Urban Nomads

Since the 80s it is argued that architecture and urban design are changing,due to multiple factors. The profession reacts with interesting approachesto this fact. Nevertheless education in architecture and urban design seemsto be captured in inflexible and static curricula.Urban design in The Netherlands has a high level and a rich tradition. Thatallows us to experiment with new education methods. Four years ago SaxionUniversity of Applied Sciences therefore has started an urban design school.This school works with a new flexible educational approach: “Urban Nomads”.Urban Nomads is exploring the potentials of the dynamics of change, inorder to create flexible design solutions: strategies for dealing with changingcircumstances. Just in time, together with the field of activity.StrategyIt is essential that the education form can be easily adapted to the givencircumstances. Therefore the study consist, after the first regular year, ofshort and intense workshops, with clear results. These workshops travel likenomads, according to partners, participants and assignments, through thefield of activity. Spontaneously, independent and aware.Case: “Public Places in Hybrid Territories” (2010/2011)Assignment: try to find design potentials in the transformation of harbourareas and the urban network that is related to it.Participants: urban design students of the Saxion University of Applied Sciences(The Netherlands) and architecture students of the Fernando PessoaUniversity in Porto (Portugal).Designweek 1 (Amsterdam/ Rotterdam):Students analyzed ongoing transformation processes in the harbour areasof Amsterdam (like Borneo Sporenburg by West 8 and IJ-Oevers by TonSchaap) and Rotterdam (like Muellerpier by Kees Christiaanse and Kop vanZuid by Renzo Piano/ Koolhaas) .Several days excursions to these areas, lectures by the urban designers,municipalities and users of the areas. Urban dialogue and discussion.After that: workshops, on a specific location in the harbour area (QuarantineIsland, Rotterdam), coached by local professionals.Results: the students developed a toolbox for a design strategy.Designweek 2 (Viana do Castelo):Students visited the abandoned harbour area of Viana do Castelo, to compareit to the Dutch situation, and to test the applicability of their strategies.Excursions, lectures of professors of the university.After that workshops, at the university of Porto, coached by professors ofdifferent disciplines and universities.Results: the students applied their toolbox, and developed a design.

Volume Editors
Martha Thorne & Xavier Costa

ISBN
978-0-935502-83-1