Amsterdam Academy of ArchitectureGraduation Projects 2014-2015Urbanism

Els Van LooyFrom burden to desireA densification strategy for Flemish municipalities

Ezaartveld 1252400 Mol Belgium0499/128010elsvanlooy@googlemail.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=125768955&trk=nav_responsive_tab_profileUrban planner with BRUT architecture and urbanism

Urbanism

Flanders is gradually becoming densely developed. Panic! Or maybe not, since we knew this already and we are also doing something about it. At least, we believe that is the case, but are we actually doing that? The densification assignment in Flanders is known. We know that a demographic growth of 13% is approaching in the coming years. Even if we do agree that we need to tackle the current densification differently. That is why the Team Vlaams Bouwmeester (Flemish Master Builder Team) is conducting studies. Through studies on a planning scale and more location-specific designs, the way in which this densification question can be tackled in a qualitative way is being examined. This works in the Flemish cities, but the knowledge is not filtering through to the municipal scale because the studies and specific projects are often too abstract. As a consequence, there is a tendency here to revert to familiar standard solutions, namely the building of apartments and parcelling.

We Flemings have been building houses that are ‘too’ big and lots that are ‘too’ big, preferably in the open landscape, for centuries already. In the meantime, the Flemish urban area is expanding and the typical fragmented green spaces are disappearing one by one as a result of the local densification. The rural identity is disappearing, new districts are being built with a focus on the traditional family as target group, but due to a change in family composition an imbalance has arisen in recent years between housing demand and housing supply. Today, there is not enough emphasis on the current spatial, programmatic and procedural assignments on a municipal level.

‘From burden to desire’ shows the local players that densification does not only have to be a burden. With a different approach, the current densification assignment can strengthen the existing spatial qualities and tackle the problem areas in the urban structure. As a result of the reformulation of densification locations and the method of distribution across these locations, ways can be sought how to use existing spatial qualities in order to generate new housing qualities. As a result, more space is created for quality of living, public value and housing diversity.

The case location is Mol-Ezaart. Currently, the densification pressure is notably tangible in this typical Flemish hamlet. In spite of this, people also opt for standard parcelling here. The case study shows that there is another possibility. I studied how a redistribution of the stated housing numbers could be integrated into additional densification locations without loss of the number of houses and with an improvement in the quality of living. The location-specific designs at the three chosen densification locations show how innovation can occur in a spatial and programmatic manner and which procedural changes are necessary for this.

The reach of this study is wider than just Mol-Ezaart. The chosen densification locations ‘the field, the outskirts and the core’ also occur frequently in other Flemish municipalities. By distilling general principles from the design process, the knowledge can also be applied in other municipalities and housing developments. The proposed designs aim to show in a simple way that a big difference can often be made through carefully chosen changes. In short, that densification can also be a desire for Flemish municipalities!

Graduation date25 09 2014

Commission membersTess BroekmansSteven DelvaJeroen de Willigen

Additional members for the examinationMiranda ReitsmaKirsten van den Berg

Els Van LooyFrom burden to desireA densification strategy for Flemish municipalities

Els Van Looy

Green spaces as coincidental quality determine the identity today

Time for a different approach, in search of a new form of densification!

New residential developments lead to the disappearance of these spaces

Urbanism

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Doing nothing means... using standard solutions

Redistribution of the housing assignment - 3 densification locations; the field (1), the outskirts (2) and the core (3), handling existing qualities differently

Densification locations in Mol-Ezaart, the densification is tangible

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The field: impression of a communal courtyard, collective green spaces lead to better quality of living in the district

The field: design proposal, a quantitative residential area with space for meeting and living ‘together’

Els Van Looy

The field: existing situation The field: current plan (standard parcelling)

Urbanism

The field: impression of the central green zone, this gives space for a public bicycle route and space for greenery, water infiltration, etc.

The core: new buildings at the rear of the church makes up the new events terrain, as a result of which it will also form part of the core

The outskirts: the Netepad will make the valley accessible for the residents and connect the core to the centre of the municipality

Els Van Looy

Amsterdam Academy of Architecture

Architects, urbanists and landscape architects learn the profession at the Amsterdam Academy of Architecture through an intensive combination of work and study. They work in small, partly interdisciplinary groups and are supervised by a select group of practising fellow professionals. There is a wide range of options within the programme so that students can put together their own trajectory and specialisation.With the inclusion of the course in Urbanism in 1957 and Landscape Architecture in 1972, the Academy is the only architecture school in the Netherlands to bring together the three spatial design disciplines under one roof. Some 350 guest tutors are involved in teaching every year. Each of them is a practising designer or a specific expert in his or her particular subject. The three heads of department also have design practices of their own in addition to their work for the Academy. This structure yields an enormous dynamism and energy and ensures that the courses remain closely linked to the current state of the discipline. The courses consist of projects, exercises and lectures. First-year and second-year students also engage in morphological studies. Students work on their own or in small groups. The design

projects form the backbone of the syllabus. On the basis of a specific design assignment, students develop knowledge, insight and skills. The exercises are focused on training in those skills that are essential for recognising and solving design problems, such as analytical techniques, knowledge of the repertoire, the use of materials, text analysis, and writing. Many of the exercises are linked to the design projects. The morphological studies concentrate on the making of spatial objects, with the emphasis on creative process and implementation. Students experiment with materials and media forms and gain experience in converting an idea into a creation. During the periods between the terms there are workshops, study trips in the Netherlands and abroad, and other activities. This is also the preferred moment for international exchange projects. The Academy regularly invites foreign students for the workshops and recruits wellknown designers from the Netherlands and further afield as tutors. Graduates from the Academy of Architecture are entitled to the following titles: Architect, Master of Science; Urbanist, Master of Science and Landscape Architect, Master of Science.