From March 18 to March 25, 2023 -organized within the European Erasmus program Crafting Circularity- 40 students from 5 architecture schools from: the Netherlands, Belgium, Liechtenstein, Greece and Norway worked on circular architectural interventions in the historic polder landscape around the 'Fort near Aalsmeer'. The workshop 'Circular Tolerance' is organized by the Amsterdam Academy of Architecture.
The designs are made from building materials that were found on 2nd hand sales sites. The special aspect about this workshop is that it is 'designing the other way around'. After all, the -sometimes banal- building elements (fence, grates, beam, banister, window frame, front door and traffic bollard) are a given. During the week it turned out to be essential that the students had to find the new connections between the elements in all sorts of ways. The ‘not fitting right away’ requires a different kind of creativity. The tolerances to be designed lie not only between the elements, but also between time, availability, use, interactions, handling and cooperation: processes that operate within progressive insight. The final connecting detail is thus the key between all interests in a design process in several ways. Parallel to making beautiful designs, the students worked also on new design methods. Methods that are much needed for circular design and that give 'everything is possible' another dimension.
On Saturday 25 March at 15:00, the students will present the circular designs in the Makerspace on the Marineterrein, Kattenburgerstraat 5 building 27N. The workshop will be followed up in a building collaboration with maker-education in the Haarlemmermeer, collaborating with the municipality, schools and stakeholders.
Schools:
Academy of Architecture, Amsterdam.
University of Liechtenstein.
NTNU Trondheim, Norway.
University of Antwerp, Belgium.
University of Thessaly, Greece.
Other contributions:
Podium voor Architectuur, Haarlemmermeer.
Boer Bos, Aalsmeer.
Vlasman, Circulair Slopen, Alphen aan de Rijn.
More information:
Jeroen van Mechelen
Machiel Spaan