Job Floris Reihenfolge der Bücher

The book “Walden” of Henry David Thoreau describes our romantic longing for total freedom, out in the forest. Preferably as simple and autonomous as possible, without any connection with the outside world. Which means both seeking for freedom as escaping from the reality. Contemporary movements of suburbanization are related to this instinct of striving for freedom and individuality. However, this results in endless sprawl in several places. A frightening scenario, as it consumes our vacant land, our nature. And it is causing more traffic, pollution and more swimming pools. Yet, how could we as architects find answers to this urge in society, without completely disqualifying this longing? During this studio we explore the idea of living outside the city - together - by developing housing schemes with a collective of inhabitants.

During the studio we work on contemporary architecture. Along the three themes as mentioned above, the ambition is to create a project which activates a “threefold presence”: it articulates a dealing with the presence of the past, the presence of the present and the presence of the future in one singular moment “. We explore this idea, once coined by the French philosopher Paul Ricoeur, by means of architecture. The studio is divided into three parts: for a start a clear geometric diagram will be developed, by means of section and/or plan for the interior: building up a clear spatial narrative. Subsequently, the diagram is confronted with the context, the plot, and in the end the formal aspects are charged with a material layer.

Overlooking the city in the Elbe valley, the garden city Hellerau is located on a sandy slope on the northern edge of Dresden. Founded in 1908, Hellerau is the pioneering settlement in Germany following the theory of Ebenezer Howard. While several architects contributed to the garden city, Rostock born Heinrich Tessenow was the main guest invited to this semester’s table. It feels strikingly obvious to look at the principles of Hellerau and the architecture of Heinrich Tessenow when discussing sustainability and sufficiency today. In a first phase we took a close look at the buildings of Heinrich Tessenow in Hellerau and discussed how his architectural language was informed by the collective ideals of the Garden city.

The book “Walden” of Henry David Thoreau describes our romantic longing for total freedom, out in the forest. Preferably as simple and autonomous as possible, without any connection with the outside world. Which means both seeking for freedom as escaping from the reality. Contemporary movements of suburbanization are related to this instinct of striving for freedom and individuality. However, this results in endless sprawl in several places. A frightening scenario, as it consumes our vacant land, our nature. And it is causing more traffic, pollution and more swimming pools. Yet, how could we as architects find answers to this urge in society, without completely disqualifying this longing? During this studio we explore the idea of living outside the city - together - by developing housing schemes with a collective of inhabitants.