Gerrit Willem Do It Yourself

GERRIT-WILLEM-DO- IT-YOUR-SELF

MAG7Beatrix ZingerleCharlotte VermaningMarina SavochkinaMarcin PrzybylaBarbara IwanickaJelte EikenaarIvo Clason

Content

p. 2 INTRODUCTION > Dialoguep. 4 PAST > History & Community p. 6 PRESENT > Current Situationp. 8 FUTURE > Our Vision > Body Metaphor > The Gerrit Rietveld Building > The Benthem Crouwel Building > The New Building > Communication > Involving Our Community

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Introduction

We Need More And Better DialogueAs a team of seven current and former students of the Gerrit Rietveld Academy, we are very excited to work on the vision for a new building for the Rietveld Academy and the Sandberg Institute.

In the years we studied at the Rietveld Academy, we felt that we were part of a strong community, and we still do, even though some of us graduated a couple of years ago. This Community is a very important and valuable part of Rietveld Academy and Sandberg Institute, for students, teachers, and employees. For us, this was the starting point in the discussions in the team we had last weeks about the way in which the Rietveld/Sandberg Community should benefit from a new building, not just by adding a new building, but actually making a new home for the Community as a whole.

It makes us happy and proud to have the opportunity to discuss and think about a new future for our school. This document gives you insight into our thoughts and ideas.

Beatrix Zingerle, Charlotte Vermaning, Marina Savochkina, Marcin Przybyla, Barbara Iwanicka, Jelte Eikenaar and Ivo Clason


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Introduction

Our HistoryAs Gerrit Rietveld was asked in the early 1950’s to design a building for the school, he already had a strong vision on how he wanted the school to function. Rietveld wanted the interior to be neutral, simple, but obeying to the rules of contemporary interior design. He desired the building to be an example of the unity between inside and outside. He envisioned the school to be open and light, especially for the hall, staircase, corridors and workrooms. Lecture rooms were more closed-off.

Finally, after almost 20 years of planning, discussing (and fighting) with boards and authorities, the new building at the Fred. Roeskestraat was officially opened in 1967. Gerrit Rietveld himself didn’t live to see it as he died in 1964. One year after the opening, the school was officially renamed ‘Gerrit Rietveld Academie’.

After being in use for more than three decades, the building was in need of some major repairs, so a plan was made for restoration. At the same time it was clear, that the Rietveld Academy needed more space. For years students from especially the Fine Arts department were working in studios outside the school building because of lack of space. At the beginning of the new millennium Benthem&Crouwel Architects were asked to design a new building on the premises of the Fred. Roeskestraat. In 2004 the new building was opened and is now used by the Fine Arts and VAV departments and the Sandberg Institute. Also the library, Buro Rietveld and editing rooms can be found here.

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Our CommunityAround a thousand students from all over the world study at the Rietveld Academy and Sandberg Institute. The teachers at both institutes work in all fields of art and design. These facts, among others, make the Rietveld community very diverse.

Rietveld consists of 11 different departments in design and fine arts, Sandberg has 5 different master programs. All departments have their own classrooms in the two existing buildings, but all students can make use of general facilities such as the library, wood- and metal workshops, the computer room and of course the cafeteria.

Although everyone is part of one educational system, encouraging contacts with opinions and work from other fields of art and design, we notice that in practice most experiences are based on being part of the department you study at.

The different departments work mainly within their own accommodation and use their own specific workshops. In general there is not much interaction between the different departments or between Rietveld and Sandberg. Departments function as isolated islands.

To the world outside the academy, our Community does function as one. This is especially true in cases where we feel we have to take action for or against topics we feel strongly about.

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Current Situation

Courtyard has a potential to become an open-air project and gallery space as well as a place to meet and enjoy each other.

Library is too small in size and offers too little of study material. It’s not an attractive place to study and to acquire knowledge.

Staircases in the Rietveld building play a role not only as a binder but also as meeting, project and gallery zones. The staircases in the Benthem Crouwel building don’t even encourage people to use them.

Workshops provide a good quality and nice assistance but are lacking of space and some of them work by appointment only.

Canteen’s vicinity to the main entrance makes it the place where the action takes place. However it is not the best place to sit and relax.

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Departments take too much space, which is often not used and empty.

Classrooms for meetings and special projects are rare and often overbooked.

Studio spaces of the Rietveld building are often restricted in use due to the building’s monumental nature. The studios in the Benthem Crouwel building are restricted by a low ceiling.

Gym is often used as an auditorium but is not fit for it size- and acoustic wise.

Existing offices seem to work well in both buildings but they could be more accessible.

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Our VisionIn the new situation we would like to think of a system in which students of all departments within Rietveld and Sandberg have the opportunity to work together and learn from each other, without losing the identity derived from their department.

This requires a new, fresh look at the way the school is organized. And we think that creating a new building is the opportunity to do so.

In a way, Rietveld and Sandberg work as a human body, with all its vital organs. If an organ is missing, the body doesn’t work the way it should or may not work at all. Adding an extra building to the premises has an effect on the existing buildings in the way they are being used and also for the interaction between them, as you can see in the infographic to the right.

We strongly believe in a more collective academy. An academy in which students work in open studio spaces, where it is easily possible, and even encouraged, to work next to and with students from other departments. In practice this means that a second year student of Design Lab might be working next to a first year student of Fine Arts who is working together with a student from Graphic Design. This crossover of departments emphasizes that you’re not studying at a department, but at the Rietveld Academy or Sandberg Institute.

At the same time, students will keep their home base in their own departments, where they meet their fellow students and have classes from their teachers (of course it is also possible to meet their teachers in the studio spaces).

Adding a new building to the premises also means changing the way the current buildings are used. Because we’re not just adding a building, but improving the usage of all buildings.

Opening up is not only necessary for the Rietveld/Sandberg Community, but also for the outside world. The academy is situated at the edge of the city, which is an advantage as well as a disadvantage. Not being in the midst of it all enables you to work freely. But it also excludes you from what’s going on in the world outside. We very often think we’re open and approachable, but often people from outside our Community have no idea what we’re up to, and the other way around.

Therefore we think it is essential to connect with other institutions like De Appel, W139, Stedelijk Museum and many others to exchange knowledge and art. We envision exhibitions in the new Rietveld/Sandberg curated by one of the above-mentioned institutions. And the other way around: students exhibiting at De Appel or the Stedelijk Museum.

The Rietveld Academy and the Sandberg Institute are already art schools of high quality, where lots of people love to study and work. Opening up inside and outside will make it even better!


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Future

Brain produces and archives knowledge and keeps control over the other organs:> Extended Library> Computer workroom > Film/sound/photo studios > Administration offices> Conference rooms > Student council> Buro Rietveld

Heart as a central organ responsible for circulation between other organs and body parts:> Central courtyard > Small coffee venue> Open-air gallery> Shop with books, supplies and students work

Arms are capable of grasping and fine manipulation of objects and very mobile, reaching for a wide range of distances in the outside world:> Workshops> Open and shared studio spaces> Permanent gallery space> Auditorium> Restaurant and rooftop terrace

Bone structure supports and protects the various organs of the body, comes in a variety of shapes and has a complex internal and external three-dimensional structure:> Organization of floors> Staircases not only as a traffic zone, but also as meeting and project space

Stomach and digestive system are responsible for literally feeding the body and extracting and assimilating nutrients of knowledge and skills:> Canteen> Individual department spaces> Flexible classrooms

OUTSIDEWORLD

Nervous system connects and spreads information through the entire body and outside world:> Website> Social Network App

Body MetaphorTo bring more circulation to the academy we have to look at it like one working organism. In order for people to visit every building regularly, each of them has to become a vital organ of the well functioning body.


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Future

TomRietveld AcademyFine Arts SculptureThird year

HanneRietveld Academy

Graphic DesignBooks

Second year

ElisabethRietveld AcademyLanguage & Image

PerformanceFirst year

Eric & AnnaSandberg Institute

DesignInteractive Design

First year

VincentSandberg Institute

Fine ArtsPainting

Second year

HanneRietveld Academy

Graphic DesignBooks

Second year

ElisabethRietveld AcademyLanguage & Image

PerformanceFirst year

TomRietveld AcademyFine Arts SculptureThird year

Eric & AnnaSandberg Institute

DesignInteractive Design

First year

VincentSandberg Institute

Fine ArtsPainting

Second year

New, collective program of the Academy creates a fertile ground for collaboration, exchange and dialogue.

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OUTSIDEWORLD

OUTSIDEWORLD

BRAIN

STOMACH STOMACH

HEART

RIGHT ARM

LEFT HAND

SPINE

NECK

NERVOUS SYSTEM

Defragmentation of the program improves the circulation of people and gives importance to the new courtyard as a space for social interaction.


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To create spaces that provoke social gatherings and expand the workshops while maintaining the personal relationship with the staff.

The Gerrit Rietveld Building

Stomach and digestive system are responsible for literally feeding the body and extracting and assimilating nutrients of knowledge and skills.

Arms are capable of grasping and fine manipulation of objects and very mobile; reaching at a wide range of distances to the outside world.

Bone structure supports and protects the various organs of the body, comes in a variety of shapes and has a complex internal and external three-dimensional structure.


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To take advantage of the existing qualities of the building and accommodate the functions accordingly.

The Benthem Crouwel Building

Brain produces and archives knowledge and keeps control over the other organs.


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To provide various types of working spaces according to students’ needs and exhibit outcome of their work.

The New Building

Arms are capable of grasping and fine manipulation of objects and very mobile; reaching at a wide range of distances to the outside world.


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Bone structure supports and protects the various organs of the body, comes in a variety of shapes and has a complex internal and external three-dimensional structure.


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To connect the entire academy and create a central courtyard for our Community.

Heart as a central organ responsible for circulation between other organs and body parts.

Communication


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Adding a digital layer to the program to improve sharing the equipment, books, spaces and ideas with use of technology and social media.

Nervous system connects and spreads information through the entire body and outside world.


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Involving Our CommunityIn our proposal the expertise of the Rietveld/Sandberg Community will be presented in a practical format and along two different lines. We believe that the Community is a valuable source of knowledge about the needs the new building will have to meet. And we expect many members of our Community to have useful ideas and pictures in mind as to the looks of the new building. One question is how to draw out this information so that it can be introduced into the planning process. A further question is how this variety of ideas may be harmonized with views of our team and brought together in a workable and attractive ensemble.

The first line of working together with the Rietveld/Sandberg Community concerns the needs and wishes of various departments. On this issue we want to set up study groups across departments, to be chaired by a member of our team. Some topics submitted for study are the requirements and qualities the new accommodation will have to meet, as well as the cooperation between departments felt to be desirable both in the present situation and for the future. Greater cohesion may be achieved when departments would be able and willing to share accommodation and/or equipment.

A specific point to be put before study groups concerns the locations of workshops, taking into account their specific requirements and circumstances. Improved location may help certain workshops to fulfil a more prominent role inside the school. For other workshops a conspicuous location is less urgent as students already can easily find their way to them. Making neighbours of workshops without apparent connections may help them to discover and profit from each other. This point should not be dealt with by impromptu reshuffling, but deserves careful consideration of wishes and possibilities.

The second line of work with the Community concerns the furnishing of the new accommodation. On this issue we want to develop assignments for the design of specific elements of the new accommodation, such as the cafeteria. Graphic artists may work out ideas for patterns of doors, interiors of rest rooms and colours of floors. Cutlery can be designed by jewellery artists, Design Lab could take care of designing the lighting. Many similar design features could be worked out from inside the Rietveld/Sandberg Community. On this issue, as well, final decisions will be taken with a view to coherence and harmony of the accommodation as a whole.

Outcomes of study groups and design assignments will be presented at suitable moments in the Rietveld forum, thereby providing opportunities for elaboration and criticism. In its dealing with the collected information our team feels committed to transparency. feels committed to transparency in order to make a building that suits all.


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Gerrit Rietveld and Willem Sandberg with their wives.


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Documents

Gerrit Willem Do It Yourself