INDESEM ‘23

One Week Of Boundless Possibilities

It couldn’t have gone by anyone present at the faculty during the last week of May: from the 29th of May until the 2nd of June, the Orange Hall set the stage for the 24th edition of the International Design Seminar, widely known as INDESEM. Motivated students from 29 countries from all over the world participated in an intensive week filled with inspiring lectures, interesting workshops, and entertaining excursions, culminating in a 24-hour design competition - inevitably resulting in very little sleep.

The adventure of INDESEM ‘23 started in September of last year, when an enthusiastic group of 8 students stepped forward to organize the event, that had been held at the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment of the TU Delft since 1964.

What followed was half a year of meetings that often went on until late in the evening, each time with the goal of determining the focus of the seminar and what guests should be invited. After a hectic policy trip to Berlin, it was decided to use the foundation that INDESEM had been built upon since its very first edition in 1964, to determine the theme as described by Herman Hertzberger in 1998:

“INDESEM is a temporary architecture school within the school, a form of learning without education, where it is always the students who determine the focus of the week and the students who are responsible for inspiring the scientific and technical staff to break rules for one week.”

Breaking the rules - which we referred to as boundaries - became the theme of INDESEM ‘23, simply titled ‘Boundaries’. Lectures by Jette Hopp, FCBstudios, Jean-Philippe Vassal, Herman Hertzberger,

Kazuya Katagiri, Neil Leach, Emmanuelle Moureaux, Joost Moolhuijzen and a unique interview with Souto de Moura all shed light on the boundaries they encountered, the limitations they now experience, and how they respond to them. The broad theme and the variety of speakers resulted in a diverse set of inspiring stories, which sometimes contradicted and other times complemented each other. This motivated the students to think about their own perspectives while sparking interesting conversations and discussions.

The week concluded with a design competition in collaboration with the Municipality of Delft, in which participants had 24 hours to come up with a plan for new student housing on campus. Midnight snacks were delivered by the notorious snackbar Karim, after which the students continued designing through the night. With most students only taking a short sleep break at the faculty. This also thoroughly tested the hidden qualities of our faculty building. The following day, the jury panel, consisting of Kees Christiaanse, Dick van Gameren, Kees Kaan, Laurens Jan ten Kate, and Peer Peters, declared one group as the winner: the project “Insight” by Ido Ninburg, Hugo Wehry, Manu Wickramasinghe, and Elyza Yunus.

Ultimately, winning wasn’t the main objective for the seminar; on the contrary, the most important goal was for everyone to have contact; teachers, students, speakers, from almost 30 different countries! In conclusion, the interaction that INDESEM stands for has once again been achieved in this first post-Covid edition. We, the organisers, enjoyed it, and based on the overwhelmingly positive feedback, so did the participants and visitors. We hope to see you all at the next INDESEM in 2025! //

A New Dawn 20 2025 25 briinngs s thhe La Land nd f th the Ri R siing ng

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Du Dubbaai. i Wororld ld expxpos s arre a glolobaal l ga gathhererinng naattiioons n deddicicatated ed to fi f nd n ing so solulutitionons to pressssinng chhal a le lennges es of f o our r ti timme of offeferiring g a jou o rn rney ey inssiidde a unniviverersaal l th thememe e t thhrorouuggh enngagagging ng and d immmemerrsivve e acctitiviviti t es s (Buurereau au Intnterernnaatioo na nal l de des s Ex Exppoossitiionons, , 202233)). It is s a g grea e t pllat a foorm rm to sh sharare kn knowowledggee, buuild d a be betttter er rel e at atioions n hi hip wi with t thhe e couount n ry whhicich o orgaganiniseses it and nd to co connnecect t w with h peeopople le and nd pototen e ti tial l bussinnesess s pa parttneners rs Thhe e th thememe 202025 is “Deesisign g in ing F Fuuture Soocicieetty fo for r Ou Our Li L ve ves”s”, wi with th subub-t-theheme m s of f “SaSavving ng Liv i ess”, , “Em E p poowewerring ng Livives” annd “C “Connnneectctining Li Liveves” ” Ac Accocorddinng to thhe orrga g ni nissati tion n the e proojectted ed visisittoor r co c un unt t is app p rooxi x ma matetely l 28 mi m lllioion. n.

2025 brings the Land of the Rising Sun in the spotlights: it is the year in which the World Expo will take place in Osaka, Japan, following up Expo 2020 Dubai. World expos are a global gathering of nations dedicated to finding solutions to pressing challenges of our time by offering a journey inside a universal theme through engaging and immersive activities (Bureau International des Expositions, 2023). It is a great platform to share knowledge, build a better relationship with the country which organises it and to connect with people and potential business partners. The theme of 2025 is “Designing Future Society for Our Lives”, with sub-themes of “Saving Lives”, “Empowering Lives” and “Connecting Lives”. According to the organisation the projected visitor count is approximately 28 million.

On the 5th of June 2023 the Netherlands revealed its pavilion “A New Dawn” to the public under the theme of “Common ground: creating a new dawn together”. It is designed by a consortium of RAU, DGMR, Tellart and the Japanese Asanuma and gives answers to issues like how we can organise everything that is limited in an unlimited way and how we can reduce the use of fossil fuels. The contribution introdu-

On the he 5th J June 2023 th t e Ne N th t errlands reve v aled its s pavvilion “A A New w Dawn w ” to thhe pubblic undder thhe e t themme of “Commmoon n gr g ou o nd: creati t ng g a new w dawn n togegeththerer”. ” It t i is designed a cononsortium um f RAU, DGMR, Telllaarrt and the Japapanenese se Asa s numa and gives es ans n w wers s to isssue u s l liike ke how we can organinise e eveery rythhinng that at is limited in an n un unli l m miteed waay annd d hoow w we can reduce thhe e use of fueuells T The co c ntribution on intro r du- ce c s ne n w technologiies that wi will l usse water po p wer to generatate zero-eemi m ssion en enerergy g , ma m kiing enenergrgy moorre accesssible to evvery r on o e. e The e riissiing sun n in the pavilioion’s de d si sign symmbo b lises u unlimited clean n ener e gy g , and thhe e p paavvilion n itselelf f is s alslso co c mp m le l tely cirircucula l r (N ( etheerlrlan a dssannddyou o , 20 2 23). ces new technologies that will use water power to generate zero-emission energy, making energy more accessible to everyone. The rising sun in the pavilion’s design symbolises unlimited clean energy, and the pavilion itself is also completely circular (Netherlandsandyou, 2023).

I’’m m t to the e detetails on this c and what t otthher countries ha h ve v to offer annd I hope e it will bring us th t e same icoconic immages s as the Expo of Osaka in 197 9 0.

I’m looking forward to the details on this project and what other countries have to offer and I hope it will bring us the same iconic images as the Expo of Osaka in 1970.