TU Delft School of Architecture

Building for Bowkunde: Building for Architecture's New Relevance
Location: Netherlands
Type: Proposal
Client: TU Delft

What if a building could foster engagement?

The world is in crisis! Economies are collapsing, ecologies are failing, and global stability is threatened. If the rebuilding of the architecture school is an outward expression of the philosophy of a school this building will be a declaration that architecture will be relevant, will be involved with other academic communities in solving these dire problems, and will seek a new sense of civic leadership.

The use of section and topographies become the driving force behind this project. The building emanates from the central quad presenting to the community at its base, the library, the accumulated knowledge of the school. Similarly, the interface to the greater Delft community is a series of building laboratories where the spectacle of experimentation by the faculty and students is presented to the quad and greater school. It is intended that each these laboratories foster a dialogue and are used to build, experiment, and innovate.

By reconstituting and reconsidering each of the precedents, the resultant project intends to not reinvent but understand how section can foster productive architectural relationships.
The gathering/communal spaces are stacked through the core of the building - operating as a central gathering space for offices, studios, and the greater community as a central, unifying element that serves the same purpose for a variety of programs.

The ground level is extremely porous with the intention of capturing the interest of passerbyers and architects alike. The center of the space is the auditorium(a) space that can be configured to accommodate multiple size and varyingly public gatherings. The option remains to accommodate even the largest of gatherings as a gesture toward bringing thinkers and doers of all-calibers, whether architects or not, into the dialogue of the building.

The language of productive topographical surfaces is exploited for creating circulation, shading users, creating usable surfaces, storing objects, and seating. The resulting dense, carved space envelopes all the users of the building.

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