News

Automated mobility is likely to happen and will significantly change cities. The symposium ‘Robocar and Urban Space Evolution’ looked at automated mobility in the context of sustainability, and the future of urban planning and design. A summary of the symposium and further reflections on the theme are now available through the open access publication of the same name on the BK Books platform.

Students from BK Bouwkunde and the Czech Technical University collaborated on applying computational techniques to design and build an architectural object with a complex form. The resulting ‘Dream catcher’ is a robotically woven bio-composite structure.

For a successful intervention on cultural heritage buildings, the effectiveness and compatibility of conservation materials and techniques should be assessed prior to application. The new Heritage & Technology Lab has been set up to develop and assess solutions for the conservation of historic buildings.

As of 1 April 2019, Co Verdaas has been appointed as the new dijkgraaf of the Water Board Rivierenland. The position of dijkgraaf within a water board is the equivalent of the position of mayor within a municipality council.

Dutch housing associations are very keen on sustainability, but when it comes down to it, costs are the decisive factor. This is the conclusion of Sandra Hoomans in her PhD research. “Strategic considerations on making housing stock more sustainable should also be based on ecological values.”

A trombe wall with phase-changing materials can ensure a much lower energy consumption of buildings. That becomes evident in the DoubleFace 2.0 research project. State-of-the-art technologies breathe new life into this age-old heat control method.

In the Spring semester of 2019, BK Bouwkunde welcomes Dhaka-based architect Marina Tabassum as visiting professor. Tabassum is celebrated for her focus on local culture, climate, materials and history. On 21 March, she will kick of her visiting professorship with her public lecture 'Cross-cultural approaches in architecture'.

The Dutch Royal Institute of Engineers (KIVI) will present the KIVI Academic Society Award to Andy van den Dobbelsteen, professor Climate Design & Sustainability, on 18 March, the Day of the Engineer. Van den Dobbelsteen is awarded for his years of pioneering in the field of sustainable construction and for his distinctive presence in the debate on climate change.

In the course ‘The smell of wet concrete’, bachelor students of BK Bouwkunde explore the building site. Details of the building under construction are filmed by the students, explaining in detail how the elements are created and assembled on site.

Researchers from BK Bouwkunde and the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics & Computer Science at TU Delft have formed a partnership to connect Humanities and Computer Sciences. They will combine their interdisciplinary skills to connect long-term historical knowledge with cutting edge computer vision, geospatial technology, and crowd sourcing technology.