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Study guide 2023-2024

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Programme details
Study load30 ECTS
PeriodEnd of August - January
LanguageEnglish
Module-code2MA1512
Applicationvia Kies op Maat
CoordinatorPaul Kuipers

An architect needs imagination. Imagination to design spaces, to find suitable materials and to ensure a building functions properly. He or she must also be sensitive to what the user will experience in the building: how do you stimulate the senses and encourage encounters?

During the minor in Architecture of the Academy of Architecture in Amsterdam, we will challenge you to broaden your imagination, with creative courses and inspiring lecturers who will teach you to work on the basis of your imagination and intuition. You can register if you are doing a degree programme with an applied emphasis (hbo-opleiding) in Architecture.

Why this minor?
You will learn to seek out the unknown, work on the basis of your intuition and happy accidents.
You will be introduced to historical and contemporary ideas about architecture.
You will be inspired by fascinating lecturers, lectures and excursions.
You will increase your insight into the profession of the architect.
You will practise useful research and presentation techniques, such as photography and drawing.
You will learn through practical challenges: you will design and experiment a lot yourself, for example with scale models.
As a result of all these experiences, your curiosity will be nourished and you will form your own vision.

Three guiding principles
Imagination has three guiding principles: inspiration, designing by experimenting a lot yourself and clear communication. 

1. Inspiration
During this minor, we will challenge you to further develop your imagination. As an architect, you are the director of the experience and the corresponding imagination. During this minor, you will be given the freedom to discover what fascinates and inspires you, how your imagination comes to life, and how you can transform and translate it into a building. Research, analysis, ideation, production and presentation will flow into one another in a design process, the aim of which is: to create architecture. You will work yourself on various design assignments and exercises within those design assignments. Lectures from inspiring architects and artists, and excursions to architectural firms and projects will support the exercises which you are occupied with in that week. 

2. Designing by experimenting a lot yourself
We will challenge you with short assignments that stimulate creative and intuitive design, and in which your hands and the tool will play an important role. The discoveries that you will make in this way can yield a great deal. The product (models or drawings) are not fixed in advance. By continually starting from a different point of departure, for example a material, image, artwork or story, your imagination will be stimulated. The design skills that you will gain in the first period of the minor will come in handy during the larger design assignment in the second part of the minor.  

3. Clear communication
In addition to inspiration and a design, you need communication skills in order to talk about your ideas and make them visible. You may have a beautiful idea, but if you are not able to communicate this, it will  be difficult to make other people enthusiastic. During this minor, you will learn how to make scale models, drawings, photos, collages and booklets in order to convey your ideas.

By communicating, discussing and presenting your work, you will reflect on your work and you will learn to continue honing this further. Which manner of communication works best to present your plan convincingly? 

Practical teaching method
At the Academy of Architecture in Amsterdam, we believe in ‘learning from experiences’ and ‘applying theory in practice’. Our way of teaching is adapted to this. The combination of studying and concrete practise is an essential part of the course.

During the minor, you will work on five learning objectives:

1. Knowledge of architecture, analysis, form study, history, and the field and the professional practice of architects.
2. Knowledge of architectural programmes, functional systems, sustainability, typologies and the field and the professional practice of architects.
3. Research and design skills in terms of cultural, programmatic and technical aspects.
4. Research and design skills in terms of planning, details and materialisation.
5. Skills in terms of conceptual and academic thinking, as well as debating, communication and presentation techniques.

Which prior education do you need for the minor in Architecture?

You can register via Kies op Maat if:

You are in the process of doing a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture at a university of applied sciences (hbo-bachelor Bouwkunde) or similar degree programme.

You have level B2 in the English language

For your admission to the minor Architecture, send us your CV, your motivation letter, your portfolio and your obtained diplomas and grade lists via Kies op Maat. If you do not yet have a portfolio, you can create a replacement assignment that will be explained on Kies op Maat. Based on this, we will assess whether you are suitable for the minor.

To be admitted to the selection procedure for the minor Architecture at the Academy of Architecture, you must meet the following criteria:

  • You are currently following a relevant Dutch bachelor's degree (see ‘prior education’), which is affiliated with Kies op Maat.
  • You register via Kies op Maat with a signed learning agreement.
  • You have not yet completed a bachelor's degree.

Selection procedure
A selection procedure is part of the admission to the minor Architecture. Selection is made by the admissions committee and is based on motivation, portfolio, and the stated requirements.

More students apply every year than we can admit. Therefore the selection is careful, with extra attention to a balanced mix of students.

Applicants who pass the first selection round will be invited to a 15-minute online interview with one or two members of the admissions committee in April or May.

For the minor in Architecture, you must register via Kies op Maat.

Registration is only possible if your current study programme:

is affiliated with Kies op Maat,
wants to enter into a learning agreement with our Academy.

Deadline for registration
We offer the minor in minor Architecture once per year in the first semester: from the end ofAugust up to and including January. You can register up until 7 April 2024 at the latest.

What will your timetable look like?

The minor begins end of August and ends in January. You will follow the lessons on weekdays during the day and occasionally in the evenings.  Your basic weekly timetable is shown below. We will occasionally deviate from this timetable.

Monday
09:30-16:30: architectural tools

Tuesday
09:30-16:30: building analysis

Wednesday
13:30-16:30: photography exercise

Thursday
09:30-16:30: architectural tools

Friday
09:30-16:30: lectures, architects and building

(Amendments subject to approval)

Which courses and programme components will you do? 

The course and programme components tie in with the three guiding principles of the minor: inspiration, designing by experimenting a lot yourself and clear communication. 

INSPIRATION
1. Lectures
2. Excursions
3. The architect and the building
4. Architectural history and theory

DESIGN
5. Architectural tools
6. Project: design assignment
7. Exercise: building analysis
8. Material and design
9. Freehand drawing
10. Making a scale model

PRESENTATION
11. Exercise: photography
12. Imagination: 2D-3D collage
13. Exercise: make your own book

Practical
- You will purchase all the materials yourself.
- You will receive an extensive reading list at the start of the minor. You can make use of the library collection.
- All programme components will take place at the Amsterdam Academy of Architecture, unless stated otherwise, such as in the case of an excursion.

 

When will you receive a pass for the minor?

De minor in worth a total of 30 EC.  Compulsory attendance applies to all programme components. *

At the end of the minor, an assessment committee will assess your performance on the basis of:

your results for the studios and workshops;
your attendance at lectures, exercises, excursions and visits to firms (compulsory)*;
the digital final presentation of your work.

The assessment committee consists of the coordinators, supplemented by guest lecturers and/or the heads of the study programmes. They will draw up your final assessment together. During the minor, you will receive an assessment form with notes for each assessment. Did you get a fail for one or more components? In that case, the assessment committee will consider this within your results achieved as a whole. This may lead to a negative final assessment or to an additional assignment of approximately two weeks, immediately after your final presentation.

*You may be absent a maximum of one time per quarter. However, you must report your absence in advance to the lecturer in question and have a good reason. If it is not possible to report to the lecturer, please report your absence to the student secretariat or one of the coordinators of the Academy.

Have you successfully completed the minor in Architecture? You then have a greater chance of being selected for a Master’s degree at the Academy of Architecture.

Our Master’s programmes train you to become a skilful and authentic spatial designer. You will learn to clearly (re)formulate design assignments and form powerful conceptual ideas. You will know how to translate these into concrete spatial design proposals. In addition, you will learn how to present a plan in an attractive way and how you should enter into debate about your design considerations. 

Are you doubting whether you meet the admission requirements? Have you got questions about registering? Do you have any other questions?

Feel free to send an email with your question to the Amsterdam Academy of Architecture via avb-premasters-minors@ahk.nl

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Study guide 2023-2024

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