Industrial Design in Architecture

Initiated by staff members from the Department of AE&T, this research and design project is a collaboration with the Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering, and the Board of Government Advisors. Technological developments, the high demand for affordable housing and sustainability goals for the built environment appear to create an unstoppable trend towards industrial production. The current but also historical developments of industrial building systems in housing construction prompt discussions on the role and responsibilities of architecture and the architect in this process. Students are asked to reflect on the possible constraints of design for serial production, but also to explore its opportunities to create qualitative architecture for the masses.

The deliverables consist of three products resulting from the three main structuring themes , plus an additional one:

1. Documentation of case study(s) analysis as case study catalogue (collective product)

2. Written document on the possible positions of the architect in design for serial production (individual)

3. Drawing/ affiche/ other visual representation of a (re)design strategy for serial production (individual)

+ a collection of the weekly statements, images or other, in the format of a diary/ logbook, as the final manifesto (individual).

All these products are combined in a coherent final booklet, finalised and submitted in week 10. The assessment of the deliverables is based on all products of the three presentations (week 3, 6, 9), the manifesto and the final booklet (week 10).

Grading of all sub-assignment:

- Industrial building systems : 25%

- Role of architecture: 25%

- (re)Design: 25%

- Manifesto: 15%

- Integration in final booklet: 10%

Collaborating partners are involved in lectures, tutoring and midterm presentations/ discussions. However, grading is done by the organising TU Delft tutors only. An elaborated overview of deliverables is distributed at the start of the course.

NB: In the tradition of ‘’Studiegroep Efficiënte woningbouw,’’ the end products will be addressed to the Minister of Housing. The collaboration with Atelier Rijksbouwmeester also provides for a further distribution of the output of the studio to societal partners, such as Aedes, VNG, BZK and ‘platform industriële woningbouw’.

Students pass the course with a 6.0 or higher. With a lower grade, the course can be repaired to change the grade into a pass. The repair is unsupervised and needs to be completed within 2 weeks after the end of the course. When the repair is unsuccessful, the student needs to follow the entire course again, or possibly another Q5 elective in the third education period.