Rotterdam Academy of Architecture and Urban Design  6-18 July 2008

Re-inventing RDM

4th INTERNATIONAL ARCHITECTURE SUMMER SCHOOL

photo: Rob ‘t Hart

Sustainable urban development

Heijplaat, originally situated on the edge of the city, is now a green enclave amid the world’s largest port area. The design assignment is the sustainable reinvention of the garden village and the RDM site by no longer seeing the surrounding port and industry as a threat but rather as an unique opportunity to create a sustainably functioning part of the city – a 21st century revitalisation of the 19th century garden city concept of Ebenezer Howard’s Peaceful Path to Real Reform.

Students and professionals investigate how the presence of an industrial context can be exploited to create a city district that functions sustainably in numerous ways. For example, the garden village can benefit in social, energy-technological and economic terms from the innovative use of the halls and plots of the RDM site, for instance in the form of new ways of recycling and upgrading waste, catching fine dust, generating energy and energy-neutral industrial activity, to be developed and implemented there. In addition, the large port around Heijplaat and RDM offers special opportunities for energy generation using the sun, wind and water that most other residential areas lack. The location of Heijplaat also facilitates the efficient transportation of people, materials and products to Rotterdam and elsewhere. The sustainable reconstruction of the homes and the living environment in the village itself forms another aspect.

Programme

The Summerschool is a two-week programme designed to provide bachelor and master students and young professionals an exercise in dealing with a unique, yet realistic design problem as well as an introduction to an intelligent port transformation assignment for one of the biggest ports in the world today. During the Summer School, students will work in groups of seven to eight people, each group with its own supervisor. During the programme, national and international experts will visit the studio, and contribute to the programme by giving lectures or as critics. Various excursions are also planned. Participants and staff will be working in the monumental former headquarters of the RDM shipyard, situated right in the middle of the project area. 

Participation 

Are you a student or young professional in Architecture, Urban Design and Landscape Architecture or a related discipline? Do you want to work in a design studio located in the middle of the Rotterdam port area? Are you interested in studying a unique and realistic design problem? Do you like to work on a case study amongst international professionals in your field of knowledge? Apply now for the Rotterdam Architecture Summer School 2008!

Participation costs are € 750,-. This includes lunches and diners, except those on Saturday 12 en Sunday 13 July. Excursions, lectures and transfers are also included, except the architecture tour on Sunday for which you need to register separately. We plan to offer accommodation in single rooms with (utp-) internet connection. Rooms will be on walking distance from public transport and daily transfers to the studio are arranged. Costs of the accommodation from 6 – 19 July (13 nights) are €325,- per person, including breakfast.

More info and registration

http://www.avbr.nl/blog/index.php?t=1&blog=12&p=513

Registration deadline  is 1 June 2008, but late applications will be considered when places are left.

Previous participants:

‘…the perfect working holidays…’

‘…very exiting and productive…’

‘…efficient and very professional organization…’

‘…a great success’…’

‘…would love to do this again…’

‘…to be recommended in comparison with other summer schools…’