Monday April 20th, the two-year DAE Masters programme is kicking off a dynamic, co-creative first year activity with external partners, where Masters students from all departments will have the opportunity to collaborate with each other. Two major projects will emerge from these partnerships under the leadership of the Dutch National Architect offices (Central Government Real Estate Agency) and Philips Design. One of the govermental architect's responsibilities encompasses adaptive reuse plans for governmental buildings. One of the research areas of Philips Design is elderly and the caring home. Both partners have slightly different goals, both of which are ideal matches for this year's collaboration with external partners.
The projects will run concurrently. Three groups of students work on the project for the Govenmental Architect’s office, for which they will be developing visionary scenario’s for future living and working, focussed on the group young-old. The theme is ‘RADICAL OLD’ and the context for the scenario’s is a former penitentiary in Doetinchem, De Kruisberg - a beautiful, open green area. In the coming weeks, a collaboration is set to flourish between the local neighbourhood and DAE First Year Masters students, with the support of local council. How can a former jail / refugee center become a space that is meaningful to an ageing population with a lot of potential? How will they imagine, together, the new function and purpose of De Kruisberg? For the second project, one group of master students will be working with Philips Design on the caring home, looking at areas examining architecture and society, tapping into trend research and the science of providing care in the home.
The program started with lectures from Floris Alkemade, Chief Government Architect (Rijksgebouwendienst), Deane Simpson, architect, educator and researcher at Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen and author of ‘Young-Old’, three speakers from Philips Design, including Claudia Lieshout from the Trends team, and Jetske van Oosten from the Stimuleringsfonds, that finances various care projects.
“Radical Old” will carry on until the end of May. Watch this space.