Veldacademie

Citizens’ wellbeing is influenced by a complex system of factors, environmental as well as societal. The studio uses action-based research to explore the relationship between the built environment and the wellbeing of people. Field work in the neighbourhoods of Rotterdam puts us in touch with citizens and other local stakeholders. You will be exposed to the daily practice of city-making and interact with the people involved, so that your design actually contributes to the development of the city of Rotterdam. 

Graduation project Talent Lab Tarwewijk (image: Anne-Sophie Wouters)

Focus and approach

Veldacademie focuses on improving the daily life of citizens in Rotterdam, and thus tackles the main societal issues of today such as affordable housing, including public space, health inequalities, resilient communities and sustainability. The designs developed in this studio are user-based and take account of both spatial quality and social issues. For this we arrange interchange with local government officials, citizens, researchers, entrepreneurs and other parties. The goal is to jointly explore innovative and transdisciplinary solutions for urban issues and test them in practice. Students are offered workspace in our Rotterdam-based studio.

Veldacademie is a participant in the Resilient Delta convergence programme, and collaborates with students, tutors and researchers from Erasmus University Rotterdam (Department of Sociology), Erasmus MC (department of Public Health) and others. 

Programme

In all courses we teach our methodology for integral neighbourhood analysis, consisting of modules for interview and observation training, data analysis, GIS and visualisation techniques and actual fieldwork. The action-based research lays the foundation for the architectural design.  

MSc 3/4
The MSc3/4 studio ‘Resilient Delta Graduation Studio’ focuses on healthy neighbourhoods and socioeconomic health inequalities. Within the collective graduation group, students explore a theme which holds their particular interest. This studio is also open to students on the Urbanism and Landscape tracks.

Programme MSc 3 fall semester 2024 (pdf)

Opening of Design & Build project in Groot IJsselmonde during Rotterdam Architecture Month 2021 (photo: Fred Ernst)

Staff

Prof.dr.ir Machiel van Dorst, ir. Jacques Vink, ir. Otto Trienekens, ir. Andrea Fitskie, ir. Maarten van der Maas (Veldacademie)

Additional information

Examples of graduation projects can be found here.

For detailed course description, please see the information in the study guide:

For questions about the courses, please send an email to Veldacademie.

 

Contact

Prof.dr.ir. Machiel van Dorst

Resilient Delta Programme TUD-EMC-EUR

Ir. Otto Trienekens

Veldacademie Coordinator