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aE journal
No full textLast summer, the Day of the New Architect provided us with a good reason to reflect on the 15 years of aE, assess our development in Architecture and Technology and identify opportunities for the future. How are we passing on knowledge, and where do our alumni go from there? What skills do students nowadays require for their professional lives?
Form follows Technology
Initially, aE focused heavily on developments in technical and manufacturing domains. For example, early projects emphasized the polyvalent facade and the possibilities of parametric design. For students, this inspired the creation of industrially engineered projects where the beauty of these projects lay in the architectural translation of engineering concepts. They were characterized by the principle of form follows function, dictated by the technology deployed and the ideology of the time, resulting in unique and exceptional designs.
Design as research
With the growing emphasis on sustainability and significant social challenges we must face, our approach has evolved. Navigating through technical possibilities and exploring their holistic potential became the central methodology of the studio.
This systemic approach led to numerous inspiring projects, such as transforming the industrial city of Parkstad into Garden City 2.0, learning from do-it-yourself initiatives and community-based strategies in Bandung/Indonesia, and harnessing innovation for the Marineterrein in Amsterdam. Various experimental sites and living labs in both rural, and urban environments across the globe have served as inspiration for developping strategies and visions for these projects.
Moreover, we engaged with stakeholders like the Amsterdam Medical Centre and the government to explore case studies from their existing building stocks. Students investigated opportunities for renewal within these vast structures, focusing on benefits for users, the community, and the very architecture of these constructions.
What open design can do
Both existing building structures and new building systems have become architectural experiments. Emphasizing circular and adaptive design opens opportunities to enhance the sustainability of construction. How can intelligent standardisation lead to quality architecture? What material applications are conceivable? What expression is possible?
In Open Building (p. 6), we explore the structure and components, their coherence, and quality. In Second Life (p. 14), the focus shifts to strategies addressing social issues like social cohesion, energy transition, and biodiversity. Harvest (p. 18) considers ecosystems, material use, and flows, in relation to reuse and renewable resources for creating quality architecture.
Across all scales, the Paris goals are rigorously examined, from structure to nail. This makes tools like parametric design and solutions such as the polyvalent façade more relevant than ever. However, as designers, we must add meaning and value to these tools and solutions, connecting to both the context and the user needs and setting the parameters for good design.
AM Perspectives: Research in additive manufacturing for architecture and construction
No full textAs technology continues to evolve, it has made a significant impact on the field of architecture and construction. The introduction of additive manufacturing, also known as 3D printing, has transformed the way architects and construction professionals approach design and engineering. With the ability to print structures layer by layer, this technology offers a level of precision and complexity that was previously impossible. The current state of research on additive manufacturing for architecture and construction is rapidly expanding, and this book aims to provide an overview of the latest developments in this exciting field at the Technical University of Darmstadt, Delft University of Technology, and the University of Minho.
The book covers the materials and processes used in additive manufacturing for construction, the challenges and opportunities of scaling up 3D printing for large-scale projects, and case studies of innovative 3D-printed structures. We explore the potential implications of additive manufacturing for sustainability, affordability, and accessibility in the construction industry.
Looking to the future, we offer ideas and insights into the possibilities of 3D printing as an ecosystem. As technology continues to improve and costs decrease, additive manufacturing could become a widespread and accessible method of construction, with implications for everything from disaster relief housing to space colonization. The potential for customization and personalization in 3D printing also offers exciting possibilities for individual homeowners and small-scale projects.
We aim at providing a comprehensive overview of the current state of research on additive manufacturing for architecture and construction, while also exploring the exciting potential for this technology in the years to come. We hope this book will inspire architects, engineers, and researchers to explore the possibilities of 3D printing and to embrace the opportunities for innovation and creativity that it presents
Willem Steigenga & Samuel van Embden: Two different approaches towards spatial planning: Design and research
Full text linkDuring the 1960s, a rift between urban planners and architects increased as the first group relied on data and other facts, whereas as the second was led by artistic considerations. The two inaugural lectures of Willem Steigenga and Sam van Embden, published in English for the first time in this booklet, are important testimonies to this rift. Steigenga, originally a social geographer, was appointed in 1962 at the University of Amsterdam. He paid little attention to questions of architecture and beauty. In 1964, Van Embden became professor at the Delft Institute of Technology (TH Delft) --where he had studied under the influential Professor Granpré Molière--and dedicated his speech to the importance of form in town planning. The two lectures are preceded by an introduction written by Yvonne van Mil and Arnold van der Valk
Ground(s): Mapping, Designing and Caring: Towards a Convivial Society
No full textThe international conference Ground(s): Mapping, designing and caring: Towards a convivial society, held in December 2021 at the Department of Architecture of the University of Bologna, represents an intellectual activity, that transcends traditional academic boundaries.
Emerging from the idea of the candidates of the PhD 35th cycle in Architecture and Design Cultures - Unibo: Hanna Elisabet Åberg, Irene Cazzaro, Carlo Costantino, Federico Diodato, Javier Pérez Puchalt, Laura Rivaroli, Ludovica Rosato, Giulia Turci, and Yunyu Ouyan, this conference is one of the annual appointments, developed by PhD candidates to open a discussion on topics of interdisciplinary nature, useful for expanding knowledge and research goals, carried out within doctoral research and within the Department of Architecture of Unibo. The aim of these conferences is to highlight that contemporary challenges require a fundamentally integrated approach, fundamental paradigms of spatial understanding, moving far beyond conventional disciplinary constraints, showing a growing understanding that the complex problems of our era, as environmental degradation, social fragmentation, and technological disruption, cannot be addressed through narrow, specialized perspectives.
In this light, the concept of Ground(s) emerged as a rich, multidimensional metaphor that simultaneously encompasses physical, social, ecological, and philosophical terrains. It represents more than a mere physical surface; instead, it becomes a dynamic interface where human activities, technological innovations, ecological systems, and cultural practices continuously intersect and negotiate their relationships. This conceptualization challenges traditional notions of space as a static, passive background and instead proposes an active, and responsive understanding of spatial interaction.
This publication thus becomes more than a mere collection of academic papers. It represents the research for a new approach to understanding our environment, that recognizes the profound interconnectedness of human and non-human systems, that embraces complexity and uncertainty, and that proposes creative, adaptive strategies for addressing global challenges.
The contents emerging from this conference suggests that the most innovative solutions will arise not from disciplinary expertise, but from the fertile ground between disciplines, where different ways of knowing and seeing can dialogue, conflict, and ultimately generate new insights.
The University of Bologna’s PhD program in Architecture and Design Cultures has always pursued and promoted, while recognizing the identity of the specific disciplines, a model of interdisciplinary education, demonstrating how academic institutions can serve as laboratories for social and intellectual innovation. By creating spaces where architectural composition, urban studies, historical research, aesthetic theory, design practices, cultural heritage studies, and technological innovation can intersect, the program challenges traditional academic boundaries combining fundamentals and applied research in an interdisciplinary perspective. The research activity is therefore developed according to thematic areas that, given the nature of the PhD program, aim to develop studies in the field of architecture and design cultures as wide as possible.
The organization of annual doctoral conferences becomes a training activity for PhD students who collaboratively develop a cultural event that addresses project cultures as comprehensively as possible. The international conference Ground(s) - Mapping, designing and caring: Towards a convivial society, which follows those organized in previous years as: The Matter of Future Heritage; CHANCES. Practices, spaces and buildings in cities’ transformation; The Ecological Turn. Design, architecture, and aesthetics beyond "Anthropocene", once again focuses on topical matters trying to open a debate on contemporary issues.
The conference’s three primary tracks: Mapping, Designing, and Caring, provide a systematic framework for understanding and transforming our relationship with space and environment. Mapping goes beyond traditional cartographic practices, utilizing advanced technologies to reveal complex, often invisible networks of relationship and interaction. Designing transcends mere aesthetic or functional considerations, proposing adaptive, flexible approaches that anticipate future challenges and embrace systemic complexity. Caring introduces a profound ethical dimension, challenging anthropocentric perspectives and advocating for a more symbiotic relationship with our environments.
Particularly significant was the conference’s timing, emerging in the aftermath of the global COVID-19 pandemic, a moment that dramatically exposed the vulnerabilities of our existing social and spatial structures. The pandemic revealed the fragility of our interconnected systems while simultaneously highlighting the critical importance of community, adaptability, and resilience. By focusing on the concept of Conviviality, the conference envisioned a transformative reconfiguration of spatial and social dynamic, moving beyond isolation and competition toward more collaborative, supportive modes of coexistence.
Keynote speakers invited by PhD candidates at the Ground(s) conference brought extraordinary depth and diversity to the discussion: Paola Viganò from the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (Switzerland) and Università IUAV di Venezia (Italy), with her cutting-edge research in urban planning, offered insights into territorial design that challenge conventional urban development models; Roberto Scopigno from the Institute of Information Science and Technology “Alessandro Faedo” (ISTI), Italian National Research Council, demonstrated his expertise in digital humanities and how technological innovation can transform our understanding of spatial and cultural landscapes; Beatrice Lampariello from the Université Catholique de Louvain (Belgium) provided critical perspectives on global spatial dynamics through her comparative studies on radical architecture; John Martin from the University of Plymouth (UK) illuminated the intricate relationships between design, culture, and social transformation through his research.
In essence, the Ground(s) conference and its resulting publication move beyond established academic discourse. The work presents a provocative invitation to reimagine spatial, environmental, and interpersonal relationships, challenging conventional perspectives by embracing complexity, cultivating systemic empathy, and proposing more responsive, resilient, and collaborative conceptual frameworks for future design
Transformatie naar woningen
No full textOm het woningtekort op te lossen moeten er jaarlijks zo’n 90.000 nieuwbouwwoningen aan het woningbestand worden toegevoegd. Transformatie van leegstaande gebouwen en herbestemming naar woningen draagt bij aan de oplossing hiervoor. Transformatie werd tot rond 2014 gezien als een oplossing voor de leegstand op de kantorenmarkt, die in de periode 2001–2013 hoog opliep, landelijk van rond 5% in 2001 tot bijna 15% in 2013. De hoge leegstand was mede het gevolg van de dotcom-crisis en de financiële crisis, die samen met technologische ontwikkelingen en een toename in flexwerken leidden tot minder benodigde vierkante meters kantoren, terwijl er juist een overschot aan kantoren werd ontwikkeld en gebouwd.
Rond 2014 is een kantelpunt zichtbaar geworden. Transformatie werd steeds vaker gemotiveerd door de vraagzijde van de woningmarkt en niet meer door de aanbodzijde van de kantorenmarkt. De aandacht voor duurzaam bouwen en het verduurzamen van de bestaande gebouwenvoorraad nam toe. In het boek Transformatie van kantoorgebouwen uit 2007 werd duurzaamheid nauwelijks genoemd. Hooguit werd transformatie vermeld als intrinsiek duurzaam, omdat het gebouw werd hergebruikt. Door toegenomen energiekosten en kosten van bouwmaterialen, en door de klimaatcrisis zijn duurzaamheidsaspecten zoals energie-efficiënt, circulair en aanpasbaar bouwen echter veel belangrijker geworden, hoewel ze nog niet overal worden toegepast.
Nederland kent een grote vraag naar woningen, maar daarnaast staan veel gebouwen leeg. Op veel plekken in de Randstad staan verouderde kantoorgebouwen waar geen vraag meer naar is. In het hele land komen kerken leeg te staan door vergrijzing en ontkerkelijking. Door verplaatsing van industrie uit de binnensteden naar beter bereikbare locaties of naar het buitenland verliest industrieel vastgoed zijn functie. Schoolgebouwen komen leeg te staan door vergrijzing van de buurt. Ziekenhuizen komen leeg te staan door de invoering van nieuwe zorgconcepten en schaalvergroting. Veel winkels komen leeg te staan door centralisatie en online winkelen. Gebouwen oorspronkelijk gebouwd voor deze (en andere) functies kunnen worden getransformeerd naar woningen.
Versmelting van oud en nieuw draagt bij aan behoud van identiteit. Wanneer ook nog eens sprake is van architectonisch interessante gebouwen draagt transformatie bij aan behoud van het cultureel erfgoed. Transformatie kan bijdragen aan verduurzaming van de gebouwenvoorraad en het reduceren van grondstoffengebruik en sloopafval. Transformatie zou jaarlijks 10-15% van de woningproductie kunnen bijdragen.
De conclusie lijkt logisch: transformeer leegstaande gebouwen naar woningen. Maar zo eenvoudig is dat niet. De eigenaren van leegstaand vastgoed en woningontwikkelaars weten elkaar niet altijd te vinden. Transformatie is anders dan nieuwbouw en vraagt om een andere benadering. Ook zijn er allerlei financieel-economische, juridische en beleidsmatige uitdagingen, zoals onzekerheid over financiële haalbaarheid en angst voor lange procedures. Daarom hebben we het initiatief genomen om dit boek juist nu uit te geven, op het moment dat we ons middenin zowel een woningcrisis als een klimaatcrisis bevinden. Met dit boek willen wij meer inzicht geven in de kansen en uitdagingen van transformatie. We laten actoren aan het woord die ervaring hebben opgedaan vanuit verschillende perspectieven, en we bespreken projecten die de breedte laten zien van de Nederlandse transformatiepraktijk.
Dit boek is geschreven door onderzoekers van de TU Delft, maar we hebben ook verschillende praktijkexperts benaderd om een bijdrage te leveren. Dit heeft een breed scala aan thema’s opgeleverd. Transformatie wordt belicht vanuit verschillende invalshoeken met een focus op haalbaarheid. Vervolgens bespreken we transformatie als een duurzame ontwerp-, ontwikkel- en beheerstrategie. De rol van verschillende actoren komt aan bod in het onderdeel perspectieven: eigenaren, beleggers, projectontwikkelaars, corporaties, architecten, gebruikers en overheden. Ten slotte presenteren we een aantal transformatieprojecten
Urbanism in the Expanded Field
No full textUrbanism has long been considered a complex and time-consuming form of practice, challenged today more than ever by a global condition of an unsettling instability. We propose to consider this fleeting moment in time and space as a case study and platform for understanding larger trends around urbanism, densification, ecosystems, and the infrastructures that connect them. This conference proposes to expand the field of urbanism not only beyond the existing fields of expertise but also beyond the commonly accepted territory of the city. It brings forward different forms of "urbanism," found beyond the city\u27s borders, sometimes temporary and different from familiar definitions of what is called “urban”, and not always following the rules or even dogmas of the accepted discourse of “good urbanity”. We invite researchers, policy-makers, practitioners, students and teachers to share their experiences and join us in an attempt at disrupting the common understanding of concepts such as "city,“ "settlement," "village," and "suburb", with innovative thinking. We seek an urbanism that is resilient, responsive, porous and permeable - one that can invert the late-capitalist tendencies of perpetual into an ever-expanding conception of the “urban” and its mechanisms of sustainable growth
Design Pedagogies in Times of Crisis: Six Universities - Six Studios on Post-Blast Beirut Reconstruction
No full textIn the spring of 2021, professors and teachers from around the world taught studio courses and seminars that focused on the destruction and rebuilding of Beirut following the massive explosion that took place in the port on August 4, 2020. Some of these courses were taught collaboratively, others started as an independent project, but students and faculty attended each other’s presentations. Each studio was largely taught online due to the coronavirus crisis, which allowed for easier exchange among the groups. But it also prevented the studios from traveling to the field and closely surveying it. Faculty and students relied on presentations and input by colleagues from Beirut, material that could be found online, and documents that were available, mainly in English/French, which to a certain extent limited perspectives. Mutual interest in one another’s work led to some intriguing observations, including about pedagogical approaches and conceptual foundations. Each studio focused on specific premises, as the teachers chose diverse analytical viewpoints to address the rebuilding. At Delft University of Technology, teachers emphasized Beirut’s status as a port city and on the sea-land continuum as the analytical starting point for the design, and they collaborated with Yale University’s Alan Plattus ran a parallel seminar on the history of port cities. At the American University of Beirut (AUB), the instructors focused on the role of visionary planning for post-disaster rebuilding. In the University of Miami, neighborhood-level interventions inspired the teaching in Jean-François Lejeune upper-level spring studio. Similarly, in the German University in Cairo, Holger Gladys’s design studio focused on interventions at the neighborhood-level, namely the Karantina neighborhood, and its up-scalability to city and regional scales. At Tsinghua University, the design studio of Jian Liu and Yang Tang explored the multiple possibilities of rebuilding Beirut’s port and regenerating the city of Beirut on different scales by way of comprehensive urban design.
The different interventions proposed by the teachers and the different course assignments shaped the students’ analytical viewpoints and designs. Students took different positions and pursued different objectives. Conceptual differences and approaches to research seem to have mattered as much as the location of the studio, notably the proximity to or distance from Beirut. Teachers were inspired by their local school’s philosophy and research approaches. They also were guided by their personal connection to the disaster. The Beirut-based studio focused more on theoretical approaches and abstract implications, possibly an attempt to achieve some distance between the events and the planning. Yet the Beirut-based participants also showed a strong desire to add a memorial component to the design. So, while at first glance it may seem that the Beirut team wanted to keep distance from the disaster, the design response showed extensive knowledge and understanding of the local needs and conditions. Meanwhile the participants in other locations focused on aspects that spoke more strongly to international concerns; however, many of the teams also included teachers and students with advanced knowledge of Lebanon and Beirut, and they brought that expertise to the design.
The organization of the studios, the knowledge of teachers, and the production by students are explored in greater detail in this publication, raising a number of questions for further exploration. What this semester seems to have shown us is that both the form and approach to research and the set-up of teaching design studios have a strong impact on the outcomes, thus, there is a clear relationship between research and design. An explicit understanding of this relationship could help us rethink and refine studio teaching. Educational pedagogies in many fields have been carefully explored and studied; design education is a field that merits further exploration. This book aims to add to the theme of design education by presenting and collaboratively analyzing the six studios that focused on the rebuilding of the port city of Beirut following the 2020 disaster in terms of approach, methodology, teaching format, pedagogy, and more. While exploring the pedagogical aspects of these studios, the publication also considers the unique conditions of Beirut and Lebanon and the international exchange of architectural and planning ideas, including at a time of crisis.
To share the insights gained through our courses, this book is structured in three parts. The first part addresses educational approaches through the lens of teaching about time and concepts. It argues that an understanding of long-term development is relevant for informed future planning. It also argues that we need to understand the conceptual framework that we employ for research and teaching. The second part presents the case of Beirut and explores the syllabi, assignments, and projects developed in all of the participating institutions. The third part engages in a conversation with Beirut-based scholar and educator, Mona Harb, to provide a retrospective reflection on the international collaborations among studios and the lessons which could be learned from it
Commons In Design
Full text linkThe scarcity of resources, climate change, and the digitalization of everyday life are fuelling the economy of swapping, sharing, and lending—all of which are in some way linked to a culture of commoning. In this context, we understand commons as community-based processes that use, collectively manage, and organize generally accessible resources—referring to both goods and knowledge.
Commons in Design explores the meaning and impact of commons—especially knowledge-based peer commons—and acts of commoning in design. It discusses networked, participatory, and open procedures based on the commons and commoning, testing models that negotiate the use of commons within design processes. In doing so, it critically engages with questions regarding designers’ positionings, everyday practices, self-understandings, ways of working, and approaches to education.
The book is divided into three parts:
Part 1 Design, Identities, and Working EnvironmentPart 2 Design, Body, and EcologyPart 3: Design, Networks, and Digital Makin
About the New Architect
Full text linkWith over 40 years of experience as a lecturer, architect and driver of architectural policy, Thijs Asselbergs looks ahead in About the new architect. In response to conversations with students, Asselbergs shares his personal perspective on the profession and explains how ‘the new architect’ should be shaped.
In 2008, when Thijs Asselbergs had just taken up his position as professor at Delft University of Technology (TU Delft), the investment bank Lehman Brothers collapsed. It ushered in the financial crisis, which had an enormous impact on the construction industry and architecture. Over half of the architects at the time lost assignments or quit altogether. This led to a rise in small architectural firms with all kinds of new forms of collaboration. What does the future of architecture look like after that turbulent history? Which challenges await the current generation of architects in times of far-reaching economic and climatic changes? And what is the difference between the old and the new architect
If the Past Teaches, What Does the Future Learn? Ancient Urban Regions and the Durable Future
Full text linkHow can we transform urban environments to encourage durability and mediate the social price of myriad risks and vulnerability?Our work here is to build a bridge from archaeology to mainstream architectural and design theory. The study of places, landscapes, and regions links the two fields. Architecture can be shaped and enhanced by the long-term cultural and geographic perspective afforded by archaeology; architecture can offer archaeology a ride into the future. We hope that our efforts are novel enough to be inspiring and connected enough to allow existing concepts to be furthered.
The bridge unites three domains: material, social, and aesthetic. We look to the past to find material technologies—new engineering and conceptual solutions to an array of problems—and the past obliges with many examples. However, these technologies in their material aspects are only part of the story. The archaeologist sees them as playing a role in a system. This system, while mechanically functional, is also profoundly social: it includes administrative structures, but also innumerable other kinds of relationships—kin groups, neighborhoods, genders—that mirror the embedded relations between humans and nature. As in architecture, systems include semantics and aesthetics: not only are these forms pleasing to the eye, but they also tell stories of history and place and give identity and meaning to the lives in which they are enmeshed. This multi-functionality and multi-vocality are inherent in past systems