The challenges of our time require designers who can look beyond the boundaries of their field. Not only do they need knowledge of the other design disciplines, but also of energy supply, water management and ecology, for example. In addition, the fundamental changes facing humanity require expertise from the behavioural sciences. Economics, law, psychology and political science can help to think structurally about the choices to be made.

At an even more fundamental level, the humanities are important, especially philosophy ( and ethics in particular ). What are the values underlying the choices to be made ? How do you balance conflicting sustainability priorities ? Does the notion of sustainability provide the right conceptual framework to begin with, or should we rather think in terms of regeneration ? To answer these questions, spatial designers do not need to have all the knowledge themselves, but they do need to be able to relate to their colleagues in these fields – and know who to turn to in order to ensure that their design decisions are based on the right assumptions.

Many of the students at the Academy of Architecture have long known this. They demonstrate a highly innovative attitude in both their design and research projects. Sometimes searching, sometimes convincing, but almost always curious and in search of untrodden paths. Many graduation projects are an invitation to the discussion to be had. In doing so, the graduates use spatial design as a means to raise social, environmental or economic questions. Above all, they show that there is no need to become cynical. The problems we face can be addressed. This requires a way of working that does not reach for simplistic solutions, but that takes the complexity of the problems and the corresponding answers as its starting point and communicates the outcomes in a way that everyone understands. Judging by the designs in this graduation catalogue, many students are on the right track.

ADVISORY BOARD
Rosa Jonkman
James Heus
Madeleine Maaskant
Janna Bystrykh
Markus Appenzeller
Joost Emmerik
David Keuning

COMMUNICATION
Mildred Zomerdijk
Roos Bekkenkamp

EDITOR
Roos Bekkenkamp

GRAPHIC DESIGN
MAINSTUDIO (Edwin van Gelder, Patricia Diemunsch)