TU Delft, the Design Village and Politecnico de Milano team up for a Summer Atelier
Negotiation. Obstruction. Pace. Tacitness. Adoption. Some of the frames our Italian, Indian and Dutch students constructed to ‘read the city’. These lenses make us look at cities differently, understand them more properly and ultimately guide their transformation. In July 2023, Five design students from School of Design - Politecnico di Milano and five from TU Delft | Industrial Design Engineering joint forces with ten students from The Design Village (TDV), Noida for a one-of-a-kind Summer Atelier in India.
After exploring the city of Delhi in the first part of the week, participants took the train up north to spend another three days in Le Corbusier’s state capital Chandigarh. It was an incredibly overwhelming, hot –temperatures were rarely below 40–, and joyful experience for all participants. The Summer Atelier
envisaged the design of mechanisms (system/services/ product) that help people ‘read’ or ‘gauge’ a city and its parts critically; further, articulate these mechanisms in order to understand, appreciate and identify with that city.
The project had a focus on experiential learning and immersing ourselves in the context of our projects by frequently venturing out into the streets and sharing thoughts. This approach not only made the learning process fun but also created a unique energy in the Studio. While the workshop itself lasted just a week, its impact extended far beyond. It provided me with insights and perspectives that I continue to reflect upon. The Joint Studio broadened my design perspective and gave me the opportunity to meet new lovely people. An experience I’ll always cherish
Eline van den Wildenberg, student, TU Delft
The Atelier was a transformative experience for all students: Travelling together in India, strolling cities in the heat, negotiating worldviews, and making sense of the cultural peculiarities. It has been a week they will not easily forget. Yet, one should not underestimate the experience for the teachers: with a rough program in hand, we improvised and navigated our students–and ourselves– through a colorful week of history, politics, social design, architecture, and human principles. The experience was insane, and we learned so much. This should be the beginning of a yearly signature event for TDV!
Dr. Paul Hekkert, Professor, TU Delft
