News

“It is about preparing them for the new reality of current and new urban challenges,” says Roberto Cavallo about the initiative encouraging students of Architecture, Urbanism and Building Sciences to participate in the nationwide design study, The City of the Future, a joint public-private project. “And in turn, the students inspire professionals and local authorities to think outside the box. This is essential when it comes to solutions for the major challenges facing cities nowadays.”

On 27 June 2019 the finalised collaboration agreement for the Building and Technology Innovation Centre (BTIC) was signed. The BTIC aims to achieve open collaboration by and for all parties in the design, construction and technology sectors, government bodies and clients, and with the knowledge and education institutions, in order to jointly realise integrated and supported multi-year knowledge and innovation programmes with impact.

BK alumnus Devant Asawla was awarded the shared first price at the Dutch Archiprix 2019 for his project ‘The living landscape of Quebrada Jaime’. Additionally, BK alumna Serah-Ingrid Calitz was given an honourable mention for her project ‘Sino-African counterpoints’.

How will growth and rapid changes affect Amsterdam on the time horizon of 2050? Graduate students, researchers and teachers from Architecture teamed up with AMS Institute and the municipality of Amsterdam to explore what possible future scenarios look like and how innovations can be introduced. The open access book ‘Amsterdam 2050’ with the results is now available on BK Books.

The leading role played by the wealthy citizens of the Dutch Republic is still visible to this day in the form of a green belt of country estates. They were developed alongside canals, strategic highways and trading routes by patrician families, PhD researcher Gerdy Verschuure-Stuip discovered. This is the origin of the country estates landscapes that still exist in and around Dutch cities.

On 3 July, professor of Urban Area Development Co Verdaas will give his inaugural address. “The question of how we structure and organise the Netherlands seems harder to answer than ever. This chair exists in order to help government bodies and market players to interpret the underlying complexity.”

The prototype for modular office renovation by the MOR Team TU Delft has officially been opened. The multi-functional apartment shows how inefficient offices can be renovated into net positive buildings, including space for food production, water purification through helophyte filters, and common living areas.

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has elevated Professor of Architectural Design Nathalie de Vries to its College of Fellows. This is in honour of her exceptional work and contributions to architecture and society on an international level.

Professor of Architectural Glass James O’Callaghan has been awarded the 2019 Institution of Structural Engineers Gold Medal. The Institution of Structural Engineers recognises his contribution to the exploration of the behaviour and limits of structural glass to create ambitious, transparent structures.

What influence does spatial design have on spatial planning at a regional scale level and on decision-making at all scale levels? Based on practical case studies from the Netherlands, PhD researcher Verena Balz explored the two-way traffic between regional design and the development of spatial policy.