And what an immersive experience! Literally all walls in the assessment room of the academy were fully covered with plans, models, screens and loads of sketches.
Cast off! Last week Jet Munster started her research and design on urbanism based upon the perspective and experience of women. Within her final year of urbanism at the Academie van Bouwkunst Amsterdam this project is entitled ‘#DesignForTheUnseen’.
It focusses on formal and informal spatial networks for women in #Amsterdam South East. Situated in the post war urban development in Amsterdam that became famous as ‘#Bijlmer’ is an incredibly interesting case study, as it has been designed from scratch originally in the 70ies and has since then been heavily redeveloped, too.
It’s always an honour if a former student reaches out to ask if I want to accompany his or her #finalproject. But it is even more rewarding to work together in a team with Jessica Hammarlund Bergmann and Wouter Pocornie of Bijlmer Believers 3.0 (Bijlm3r), both experts in either the area or the topic of Jet’s research.
Our first meeting was delightfull and a thoughtful discussion based upon first research results and we are looking forward to the coming months when the project will fully unfold. Set the sails!
*The collage is a part of Jet’s project description cover.
Last week the final presentation of students at the University of Applied Sciences in Amsterdam was quite a fundamental experience. In my role as commissioner and lecturer I was impressed: One group delivered a systematic methodology aka a ‘tool box’ for how to write an appropriate prompt for an Artifical Intelligence application instead of a spatial design for the given riverbank location. The AI eventually delivered the design proposal, snuggly fit into a photograph of the exisiting location. No sketches, drawings or models needed.
This made me wonder: What is an architectural or urban design? Does it need measured elements and defined materials, must it be based upon social and spatial analysis? Or can it also be a clever prompt for the AI as the latest instrument of creative creators?
In this case the AI render was re- and reworekd by the students (by adjusting the prompt) like in a design process and its result was not bad at all. And to a large degree the relevant ingredients and thoughts that an architect would have considered during the process had been formulated beforehand. The goals, ingredients and elements were weighed in a matrix and discussed before put and adjusted in the prompt.
This is definitely a first. Students have been using AI in the past two years to create reference images, generate ideas, give suggestions and get themselves started. But the final product had always involved handwork of a person, using a computer or not: sketching, measuring, drawing and modelmaking.
This design project was not a complex high-rise building, or a complicated program for a cultural centre or a hospital. It was ‘only’ a design for a public space along a river. But as soon as there is an AI that can properly make plans, sections and elevations from that rendering, or a proper 3d model with the tables and lists of the building materials needed for the project we are ready to build it right away. Some students thought, they could fix that for me, too.
Recently the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (HvA) enquired if I would be available to contribute another design case to the Built Environment students in fall 2025. After having guided students wo look at Transit Oriented Development and how to make a river the centre of a city again in the recent semesters, I am puzzled to commission an nwe task with the curriculum of Designing Future Cities.
In the past semesters for both the students and Zaanstad Municipality it had proven inspirational and challenging to address some key elements of the Urban Development Plan of this fastly growing city. And I was impressed by the solutions and work ethics of the young students!
Let’s find out in the coming months which challenge can be addressed this fall!
How to design future proof cities? This was the topic of this year’s design studio series at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences. I was honoured to contribute to the students’s education as a commissioner, critic and lecturer and bring in the River Zaan as a design task.
Three teams of students from the Netherlands and abroad made an impressive effort to design future proof scenario’s for the river as a lifeline for Zaanstad. And the best thing: all teams made beautiful models, either laser cut or 3D printed – next to the nowadays obligatory renderings generated by artifical intelligence software. I see a wonderful comeback of the maquette as an essential tool for urban and architectural design!
Thanks to all the students in the Zaanstad teams, and a big shout out to the other students working in the design studios on Amsterdam, Almere and micro housing. Compliments to Mariska van Walsum (also for the images) and Erik Anton de Graaf for guiding the course and inviting me to work with the students!
Earlier this month former State Architect Floris Alkemade and me spoke on the urgent matter of how to make space for work in urban development. Floris spoke about he historical background of how cities function, and the past separation of work, housing and infrastucture in cities, which has proven to be wrong. He elaborated on current plans bij himself in e.g. Almere of Paris, on how to bring the different uses together again in cities.
I was honoured to reflect upon, and frankly to affirm, the well researched theses of the former State Architect. Also, i was happy to realize that our Urban Development Plan for Zaanstad is a vision that leads us into the right direction!
At the end of the afternoon the organizers of De Maatschappij rightfully stated that the audience of primarily entrepreneurs from the Zaanstad region had a truly inspiring event, with both larger context and concrete spatial strategies for their own city.
This Spring the commissioner for the Big Spotter’s Hill viewing platform, #RecreatieschapSpaarnwoude, called again after some years. They are thinking of carrying out the second phase of the design of the ‘#MainPort‘ beacon and viewing platform we had designed earlier. The basic structure of the first phase had been realized some years ago.
This second phase entails another, elevated viewing platform high up in the sky, on top of the #MainPort construction in #Vijfhuizen: Imagine #Mysteryland music festival guests dancing into the sunset with a fantastic view until the North Sea coast. Via ondulating stairs visitors can reach the top level platform, which features glass fencing and a glass centre piece for an extra thrill. To be continued!
Together with viusal artist Marius van Zandwijk we developed a spatial intervention for the Dutch outdoors in the East of the Netherlands. This folly made of industrial fencing in custom greens discusses our relation with landscape and nature in general.
Entitled ‘claim’ the installation explores the roles of nature and men in the Anthropocene. Do we understand nature? Can we capture nature? Who is included and excluded when it comes to this ambigous relation?
The design of this folly is entirely made of second hand industrial fences and can be reused after the installation. We developed the design for a small art festival in Norg (Drenthe) in summer 2025.
I was honoured to take over the guidance of some teenage students of Sint Michaelcollege Technasium in Gemeente Zaanstad from my former colleague Tijs Rothweiler. But I would have never expected the incredible quality of the work of these young talents!
Having designed inspiring spatial solutions for four locations along an intensly used inner urban highway (N203), Noesa Ris and Lorelai Richardson clearly demonstrated that heree we have two talented young women full of enthousiasm and courage when it comes to design urban solution for the future.
What a pleasure to guide these young talents! One wants to become an industrial designer, and one an architect. Employers: Keep a close watch on them!
This week the students of the P1b studio at the Academy of Architecture in Amsterdam led by Mathias as their tutor presented their final designs. The students of urbanism and landscape architecture developed proposals for the train stops in Zaanstad Municipality. A rich harvest of new ideas for these future nodes for transit oriented development. Images of the work for Krommenie-Assendelft by Arjen Brinks (feature) and above by Matthijs Breunissen for Koog aan de Zaan.
