beProf.sven.verbruggen@uantwerpen.beVerbruggen,JanMeersman 2. Multi-use building at the Vrijdagmarkt academic project 1-2/6
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2.12 Multi-use building at the Vrijdagmarkt academic project 3-4/6 residential towers commercial plinthchaincourtyardsofstraightopenspaces gallery connectionas rectangles and arcade form courtyardsinner courtyard as monastery garden collonade as route structural scheme circulationsum
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Medieval plinth versus modernist towers It always fascinated me that organizing a city, structuring urban life, could be abstracted to the application of geometric forms. In the medieval city, where one has to deal primarily with an erratically evolved street plan, people sought structure by creating rigid open spaces. The sequence of squares woven together by an unpredictable web of streets ensured that a hierarchy was created between the street - place of movementand the square - place of linger. Because of the emphasis on the form of the open space, the closed spaces or buildings were often considered subordinate to the dominant open spaces. In contrast, the modernist city, relying more on a tabula rasa, sought more coherence by not considering the open space as geometry, but rather the closed volumes or the buildings themselves. The buildings were given a geometric form and the form of the outdoor space became secondary. This simple contradiction where the medieval city considers closed space secondary to open space, and where the modernist city considers open space secondary to closed space formed the starting point of the formal concept for this design. As such, the design aspires to combine both of these strategies: a plinth that acts as a medieval city and prioritizes the formation of geometric open spaces, and towers on top of it that act as a modernist city that prioritizes the geometric formation of the closed volume. In this sense, the medieval plinth provides clear formality at eye level from the standpoint of the street and the towers provide clear formality of the urban skyline, from the standpoint of an airplane or the window of a nearby apartment building. Commercial and public uses are housed in the plinth - for its vital relationship with public open space - and residential units in the towers - for the sake of seeking tranquility in the heart of the city.
2.14 Multi-use building at the Vrijdagmarkt academic project form medieval low-rise buildings in function of open space form of modernist high-rise in function of closed volume 5-6/6
The residential towers are a response to what former Flemish Government Architect Leo Van Broeck calls the 'high-rise fear'. We are afraid of living in repetitive boxes, as canned sardines, and in this sense the design of the towers is an attempt to avoid the stacking of anonymous copied spaces. Instead, the residential towers are a puzzle of duplexes that are hooked together. As a result, a personal feel is considerably created through the diverse arrangement of the housing units and the apartments are purposefully enriched with stairs. It is my conviction that the staircase makes the smaller apartment not feel like a box but take on a characteristic of a detached house with buffer between the bedrooms and the living area. The variation in the configuration of housing units also translates into alternation of openings in the facade.
The inner area has one entrance gate, and so there is no crossing through. This handling of the building block comes from the idea that alternative passages are going to take the activities away from where they really need to happen, namely the actual streets and squares of the city. And furthermore, as the Bouwblokkenboek also states, a cut-through disrupts the typical division of the busy outside and the quiet inside, inherent to the nature of a building block. Then regarding the design of the inner area: the inner area is essentially a succession of straight open spaces connected by a collonade. The collonade and straight open spaces characterize the patios and delineate them. The largest courtyard will have a dense garden or botanical garden. Not a large open plaza so that it would not compete with public activities at the Vrijdagmarkt, but rather give what I believe the city lacks, and that is quiet green spaces.
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green: vertical circulation shaft blue, yellow and red: housing Inner area of the building block
Housing strategy: towers
An object can evoke calmness through consistency, by the use of only one material, and orthogonality, yet also tension through the juxtaposed plate and the play of light
According to Alain de Botton, what we find beautiful stems from what we lack.1 In addition, Wilhelm Worringer wrote in Abstraction and Empathy written in 1907 that art movements can be simplified into two types: the 'abstract' and 'realistic' one. 2 Worringer continues by saying that one is always substituted for the other by a change in values that are currently deficient in a civilization or in a person's life. For instance, in an orderly authoritative civilization such as the one of Louis XIV of France, one finds beauty in that which breaks the monotony and the rut through an abundance of stimuli in art, in this case the Baroque. In the fastness and complexity of today's Western world, many people find beauty in a reduction of stimuli in art, in order to find inner peace, which led to the popularity of minimalism3. From the statement that a style arises from personal or social deficiencies, the argument could be made that there is no such thing as a true style, instead, what we find beautiful evolves with the society or personality in question and supplements the values in which we fall short.
Architecture16
This leads us to the following question: how does architecture express virtues, and subsequently what virtues are to be expressed in today’s world? This question leads to the introduction of the notion of architectural gestures. In order to do this, firstly the notion of syntax and grammar needs to be explained. Eisenman approaches architecture like a language.4 And like a language, architecture also has syntax and grammar. We could think of syntax as the elements that architects can play with: the walls, the windows, the doors, the floors, the roofs, columns and beams, the stairs, ... The nature of those elements — for example, a wall is a vertical entity and a floor is a horizontal entity — is the syntax in architecture. The interplay between these elements as well as the manipulation of the elements' inherent nature could be thought of as the grammar — for example the challenging of the vertical nature of the walls by slanting them. This interplay as well as the manipulation of the architectural elements can evoke certain feelings, or express certain ideas. This expression is what 1 De Botton, A. (2006). The Architecture of Happiness. Vintage International. 2 Worringer, W. (1940). Abstraction and Empathy Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated. 3 Swarts, S. (2019). Less is More. In Voorlinden (Red.), less is more (pp. 4–18). Aeroprint. 4 Eisenman, P. D. (1963). The Formal Basis of Mo dern Architecture. Lars Muller Publishers.
Colouranne.charlotte.depince@gmail.comDepincétransitionscanevokedeptand
calmness
Virtues as architectural gestures
image design2:of a luminaire academic individual work 2nd Master - 2nd Semester course:prototypeVerkenning van de Praxis Prof. Jo Meers joseph.meers@uantwerpen.be Mentorship: York Bing Oh atelieroh.bing@gmail.com
Erasmus Exchange to ENSA Paris-Belleville course:photo Peindre Aujourd'hui Prof. Anne-Charlotte
image 1: serie of paintings with oil paint, 30x40 cm academic individual work 1st Master - 2nd Semester
as a medium of virtues essay 1-2/6 We recognize human virtues in non-human things
Reduction of stimuli: reductive gestures
One could argue that in a world of a visual overload of stimuli in social media,5 the capitalist tendency towards acceleration,6 architecture has a different role to play. It is my conviction that architecture must in the first place transmit visual calmness in order for people to find inner peace and slow down in life. However, it is difficult to define when a building displays calmness. In architecture it can be sought through order, or more specifically orthogonality, rhythm, and consistency.
image 3: spatial exploration for a collective space residence Minderbroedersrui,building 2000 Antwerp academic individual work 1st Bachelor - 2nd Semester cardboard scale model 1:20 design studio: Initiatie Ontwerp Prof. Sander Laureys info@sanderlaureys.be Calmness through orthogonality, rhythm (in the beams, steps of the staircase, window profiles) and therefore through consistency image 4: spatial exploration for a square archive Desguinlei,building2018 Antwerp academic individual work 2nd Bachelor - 1st Semester cardboard scale model 1:50 design studio: Architectuur en cultuur Prof. Geert Driesen Geert.driesen@uantwerpen.be Calmness through orthogonality, rhythm (in the collums) and therefore through consistency
17 could be defined as gestures in architecture. Through a certain interplay or manipulation of the architectural elements virtues can be articulated or stimulated.
Calmness through orthogonality
Architectural elements could perhaps arouse a sense of calm when they follow their inherent nature. For instance, walls are by nature vertical elements and floors horizontal ones. A case could additionally be made for the right angle: when a drop of water falls to the ground it essentially does so perpendicular to the ground. When it does not it is because there is wind and the path of the drop deviates, or because the ground is not completely flat and slopes, and thus deviates from its flat perceived nature. Moreover, when a tower is not placed perpendicular to the ground it tends to fall over due to gravity.
The succession of points, lines or shapes at a distance interval is what we can call visual rhythm. Rhythm in music is the recognition
Eisenman and the Gestalt psychologists believe that humans have the tendency to recognize generic antecedents in the irregular patterns of nature.7 Thus, it could be stated that when a floor or wall deviates from its respective horizontal or vertical nature by inclining or sloping, we perceive it as a disturbance of its essence. Because, in the natural world, nothing is really completely straight or flat: a tree slopes a little and so does the ground. From this reasoning, we could say that following orthogonality gives a sense of calm because the right angles are a consummation of the otherwise imperfect and deviant verticality and horizontality in nature.
Architecture can reduce natural forms to their generic antecedents, and therefore they reduce the amount of visual stimuli, which I believe causes a sense of calm.
Calmness through rhythm
5 Van Duysen, V. (2018), Works 2009-2018 6 Bastian, M. (2021a, oktober). Slowness: a trap or a promise? Understanding time and temporality as relational | USOS | University of Antwerp. University of Antwerp. Consulted on 17 april 2022, via dern7development/edition2021/slownessatraporapromise/www.uantwerpen.be/en/centres/usos/debating-https://Eisenman,P.D.(1963).TheFormalBasisofMoArchitecture.LarsMullerPublishers.
When symmetry is applied, the amount of visual stimuli is reduced, as is the case with rhythm. Because we need only one half of the composition in order to understand the whole, just as we need the repeated sample of a rhythm to understand the whole.
image Column5:Pavilion, 1982, Charles Vandenhove Calmnessphoto through orthogonality, rhythm, symmetrie, the use of only one material, thus as a result calmness though consistency; architecture as an abstraction of natural forms image 6: spatial exploration for a meditation space multi-use Kammenstraat,building2000 Antwerp academic, individual work, Bachelor thesis 3th Bachelor - 2nd Semester designrender studio: Bachelor Thesis Prof. Jan Meersman jan.meersman@uantwerpen.be
Calmness through orthogonality, rhythm, symmetrie, the use of only one material, thus as a result calmness though consistency
Consistency in architecture is present if an architectural intervention is subject to an overarching concept, such as orthogonality, rhythm and symmetry. Yet, they are not the only concepts to do so. For instance, continuity of the same material throughout the design for a momolite stature can also create consistency. Or when building blocks that are seemingly unrelated actually align, then they share an idea that unifies them. In general, an architectural intervention becomes inconsistent if a part of it isolates itself from an overarching idea and is subject to another idea or instinct. If that happens, the architectural intervention loses its clarity of intention. When the clarity of intention is lost, it is harder to distinguish a hierarchy in the visual stimuli and thus reduce what you see to an essence. Consequently, it is more difficult to understand the architectural intervention in question. From this reasoning, 8 Metre (music). (2022, 7 februari). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metre (music)
In music the melody is free to form itself as it wishes up to a certain extent: it is limited in timing by alignment with its metre8. Yet, we focus on the melody more than on the rhythm when we listen to music. We don’t even need to truly hear an underlying beat, we can already recognize it in a solo melody through alignment with a metre and accents in its articulation. That is why we could call the rhythm a supporting element to which the melody is subject. The same goes for architecture: Often an overarching grid is giving rhythm to the facade and plan of a building. In plan, the walls form the melody that is subject to an overarching structure. In the facade, divers window openings form the melody while bays or proportion patterns form the rhythm. To conclude, it is my belief that rhythm or in other words the regularity of proportions gives a sense of calm because it is a consummation of the otherwise imperfect or irregular rhythms that we see in the natural world. Additionally the point could be made that rhythm and orthogonality reduce the amount of distinguishable dimensions and thus reduce the amount of visual stimuli.
Calmness through symmetry
of18 a beat, a repeating interval of time. We can draw an analogy between music and architecture in terms of rhythm and melody. When in music a melody is subject to a beat we recognize a cadence, pattern or rhythm.
Calmness through consistency
19 we could consider saying that an overarching intention, idea or concept gives a sense of calm because distinguishing a hierarchy in ideas gives clarity in how we could perceive an architectural intervention. In other words, it makes it possible for curious spectators to reduce their focus to the important parts. Because that is how our brains work: a sense of clarity is found when we can distinguish the essence from its ramifications, from the trunk to the branch. In this sense, rhythm and symmetry let us distinguish the sample from which the whole is composed. As a side note, I prefer to use the term ‘architectural intervention’ over the term ‘building’ as the latter would imply that a renovation of a building directly means that it should be restored, or in other words, that the additional architectural intervention must resemble to the old one in its former intention and construction methods. On the contrary, when a building needs to be renovated, this new architectural intervention can express an intention as a critical answer to the former intention. If this critical response answers respectfully to the sensibilities of the former intention then there's the chance that the old and the new exist peacefully together.
spatialimagegesture8:exploration for a lobby High-rise building academic individual work 2nd Master - 2nd Semester designrender studio: Master Thessis Prof. Bart
Retention of stimuli: additive gestures
Hereinabove is stated that visual stimuli should be reduced via shaping order and thus to evoke a sense of calm. Nevertheless, it could be stated that one should not disparage order with dullness. If the quest for order is taken too far, it becomes dull and dogmatic. Just as our lives become dull and monotonous if there is no room to sometimes step out of a strict daily routine and expectations. Moreover, an interesting order is one that leaves room for variation. So consequently a balance between order and complexity — or order and freedom of expression — is ideally to be sought after. To clarify, when architecture organizes its elements through concepts such as orthogonality, rhythm and consistency, it is in fact adopting the very human desire to bring order to our otherwise chaotic lives. However, when there is still a certain freedom and alternation in that overarching order, it is also reflecting at the same time our desire to create a certain freedom through the organization, or differently, it sees the beauty of our inability to fully organize our lives and accept our emotional and physical flaws to do so. As Novalis puts it: In a work of art, chaos must shine through a veil of order.9
For example, in a person's life freedom can be born in the form of spare time through a disciplined day routine. In the same way we can find delight in architecture when a structural framework liberates walls of 9 De Botton, A. (2006). The Architecture of Happiness. Vintage International.
Calmnesssven.verbruggen@uantwerpen.beProf.bart.hollanders@uantwerpen.beHollandersSvenVerbruggenthroughrhythmandsymmetry;
receptivity through bending
image Spatial7:exploration for an underground pavilion academic individual work 1st Bachelor - 2nd Semester designcollage studio: Initiatie Ontwerp Prof. Steven Schenk info@schenkhattori.com Curiosity through strangeness; the slanting of the wall could be concieved as an architectural additive
image 8: spatial exploration for a lobby High-rise building academic individual work 2nd Master - 2nd Semester designrender studio: Master Thessis Prof. Bart Calmnesssven.verbruggen@uantwerpen.beProf.bart.hollanders@uantwerpen.beHollandersSvenVerbruggenthroughrhythmandsymmetry, receptivity through bending image somewherecollonade9: in Paris Calmnessphoto through orthogonality, rhythm and symmetry; curiosity through verticality; receptivity through bending
Receptivity through bending When a line bends, it always bends towards a center, as it is a part of an imaginary circle. When facades or walls bend towards a centerpoint, they are accentuating the space with that centerpoint, creating a hierarchy between the space where it is bending towards and from which it is bending away. Bending surfaces make an embracing gesture, and can make this a feeling of receptivity.
their20 load-bearing function and makes them free to take any form or shape within the rigid framework. Another example can also be made with marble columns. If we find marble columns beautiful, it is perhaps because we recognize calm elegance and self-control in the vertical geometric form, while in the fiery play of colors and textures we recognize the unpredictability and intensiveness of our emotions that are living under our skin. Hence we can find joy in seeing marble columns through the identification of the virtue of controlling and yet at the same time nurturing our fiery emotions. In short, although architecture must try to avoid being ostentatious, modesty in architectural language should not be taken so far to the extent that it loses its generosity. Grounded by calm order - by orthogonality and rhythm - a building can subsequently generate gestures. Gestures are interventions that move architecture from ordinary to profound. Furthermore, what deconstructivist Peter Eisenman would call distortions of the ordinary,10 I would rather call gestures because the latter rather speaks about expressing courtesy towards the users whereas the former speaks of expressing spectacle towards the beholders. When pure order is broken in architecture with gestures, poetry emerges.
Curiosity through verticality Exterior or interior paths— streets, corridors, or colonnades — with vertical articulations instead of horizontal ones are nicer to walk through. This is because we get the feeling with vertical articulations that we do advance while walking, they clearly indicate the distance already covered, like milestones.
On the contrary, horizontal lines give us the feeling that we are just not advancing because they do not indicate the covered distance. Therefore, we could argue that vertical articulations in streets and corridors make us enjoy the walk more, and makes us eager to stroll around instead of running through it. As a consequence, vertical articulation 10 The Cooper Union, 2020. Gwathmey Chair Lecture | Peter Eisenman: The Becoming Unmotivated of the Sign. [video] Available at: <https://youtu.be/Xd5FCEDmxJU> [Accessed 20 November 2021].
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21 stimulates us to look around more, and to behave more curiously while walking. To put it differently, vertical articulation in facades with columns hides a little the windows in between the columns. In the same way vertical articulations via columns in galleries hide the open space that they are enclosing. It thus makes it not entirely clear what happens behind the facade or gallery in a single glance as could be the case with horizontal articulations. Hence, by walking along, each time another piece of the interior or exterior becomes visible which could make us eager to find out what is next. To conclude, it is my belief that colonnades in streets and squares and vertical articulations on the facade stimulate curiosity and delight in the experience of public space at eye level.
Affiliation through restrained dimensions of buildings and public spaces Architecture can stimulate a sense of affiliation through the limitation of too big spaces and buildings. With a too big scale, dimensions are meant that give a sense of alienation through their bigness. They feel inhuman through their bigness. That leads us to the following question: what are dimensions that uphold the value of human scale? Jan Gehl11 writes that we can recognize a person from 100 metres. From 30 metres we can speak to each other and we can read emotions from their faces. He continues by saying that this is one of the reasons why European historic squares often feel so fine, they often have dimensions within 30 to 40 meters. He also proposes 30 metres as a measure for the height of buildings, from the fifth floor it is just possible to recognize someone on the street, read emotions on their faces, and exchange some things by shouting. From the sixth floor on that would become too difficult. We could argue two things from this. Firstly, under the fifth floor people feel connected to the public space on the ground floor through the possibility of interaction, and thus that the higher people are housed beyond this floor, the more there is the chance that they feel isolated from the public space, and thus lack a feeling of affiliation with the city. Secondly, to feel comfortable to socialize on public squares, a maximum dimension of 30 to 40 meters could be applied in case of a non-interrupted space. In the same way Jane Jacobs reasoned about the street: if after a certain distance — like the 30 meters benchmark of Jan Gehl — streets are interrupted by a square, through a bending in the street, or a building or monument, it would perhaps evoke a sense of coziness in cities and stimulate socializing.
volume of the building, a slenderness and continuity with the morphology of the buildings in the nearby environment was sought. The fragmentation of the volume, and the verticality of the colonnade on the ground floor, could create a curiosity since the complete facade cannot be understood at a glance.
11 Gehl, J., & Raeymaekers, K. (2016). Steden voor mensen. Vanden Broele. image 10, 11: multi-use Brouwersvliet,building2000 Antwerp academic project, group work 1st Master - 1st Semester render and diagram design studio: REUSE Prof. Geert Withdirk.janssen@uantwerpen.beProf.geert.driesen@uantwerpen.beDriesenDirkJanssenthefragmentationofthebulky
Calmnessdirk.janssen@uantwerpen.beProf.geert.driesen@uantwerpen.beDriesenDirkJanssenthroughorthgonality, rhythm and symmetry; affiliation through excess of space, room for flexibility of use as sunlight reaches the underground parking
Curiosity through fragmentation Continuing from the previous, we could argue that architecture can also generate curiosity when overly large spaces and building volumes are fragmented into smaller spaces and thus require more movement and discovery before an overview of the sequence of spaces can be established.
Affiliation through excessive dimensions of private and collective spaces
To conclude, it is my belief that through generous sizing and guarantee of sunlight in the collective space as well as in the private space of shared buildings, people will be more eager to speak to each other and be friendly.
Solidarity through shared space Continuing from the previous, shared space in buildings can be expanded in such a way that mere circulation space transforms into generous collective space. Hallways can be designed so wide and with a big windows
Perhaps that's why so many people go on vacation in picturesque villages and towns: the irregularity and surprises in facades and streets makes us wander and become tourists or flaneurs.
12 Tritsmans, B., Ponjee, J., Van Bockstal, K., & Wieërs, E. (2022). Ruimte voor verandering. Ro buuste open gebouwen voor de toekomst. Vlaams Architectuurinstituut.
A little excess in the dimensions of spaces makes a building more flexible with regard to changes of use, which guarantees a longer life span of the building.12 For example, a parking building with high ceilings and the presence of sunlight can be converted into residential units. Hence, when it comes to interior space, excess is rarely a burden.
image 12: spatial exploration for a patio on level -1 multi-use Brouwersvliet,building2000 Antwerp academic project, group work 1st Master - 1st Semester designrender studio: studio REUSE Prof. Geert
image 13: spatial exploration for a collective garden student housing Lange Winkelstraat, 2000 Antwerp academic individual work 2nd Bachelor - 2nd Semester designrender studio: Architectuur en omgeving Prof. Liesbeth
Solidarityliesbeth.vanderstraeten@radar-architecten.beVanderstraetenthroughsharedspace,generouswith
Architecture can stimulate a sense of affiliation through making interior spaces a little bit bigger than usual. In apartment buildings the space that is shared between the inhabitants is often reduced to the bare minimum for circulation: narrow and dark staircases, elevators and corridors. I believe that because of the darkness and narrowness of this shared interior space, neighbors are less likely to speak to each other and be friendly. Of course, it seems logical that the private residential units should take precedence when it comes to sunlight and generous dimensions because residential units are used much more intensively than circulation spaces. But this precedence should not give reason to allocate qualities entirely to the residential units at the expense of the circulation space. Sometimes a trade-off is called for, wherein the qualities of sunlight and generous size are more fairly distributed between the collective and private spaces.
its size yet within the limits of a maximum distance of 30 metres in order to stimulate affiliation
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23 that they actually become rooms. An ideal happening would be that, when then through the architectural qualities this shared space is actively used for shared purposes, then a sense of connection and solidarity is created between the neighbours. One might object that shared space is also often the subject of arguments between neighbours. A counterargument might be that having to agree with other people with different customs and beliefs, despite discomfort, can be valuable in times of polarization and loneliness. However, learning to get along, to make agreements and to possibly have disputes is in my opinion preferable to living completely separate lives in prejudice, in indifference, and ignorance of who your neighbors are. Not only are collective spaces an invitation to interact with your neighbours, it is also a way in times of high real estate prices to reduce costs by sharing things, via renting or buying a space together such as a shared garden, swimming pool or kitchen.
As mentioned before, the argument goes that order in architecture is necessary but too much order evokes dullness. As a remedy to this, gestures of strangeness could be sought after. Because it is my conviction that these moments of strangeness in the ordered whole can be perceived as a delight. The consistency of the whole can be broken through strange moments in order to tackle dullness. However on the one hand, these strange moments are subordinate to consistency. They are to be found in the details. Because when strangeness takes over from consistency, the incomprehensibility of the whole evokes a sense of uneasiness. On the other hand, consistency can go along with strangeness if the strange gesture is in fact the essence of the architectural intervention. In this case the design is the unfolding around this strange act. In addition, the side note needs to be made that what we perceive as strange and what we perceive as ordinary often requires pre-knowledge of conventions in architecture. As a consequence, sometimes these strange moments can only be recognized by experts. Yet this is only the case if the strangeness comes from a disturbance of the tradition. If the strangeness is sought in the disturbance of architectural logic, then most people can understand as we are all intensive users of architecture. For example, most people can understand that a wall is a vertical entity, and when it bends or slants then this is strange because it is a disturbance of its vertical nature. To conclude, it is my conviction that these strange moments in the consistent whole arouse curiosity in the observers and make them eager to look better at buildings or find other peculiarities.
image fantasy-concept14: for a skyscraper in a river workshop at Porto Academy academic individual work mentorshipcollage by Andreas Bründler
This cappricio landscape evokes a sense of curiosity through its mysterious aura; th odd structure is inspired by the utopian city New Babylon invented by Constant Nieuwenhuys image 15: attic at grandpa's Thephotowooden slats in the corner, the light through the round window created a strange geometric composition that caught my eye and attracted me to look at it for a while longer
Curiosity through strangeness
24 Conclusion Architecture can be approached as an artform with its own simple set of basic tools — walls, floors, openings, stairs. All these tools have an inherent nature — for instance, a wall is a vertical entity and a floor a horizontal one. Yet, the way these tools are composed is layered and complex through, on the one hand, technical requirements and human needs and wishes in a direct manner, and on the other hand, by touching ethical and aesthetic sensibilities in an indirect manner. By composing these tools, we do not only organize the lives of people, we can also apply gestures that either stimulate virtues in a direct way, or either articulate virtues in an indirect way. If architecture is good, we feel better, and if we feel better we act better and nicer. However, the gestures listed for which I believe evoke certain virtues are a personal collection. They do not pretend to be right yet the only gestures that can be made with architecture. But in order to make good architecture, I believe that it is necessary to develop an own set of convictions that lead to a certain architectural language. I agree with Eisenman’s idea of an open ended theory. Architectural theory should not codify which actions are right and which are wrong in a dogmatic way, but it should try to understand the nature of the architectural elements. A clear line can be drawn between the meaning and understanding of architecture and the contribution of architecture. The notion of architectural gestures aligns with the contribution of architecture from an aesthetical perspective. In this sense, if there is an understanding of the architectural elements, principles of architectural gestures can be made. In other words, through further study and personal development, the list of principles can be extended, principles of gestures can be added or removed, and thus this theory has no end, it is not closed. It is an open ended theory.
image multi-use16: Brouwersvliet,building2000 Antwerp academic project, group work 1st Master - 1st Semester render and diagram design studio: REUSE Prof. Geert
Thedirk.janssen@uantwerpen.beProf.geert.driesen@uantwerpen.beDriesenDirkJanssenfaçadeisduplicatedwhereby the outer translucent layer has rigid openings and the inner solid façade has playful openings
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Afterword This synthesis of ideas throughout the Bachelor and Master in Architecture at the University of Antwerp, is quite rough and still needs improvement. For instance, from the text it can be understood that I engage more with the composition and meaning of form in architecture but the case for materiality or structure is left untouched. My ideas are still in their infancy. This compendium of ideas is a snapshot of curiosity and advancing insight into architecture. In the climate of the 21st century, buildings cannot only be beautiful and convey values through beauty. Today, buildings must also provide answers to global warming, an unsustainable economic model, polarization, loneliness, and rising real estate prices. While in the first four years of my Architecture degree I focused mainly on the substantiation of beauty in today's world, a lot of questions remain about how architecture and architects today must provide answers to failing structures of economics and policy. With my on-going research of my Master's thesis, I have been able to build an aesthetic/ethical theory as a synthesis of ideas throughout my studies. Supported by this theory, the challenge now is to develop a vision for architecture that is also socially embedded, that addresses policy and economic structures. The remaining time for my Master's thesis can only lift a tip of the veil, which encourages me to continue my studies after my Master's degree. To conclude, it has recently become my belief that architecture has a spiritual and activist dimension. Architecture can be spiritually charged, through beauty, symbolism and meaning, while having no activistic load. Architecture can be activistically charged, through sustainability, accessibility and inventiveness, while it has no spiritual charge. These are two ways of contributing with architecture and my ideas during the studies tended to lean towards the spiritual. With the continuation of my studies, I would like to discover the activist dimension of architecture.
image renovation17: of housing units at a temporary living center through insulation and ventilation rue Saint-Denis, 93300 Aubervilliers academic individual work 1st Master - 2nd Semester render and exploded axiometry Erasmus exchange to ENSA Paris-Belleville design studio: Architecture de la Résilience 2021 Prof. Cyrille Hannap, ch@air-architecture.com Orthogonality, rhythm, symmetry, these gestures are present, but the architctural intervention uses them as means to give a social contribution an aesthetic dimension
