| Title | 600 Y KUL – New Urban Figures – case Sint katelijne Waver |
| Tutor(s) | Roeland Smits |
| Campus | Ghent |
| Language | EN / NL |
| Engagement | GNT S3 | Reflecting Urban Cultures |
| Semester | 3 |
Introduction
For some years, this studio works on densification processes within peri-urban conditions. In previous years, it mainly focused on the regional (Flemish) policy-objectives which projects >320.000 new households in Flanders until 2030-2035. Despite a classic dichotomy between the rural and the urban, part of this policy objective was seen in more peri-urban regions, mainly at the insistence of bigger cities like Antwerp.
Although, densifying within these peripheral municipalities seems at first sight a very simple assignment, it soon becomes clear that architects and urban designers often fall back on classic inner-city urban morphologies and architectural typologies. But simply copying dense urban models or typologies (as e.g. the figure of a building-block or high-rise (apartment) buildings, … ) has been proven inadequate to the complicated context of these peri-urban area’s with their seemingly unordered heterogeneous landscapes and the juxtaposition of all kinds of uses. Densification therefore, needs to be rethought with new urban models and building typologies. In contrast tow the cities morphology, these peripheral conditions suddenly, prove to be the perfect background for searching and testing New Urban Figures.
Today these horizontal metropolis, to quote B. Secchi, is subject for many challenges. Besides the ever increasing housing production, also urban facilities are changing in rapid succession. Thinking about the peri-urban condition, we immediately can imagine the horizontal generic shopping boxes, completing the small village trader, such as the smaller boutique, the bakery or the butcher shop. But today, the thinking about services extend beyond the retail shed next to busy roads. Organizations that are often associated with inner cities, such as universities, are, through recent takeovers and partnerships with former colleges, suddenly entering the field of these rural environments. And what is more, also these institutions are subject for expansion.
The studio assignment
In partnership with the atelier of Erik Van Daele, this atelier will also work within the overall survey of 600 years of KUL. The atelier will also focus on the campus of engineers in Sint-Katelijne Waver. This campus will increase in short time with more than thousand students.
Today the campus is built in what we can call in urban terms a ‘diffused city’, or a ‘nebular environment’. Everything is there, housing, infrastructure, services … except a centre. There is no church, no central space or square…. The only plots wich could be considered as a central space for social gathering, are the French fries shop ‘frituur het Studentje’ and a little bit further the station, which consists in surface more of parkingspace than of a perron. The stationbuilding itself is closed.
The only plots that can be considered as a central space for social gatherings is a French fries shop(‘frituur het Studentje’) and a little further on the station, which in terms of surface area consists more of parking space than of a train-platform. The station building itself is closed (and sealed).
The studio will not especially focus on the campus itself, but rather on the interaction that the campus and, in mind, its extension, can maintain with its immediate surroundings. The growth of the campus will of course have a serious impact on the surroundings and generate a second order effect on the adjacent surroundings, which now mainly consists of villa allotments. Not only student housing, but more specific student facilities will imply a gradual change in urban morphology and architectural typology. The question we always ask is whether these gradual metamorphoses always imply that the surroundings will evolve towards typical inner-city urban fabrics, or whether we can imagine alternative urban forms.
Expected output:
It is expected that the student can read patterns in a non classic urban (an seemingly ‘dull’) environment, formulate an adequate research by design question which is translated in a design proposition.
The studio focusses on reading and understanding different urban forms, their applicability within existing urban tissues and their effects towards f.e. social coherence, urban climate resilience…. The research by design can be complemented with individual interests or contemporary themes, as a first step towards the masterstudio.
Excursion/study trip/…? (+ timing):
– first studio day;
morning; study trip to Sint Katelijne Waver (introduction studio assignment and site visit)
Afternoon; Antwerp (exploring urban figures as CADIX, New South,….)
– further excursions to be defined
References/Further reading:
– T. Burklin M. Peterek, BASICS-Urban building Blocks, Bazel, Birkhausen, 2008
– P. Panerai, J. Castex & J-C Depaule, Urban forms : death and life of the urban block, Oxford Architectural Press, 2004
– New Topographics. Photographs of a man-altered landscape. Robert Adams, Lewis Baltz, Bernd and Hilla Becher, Joe Deal, Frank Gohlke, Nicholas Nixon, John Schott, Stephen Shore, Henry Wessel, jr. Paperback – January 1, 1974
– B. De Meulder, J. Schreurs, A. Cock, B. Notteboom, Patching up the Belgian Urban Landscape, 1999, Oase
– K. Alles stad. Over een paradigma voor nieuwe stedelijkheid (UGent) (1999) Ons Erfdeel. 42(4). p.544-553
– J. Corner, The Agency of Mapping: Speculation, Critique and Invention in Dennis Cosgrove, Mappings, 1999, Reaction Books, London