What will the liveable, sustainable city of the future look like? How will climate change influence the future-proof layout of our landscape? The fields of Urbanism and Landscape Architecture are more exciting than ever. Would you like to contribute to the future layout of our country? Choose the minor in Urbanism and Landscape Architecture at the Academy of Architecture in Amsterdam. A practical and inspiring study programme, which will challenge you intellectually!
Why this minor?
•You will be introduced to historical and contemporary ideas about city and countryside.
•You will be inspired by fascinating guest lecturers, internships and excursions.
•You will increase your insight into the profession of the urban designer and landscape architect.
•You will learn to think in an interdisciplinary manner: as an urban designer and as a landscape architect.
•You will practise useful research and presentation techniques.
•You will explore other disciplines, such as architecture, art, culture and media.
•You will learn through practical challenges: you will design and experiment a lot yourself.
•As a result of these experiences, your curiosity will be nourished and you will form your own vision.
•And: when you have successfully completed the minor, you will be better prepared for a possible Master’s degree at the Academy of Architecture.
Unique in the Netherlands
What is unique about this minor is that we combine the fields of urbanism and landscape architecture. The Academy thinks that it is important that urban designers, landscape architects and architects think and work in an interdisciplinary manner.
During the minor, you will work on the following expertises and skills:
1. Knowledge of soil, plants, ecology and Dutch landscape.
2. Knowledge of the fields of urbanism, physical planning and public housing.
3. Design skills - technology and design.
Which prior education do you need to have?
In order to register for the minor in Urbanism and Landscape Architecture, you need to following one of these courses:
· Bachelor’s degree from a university of applied sciences (hbo-bachelor): main subjects[RV1] Architecture, Civil Engineering, Spatial Planning; [RV2] with specialisation in architecture, urbanism, town planning and regional development or physical planning.
· Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences: Garden and Landscape Architecture; all main subjects.
· Windesheim University of Applied Sciences: postgraduate continuing professional education (post-hbo opleiding) Stedenbouwkundige techniek en ruimtelijke planning (Urban engineering and spatial planning).
· University: main subjects Spatial Sciences, Physical Planning and Human Geography.
· Art school: main subjects Design in Urban Interior Architecture, Public Space, Micro-environment, Architectural Design, Interior Architecture, Monumental Art or similar.
· You need level B2 in the English language
Do you doubt whether you meet the admission requirements? Feel free to send an email with your question to avb-studiesecretariaat@ahk.nl of the Amsterdam Academy of Architecture.
The course content of the minor Urbanism & Landscape Architecture partly overlaps with the pre-master Urbanism and Landscape Architecture. Therefore, we do not recommend following both programmes.
For your admission to the minor Urbanism & Landscape Architecture, send us your CV, your motivation letter, your portfolio and your obtained diplomas and grade lists via 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 Urbanism & Landscape 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 Urbanism & Landscape 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 attention to a balanced mix of students.
How do you register?
For the minor in Urbanism and Landscape 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 Urbanism & Landscape Architecture once per year in the first semester: from September up to and including January The applicationterm for 2024-2025 has closed. From February 2025 registration will be open again at Kies op Maat for 2025-2026.
Please note: the documents must be submitted in English, because the admission committee consists of non-Dutch speaking members.
When will you receive a pass for the minor?
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 agency visits (compulsory)*;
• your final presentation.
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.
*Compulsory attendance applies to all programme components. If you are not able to attend, please report this beforehand to the coordinator and lecturer concerned or, if this is not possible, to the study secretariat of the Academy of Architecture: avb-premasters-minors@ahk.nl
Have you successfully completed the minor in Urbanism and Landscape 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
What will your timetable look like?
The minor Urbanism & Landscape Architecture will start with a four-day workshop, with class hours from 9.30 to 16.30. The minor has fixed lesson times each week:
Monday 9.30 - 16.30
Tuesday 9.30 - 16.30 and 19.30 - 22.30
Wednesday 9.30 - 16.30
Thursday 9.30 - 16.30 and 19.30 - 22.30
Friday 9.30 - 16:30
Occasionally, during the minor period, we may deviate from this schedule, for example because you have to give a presentation or prepare for one.
The internship period is from October to December. During the internship period, daytime classes are cancelled. The evening programme will continue during this period. Students are responsible for finding a suitable internship position.
Which courses and programme components will you do?
Learning objective:Learning by doing. Go through the design steps of a project by means of making scale models and discussions.
Assignment: Anyone who has ever been to London has been able to experience what the significance of a fragmented city is. Different neighbourhoods of varying origins have barely any connection with each other. In this assignment, we will examine the theme of connection. Various fragments from the city will be connected with each other by means of an object.
Educational objective: Look up information about projects, increase reference framework, document information project through excursions.
Assignment: Three Thursdays in a row we go on an excursion to a city in the Netherlands. You will prepare a part of that excursion in small groups for your colleagues. Plans, photos and experiences are brought together in a report.
Over the course of at least 12 weeks, students gain work experience at an urban planning or landscape architecture firm as part of the curriculum for the Master's programme. The internship is structured similarly to the degree programme. Students are responsible for arranging their own internships.
At the internship placement, the mentor guides the student in achieving the set learning objectives for the minor. After the internship, the student writes a report reflecting on their work and the extent to which they have achieved the learning objectives. This report is submitted to the coordinator for assessment within two weeks after the completion of the internship.
Learning objective: In Exercises 1, ideas from landscape architecture and urbanism are explored by means of exercises and excursions. The excursions are interrelated with the material handled in the Tuesday lecture and with the studio. The different scales of landscape architecture and urbanism are dealt with in the exercises. From garden to landscape and from building to city. Exercises and excursions are the inspiration for the studio.
Learning objective:The main focus in the studios is the skill of designing. In Studio 1, conceptualisation, fascination and stance are practised in particular and the translation hereof into words and images. Studio 1 is a landscape architectural assignment.
Assignment: This studio focuses on the relationship between urban dweller and nature. The assignment consists of the design of a new connection between city and landscape. By means of analysis and design, hidden layers in the landscape are uncovered. The landscape is examined as part of a larger spatial system. The consequences of a changing use are visualized with a spatial design.
Learning objective: In the second series of lectures, the contemporary practice of landscape architecture and urbanism will be the main focus. In addition to a number of lectures about the themes that are currently playing a role in the field of landscape architecture, the current practice of urbanism assignments will be explained further.
For example, attention will be paid to the development of the Dutch landscape, the way in which climate change is providing new challenges for the landscape architect, and the way in which biodiversity can be incorporated into assignments. In the case of urbanism, major transformation assignments will be explored further, as well as designing in context and designing with urban typologies.
Learning objective:In Studio 2 the emphasis is on working out a concept, using the urban toolbox.
Assignment: Based on a given program you will make a design for the transformation of a piece of existing city.
In addition to the lessons, the student will work in his/her own time on the final test. This homework assignment is of a designbased nature, but knowledge elements are incorporated herein based on the gaps, which are established for the student in the first half of the minor. The assignment made by the student is presented to the coordinator (and possibly a visiting critic) and assessed just like the studios on the basis of the Academy of Architecture’s assessment forms. During the presentation, a statement of a problem, formulated assignment, analysis, design, plus the most important details (10 min.) must be shown. The manner of presentation is free.
In the case of the Urbanism students with a preference for urbanism, that will mean a city – urban district – neighbourhood – public space.
In the case of the Landscape Architecture students with a preference for landscape architecture, that will mean a region/landscape unit (park, square or garden) – tree/biotope detail. The type of analysis and argument must tie in with the specific assignment of the student.
During the presentation of the final test, the student will be asked to summarise the other components of the course in a portfolio.