Transformative Design

In this new elective course the interaction between the transformative design of the built environment and its accompanying social, economic, political, and environmental issues is at stake. Students of the Master CME learn the needs of design en integration by working together with students from the Master AUBS following the MBE, Landscape Architecture and Urbanism tracks (from the coupled course peri-urban transformation). They collaborate on the transformation of a peripheral urban area in the Netherlands. These types of regions have a complex multitude of functions like residential, commercial, agricultural which challenge any transformation by existing pressures like urban sprawl, fragmented agricultural or industrial activity, remnants of natural and landscape values.

Working together in groups you will develop a master plan and help integrate a more detailed, imaginable transformation proposal based on the domain-specific inputs. Students confront spatial qualities, opportunities, limitations and challenges of the chosen area with societal needs, transition goals, ownership issues and stakeholder claims. You design and define proposals on different scales and complexities including area, portfolio and project level. You will apply development strategies, feasibility criteria and research by design activities.

This course is organised as a multidisciplinary experience combining approaches, knowledge and skills from the viewpoints of management, urban design and landscape development and is therefore representative for area development practice in ‘the real world’. This collaboration provides insight in the complementarity of viewpoints, data, tools, vocabulary, methods and fun.