This newspaper is dedicated entirely to the accommodation of the Gerrit Rietveld Academie and the Sandberg Institute. We have two beautiful buildings in an exceptional location in Amsterdam. The oldest building, designed by Gerrit Rietveld, has even given the Academy its name. The current accommodation is not ideal, however. When the Benthem Crouwel building was completed in 2005, it was predicted that further expansion would be needed in the near future. This has proven to be true, and the lack of space appears to be an ongoing rather than incidental problem. Parts of the Fine Art, VAV and Dogtime departments have since been moved to temporary spaces elsewhere in the city, which is both unfavourable to the education these departments provide and costly. The buildings on the Fred. Roeskestraat and, in particular, the top floors of the Benthem Crouwel building (housing the Sandberg Institute and Fine Arts) and the third floor of the Rietveld building (housing the foundation year, Dogtime, preparatory year and orientation year) are overstrained. This has not been caused by growth of the Academy (compare 958 students at the end of 2005 and 942 at the end of 2010) but, according to our analysis of the situation, by developments in educational methods which require ever more space. Whenever possible, works are now expected to be created within the Academy. This enables the monitoring of projects throughout their development, helps generate a stronger involvement with the Academy, and allows students to observe each other’s work as it progresses. The accommodation should not impose restrictions on the scale or ambition of the work. We aim to achieve the required expansion through the development of a new building on the Fred. Roeskestraat (on the current car park) together with a re-organisation of the current buildings. But what will the future bring? Current times are uncertain: a new funding mechanism has come into effect which could lead to a sharp reduction in the Academy’s income. On the other hand we have set out our ambitions to increase the number of master's students and master’s degree programmes, combined with a larger reduction of the number of bachelor students. The basic assumption in this respect is a consistent level of funding, which the government should enable. A new sec2 tor plan for art education is currently under development, and this Gerrit–Willem—Do-It-Yourself Introduction

is expected to determine the actual developments in the future funding of the Academy. Despite this, we choose not to sit back and wait for the results of these developments but instead to continue work on our plans based on our own vision of the future. It is from this perspective that we have compiled this newspaper. For each step we take in the process, we 2011 shall examine the extent to which external and / or internal changes make it necessary to adjust our plans. We must acknowledge that external factors in particular could oblige us to adjust or even cancel our plans. On the other hand, if we do nothing now it will only be longer before we are really able to improve on our current space issues. In this newspaper we firstly set out our vision on the guiding princi2014 ples for the plan development. This is followed by a summary of the ideas and wishes for the accommodation that were collected through several methods of research and from representatives of all parts of the organisation. Lastly, we outline the framework on which we would like to base further development of the plan and give an insight in which steps will be taken in the process of development from here on. This newspaper reflects our initial vision which is based also on contributions from within the organisation. We hope this will lead to further responses and discussion within the Academy, which will enable us to further develop and / or modify the plans, taking into consideration the needs of the staff and students. Page 13 of the newspaper, information can be found on how feedback can be given effectively - in a way that it can be seen and that we can take it into account in the next phases of the development. 3

The following continues on the vision for Academy as it was recently set out in the Typisch Gerrit document.

Room for Content

Our point of departure is to have all educational activities, both for the Rietveld Academie and the Sandberg Institute, take place on a single site. We believe that meetings and exchanges between the various departments and class years, as well as between bachelor's and master's students, enriches the education that the Academy offers. Moreover, the progress and development of work being created at the Academy can be closely monitored and discussed. This is at the heart of our educational vision. It also provides a way in which facilities, such as workshops, can be used jointly. In this way, more intensive use can be made of our facilities and the investments made in them and a broader range of facilities can be provided since they would be used by a larger group of students. Finally, spaces could be reorganised to become more flexible so that they can respond to changes in the size and composition of the educational programmes offered. All educational activities on one site

Other functions and organisations on the academy site

Consideration has been given to combining the expansion of educational spaces with new construction for other functions on the site. A combination with (student) housing, offices, or museum exhibition spaces has been considered. The first two functions seem to be undesirable because of the lack of added value. Students and teachers have indicated in the past that they are not in favour of a campus model which combines housing for students with educational space. Commercial office functions are also considered to offer little added value. A combination with museum exhibition spaces, however, could offer substantial additional benefits. Of course, practical concerns have also been considered. One advantage of expansion into 4 other functions could be access to addi-

tional space for educational purposes in the future. Another effect could be a financial return that would reduce our own building costs. The latter turned out, however, not to be, the case, at least not to a great enough extent, while the former would make sense only if the parts of the building given over to other uses which could be converted relatively easily to educational purposes. That would not be the case for the conversion of student housing and office facilities. These options are therefore no longer under consideration. Extensive work has been done to investigate whether exhibition spaces could be built. This would produce benefits in terms of both content and space. However, no financing can presently be found for this option. For the time being, therefore, we are proceeding only on the basis of our own activities, which makes us less dependent on outside parties. Underground parking will be built for the maximum number of spaces permitted, however. Size and composition of the academy

When considering the optimum size of the Academy, the primary consideration is quality of education. We believe education benefits from a smaller rather than a larger scale. Growth as such is therefore not a goal. The "Typisch Gerrit" document describes a possible shift from bachelor’s programs to master’s programs, with a reduction in the total number of students. The condition for this is cost-neutrality, implying that more government financing would be received for each master's student than for each bachelor's student, as is also currently the situation. It follows that the facilities for master's students, including the amount work space available, would have to be adapted to reflect this. . As long as the size and composition of the Academy determines the sum of financing from the State , this will, however, have to be taken into account. Current educational vision as point of departure

Typisch Gerrit sets out our vision for arts education. A number of core

elements from this vision can be translated into the use of space. It is typical for responsibility for educational content to be decentralised. This leads to greater diversity and unpredictability in forms of education and hence of space requirements. It follows that the departments have their own spaces which they can divide and allocate as required. This means that the departments can also be easily located and have the possibility to present themselves within the Academy. Another characteristic is the attention given to the process of developing a work: it is not just the result that is important - the process leading to that result is significant. From this follows the need for studio and atelier spaces within the Academy. Sustainable accommodation

The most sustainable solution would be simply not to build. Serious reflection on the quality of the education offered however, confirms the need to expand the available space. And so the most sustainable solution has been abandoned. That said, we explicitly wish to do whatever will be done as sustainably as possible. It is possible to conceive of more than one form of sustainability, both in terms of the actual construction of a new building and of its future use. We want to give the design team the opportunity to respond creatively to this responsibility. Expandability and flexibility

In deliberating whether to bring external functions onto the grounds of the Academy, thought was given to the future expansion of educational spaces. Having decided not to build additional space and fill it with temporary uses, other forms of flexibility for the future have been considered. One idea is to design a larger building that can be built in phases. Should this be a vertical expansion, the structure of the new building would have to be of adequate strength from the start. This would result in additional expense now that could not be guaranteed to pay out in the future. It was decided to include this subject in the brief to the design team with the condition that extra investments must translate into an immediate increase in 5 usable space. An approach could be to

create a roof garden that could be converted in the future to interior space with the construction of a new roof garden. Style and appearance of a new building

Gerrit Rietveld said about his design for the applied arts schools in Amsterdam and Arnhem that he could only provide a neutral background for education because art cannot be learned and that developing artists must not be influenced or distracted by their surroundings. This point of departure resulted in a building that, to this day, is valued and appreciated as an educational building for the arts. The glass showcases and transparency support the visibility of work and departments, while the wide halls and open stairwell give the building an important social quality. These remain relevant principles. One can add to this the idea that the students and their work give the building its colour. This is not to say, however, that there is not the possibility to create a 'signature' building with at least a striking exterior. The new building’s location on the street will ensure that it will be eyecatching. The design team will be given room to develop their vision on this. Good commissioning practices with room for experimentation

We intend to apply our approach to education to the new building. In other words, we think that it is not merely the result that counts, but also the way in which it comes about: when room is given for experimentation it can yield innovative results. This, of course, entails risk, which must be well managed. Expert assistance will be brought in to help guide the process. Maximising existing strengths

The Gerrit Rietveld Academie and the Sandberg Institute can be seen as sources of knowledge, skills and particularly of creativity. The qualities of the students, alumni, teachers and other employees, make the Academy what it is. It is explicitly desired that these qualities be used in the process of bringing about the new accommodation.

It is important to have a collective space.  There’s only one project room, but there’s no harm in fighting over it.That’s good. It would be good to have a larger auditorium on the site. At the moment there are too many walls between the departments. It would be good to meet each other spontaneously more often. The Rietveld-Sandberg connection needs to be improved. The lending service should be located more centrally, should be bigger and should be supervised. All too often, classrooms are completely empty: a complete and utter waste! Extra project room for departments that produce large works. Departments could work side by side in the same spaces more The building is to be used, not preserved. We simply have to start really using the building. A lovely entrance, an open hall with lots to see and do. We’re an art academy but you can't see it at all! We want to see more! In addition to the historic building and the new building, the academy needs a flexible workspace – a large space for students, where no teaching takes place. Create voids in the Benthem Crouwel building. It is important to create a feeling of space. More meeting places where you can work. Having lessons in different parts of the academy is inspiring. There need to be physical thresholds between the Sandberg Institute and the Gerrit Rietveld Academy. Within the group, individual 6 Opinion

organisations should keep their own identities. Create meeting places: Transparency is important! The third floor is too full. Monument, new building , atelier or studio spaces : those are the three things we need. The buidling needs to be kept cleaner: the way a place looks influences how it is used. The current canteen would make an ideal project room. The current canteen would make an ideal project room. There are inherent benefits to sharing space because you see what others are doing. Through sharing, we can learn from each other. That's something we should aim to achieve at the Academy. Create other places to hang out and study besides the library and student workspaces – next to the canteen perhaps. This space must have three functions: to be socially fulfilling, intellectually fulfilling and stomach fulfilling. We’re all very het up about space, but we’ve got enough space really. Expand the function of the canteen with meeting spaces and workspaces. A managed recycling facility! A physical connection between the buildings would help promote a feeling of community. You can see each other working and that’s inspiring! A common space with an individual identity would help keep the spirit alive! We need to supervise and manage the spaces better, but also remain realistic; workplaces are never 7 completely clean and tidy.

In order to get a good idea of how the current Academy buildings work and to look at requirements and suggestions for the future, several pieces of research have recently been conducted. Firstly, meetings were held with the people responsible for the different parts of the organisation, including the academic departments, central (staff) departments, the workshops, the advisory council and the Academy’s fellows (Lectoraat). The school's buildings were also the theme of a SLUM (Student Lunch Meeting). Finally, an external consultancy conducted research into the current accommodation. A summary of the various surveys is included in this newsletter. More extensive reports can be found at www.internalaffairs.rietveldacademie.nl. The results have been incorporated in the vision and the guiding principles for the project.

Research

4 Lack of space was one of the problems mentioned most often. There is too little space for the departments to accommodate the students as it is, let alone for the department to grow. There is a specific need for:



5 Other problem areas mentioned include:

Accommodation meetings

At the end of 2010 each department of the Academy evaluated its current and future accommodation requirements. First of all, the persons responsible for the departments were sent a questionnaire and asked to discuss the questions with the staff in their department. In some cases, people responded individually. The completed form was then discussed and added to, and the results were compared.



A poorly regulated indoor climate (too hot in summer, too cold in winter) The low floor to ceiling height in the Benthem Crouwel buidling Visibility and image Accessibility for people, material and work

6 Opinions differed regarding a number of issues. Noteworthy examples include:

Findings

The problems experienced and the solutions put forward were extremely varied and often department-specific. What one department thought would be great was deemed disastrous by another. General conclusions must therefore be drawn cautiously. A number of points can nevertheless be noted:

Space to create large works Storage facilities for works in progress (e.g. in the workshops) Storage facilities for departments, general and technical services, and archives More exhibition and project space More quiet conversation areas



Provision of sufficient project and studio space on site versus project and studio space elsewhere in the city. If it is to be elsewhere in the city it is not clear whether the Academy is expected to arrange this, or if the departments/ students should do this on their own. Making areas (more) specific versus making areas (more) generic as a solution for optimising the use of the available space.

7 Recurring themes in requirements for the future: 1 The departments showed a high level of interest in the Academy’s accommodation. This was evident from both the extensive answers to the questions and the solutions and ideas the departments suggested.



2 There are both positive and negative opinions on the performance of the buildings. So it is not all bad … but, on balance, improvements are much needed. 3 The ceiling heights and the large amounts of light in the Rietveld building are highly valued. As regards the Benthem Crouwel building, the varied range of spaces and the proximity of the workshops, in particular, scored positively. Generally speaking, the users of the Rietveld building were more satisfied than the users 8 of the Benthem Crouwel building.



Meeting and transparency Making activities visible Need for an individual departmental identity Better connections between the buildings The quality of the space should be more in keeping with its functions

8 Moving the departments is seen as the best possible solution for optimising the use of the available space. The suggestion, in concrete terms, is to move the supporting functions to the BC building so that the higher areas in the Rietveld building can be used as studios and project areas. Sharing these areas is only occasionally considered an option. The poor clearing and cleaning practices were given as the

main obstacle. The educational measure stated most often as a means of using the existing space more efficiently is the abolition of the studio model. Better timetables, so that the use of the space is more transparent and better spread over the whole day, is also mentioned as an option. Opinions were divided greatly with regard to certain concrete proposals for accommodation improvements. This is due partly to the differing spatial interpretations that those interviewed have of the proposals. It also indicates that opinions on the best solution for the accommodation of the Academy vary considerably. Indeed, it is debatable whether it is actually possible to develop a spatial vision to satisfy everyone. Student Lunch Meeting (SLUM)

On 21 April, during the monthly Student Lunch Meeting, a group of students discussed their wishes regarding the Academy’s accommodation. One of the aspects discussed was the use of the buildings. Students currently spend much of their time in their own department, often in their own classroom. Students just starting their studies, in particular, seem to want to move around the buildings more often. This could be made possible by the collective use of project areas, for example, or by spreading the general functions across the various buildings. It’s good for students to meet each other more naturally and to see what’s going on in the other departments. Meeting places such as the cafeteria and the workshops should therefore be located more centrally. Besides functioning as meeting places, general areas could also be used for work or study. . Some areas, such as the library, are isolated at the moment. Consequently their potential is not used to the full. Individual silent workplaces could be created here. There is a demand for these kinds of easily accessible places to work, where it is quiet and easy to concentrate. As one student noted: ‘There are already plenty of places to hang out and chill.’ With improved layout and use options, the gym could also be used as a central area of the Academy, as exhibition or workshop space, for example, or as high-ceilinged workspace with good access for the delivery of materials. Furthermore, there is a general demand for large areas in which to work, but also for safe storage of students’ work. The ultimate space for the final-year students is a graduation space: a space available 24/7, with large worktables, lockers, storage space, WiFi and, of course, a coffee machine. 9

Occupancy levels

During two monitoring periods, workplace occu-pancy of department-specific (class)rooms, offices, general areas, reservable and workspaces was monitored in both the Rietveld and the Benthem Crouwel buildings. The first two-week monitoring period started on 25 May 2010, the second two-week monitoring period was from 15 November 2010. It is dwifficult to draw any hard conclusions from quantitative results in relation to a building with an educational function. The following general observations nevertheless give a good impression of the use of the current buildings: 1 The peak and trough ratio is quite extreme, with a clearly identifiable trough in the morning and a peak in the afternoon. 2 On average, the old building is occupied more intensively than the new one. 3 There is remarkably little maximum occupancy. This indicates that, overall, there are too many workplaces. 4 Better use is made of the reservable areas and workshops than of the departmental areas. 5 Occupancy of the office spaces is relatively low. 6 The level of internal mobility is high. This results in a large difference between the number of spaces that are occupied and the number actually in use. This is typical of educational institutions. Based on these findings, the consultancy made the following recommendations: 1 Expand the number of reservable areas to optimise occupancy. 2 Develop an activity-oriented layout to accommodate users’ internal mobility. Elements include 'hotdesk facilities’ for brief, individual use, project areas for flexible use that are not linked to any particular department, and modifying general areas for use as informal meeting and work places. 3 Create a central office environment with an open and flexible layout to enable more compact use of the available space and to improve communication and staff visibility for students 4 Provide a good information system that clearly shows who is using which areas at any particular moment.

The Accomodation Group was founded from the Coordinators Meeting in early 2010. The members of this committee are Paul van den Berg, Annelies van Eenennaam, Andre Klein, Judith Kroon, Mariken Overdijk and Henri Snel. Ben Zegers and Jurgen Bey have also been involved since the excursion in June 2010. The group’s first activity was the preparation of a questionnaire that was used as a lead during the initial accommodation discussions. The Accomodation Group also suggested a selection of buildings that were visited during a two-day excursion in June 2010. These reference projects have a similar function to the Rietveld Academy. All the buildings contain elements which offer potential solutions for the problems we ourselves face. The Accommodation Group particularly liked the Design Academy in Eindhoven, the Faculties of Architecture of the Delft and Eindhoven Universities of Technology, and the Kunstlinie art centre in Almere. A selection of key themes and related photos are presented below. While these provide a good starting point, they must of course be adapted to meet the needs of our own unique situation. Excursion

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Making work visible Assembly Hall, Faculty of Architecture, Delft University of Technology – The open assembly hall with mezzanines connects the two existing buildings. Intimate workplaces for focused conversations and spaces with high ceilings for large works. The workshops are in enclosed glass rooms. Atrium at Inholland, Kop van Zuid, Rotterdam Thanks to the transparency of the various layers, with the large and small spaces they contain, the availability of the rooms is immediately obvious.

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Multifunctional and flexible connected space Auditorium, Faculty of Architecture, Delft University of Technology – This open workspace is on the main route through the building, and creates room for large and small presentations and lectures. Auditorium, Faculty of Architecture, Eindhoven University of Technology – The auditorium as bold entrance. Meeting and connecting elements rolled into one. Could possibly also be used as exhibition space. Layered connections

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Stairwell in Museum het Valkhof, Nijmegen – The stairs as a connecting element between entrance, shop, restaurant and exhibition space. Atrium in Maaskant building, University of Tilburg – All the functions are arranged around a large, empty space, which is unobtrusive, robust and tactile. The rooms lead off wide, open corridors which also serve as exhibition spaces and seating areas, and connect different levels. Meeting places Espresso Bar, Faculty of Architecture, Delft University of Technology – An ideal meeting place, with a comfortable discussion area. Design Academy Eindhoven – Ancillary spaces (for coffee, printing etc) are usually designed as all-inone blocks in the corner of a larger area. Here, they are a number of detached elements distinguished from the main area only by a different floor finish. Room for diversity Offices, Design Academy, Eindhoven – Open yet private, using plants and storage to divide spaces. Work space, Design Academy Eindhoven – The open space has been completely stripped back. Alternating high and low spaces are separated by storage cupboards and students' work. Indoor / outdoor relationships ArtEZ, Arnhem – Underground building with closed studios on either side but with a high, light area in between. Kunstencentrum de Kunstlinie, Almere – Indoor and outdoor spaces blend into each other and daylight defines the infrastructure. The corridor is more than a corridor Museum het Valkhof, Nijmegen – The wide corridor and exhibition halls have double walls with concealed, built-in cupboards. It not only connects two buildings with each other but also connects indoors and outdoors. Maaskant building, University of Tilburg – Attractive space due to the large amount of daylight in what was once a studio.

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The following is an overview of the course of action for the development of the new accomodation, with regards to timeline, design and participation within the academy. Process

We intend to open the new accommodation at the start of the academic year in September 2014. While this seems a long way off, in order to meet this goal we must start now. The first phase involves selecting the architects and defining the brief. The design work should start in January 2011 and we expect construction to begin in early 2013. In order to run this process in a responsible manner, at the end of each phase the results will be tested against the assumptions of the preceding phases. Before moving on to the next phase, we will verify that we remain in compliance with the preconditions, as regards support and financial resources, for example. Planning

Task

Date

Staff and Student Feedback Collected Decision-RvT Design Selection Prepared Design Requirements Refined Design Selection Made Design Phase Funds Secured Construction

June – October 2011 September – October 2011 August –October 2011 November –December 2011 End December 2011 January – October 2012

November – December 2012 January 2013 – July 2014

Moving in

April – July 2014

Opening

September 2014

Selection of architects and design process

From the project vision described above, a strategy has been developed for the design process and the selection of architects. There are two guiding principles: emphasising the positive aspects and maximising the potential of the Rietveld and the Sandberg buildings; and good commissioning practices with room for experiment. We would want the the process of maximising the buildings' current qualities to be taken quite far: why aren’t we doing the design for the building ourselves? We want to give students, teachers, alumni and former teachers the opportunity to form teams to draw up a design. Each team should be led by a professional who has demonstrable experience in producing commissioned work on schedule and on budget. A number of skills and competencies? must be clearly present within each team, in particular 12

decisiveness and the ability to manage design quality at all scales. External technical support will be appointed. The selection of the design team will be based on a sketch design. After pre-qualification screening, 3 to 5 teams will be asked to prepare a sketch design that expresses their vision for the Academy. A jury will then evaluate these sketch designs, with the Academy's community playing an advisory role in the final selection. The selected design team will be asked to develop its design into an extended Preliminary Design with, in addition to the general Preliminary Design work, the elaboration of a number of key details and material choices). A European Tender will then be issued to select the main contractor, who will then further develop and build the design, under a Design & Build contract. A great deal of attention will be paid to maintaining the quality of the design through the continued involvement of the design team. In order to place even more emphasis onmaximising the current qualities of the campus, the design team will also be asked to carry out its design process in an open and participatory way. This means that the design process will be open to the Academy's entire community and that it will always be possible to make further design suggestions. These suggestions could pertain to all scales, from the main massing of the building to the use of materials. The design team is also free to engage the active input of departments and persons. The design team will remain in control of the design and will decide which suggestions are to be incorporated. Our greatest concern with this approach to the design process is whether a sufficient number of interested and qualified teams will step forward for us to be able to make a good choice. We will therefore use the time until the end of September to allow teams to form and register their interest. For this will require them to submit only a small amount of information. We will decide by the end of September whether there are sufficient registrations to carry out the selection and design procedure as described above. In view of the schedule, an alternative will also be developed for a European Tender for a supervising architect from outside the Academy to lead a design team in which members of the Academy can participate. The open and participatoryprinciple will also be followed here. There is additional information about the selection of architects available on the Academy's internal affairs website.

We see a great deal of involvement with the new accommodation among staff and students of the Academy. That is why we think it is particularly important to keep everyone up to date on project developments and to enable them to actively engage in the project. The organisation as such will of course continue to be involved as much as possible in formulating wishes and points of departure for the new accommodation, as we have always tried to do. Over the course of the process we intend to publish several editions of this project newspaper. It will report on where things stand at key decision-making moments in the process. The newspaper is an invitation to respond to the plans it reports on. For this purpose, you will find a response form on the reverse of this edition. You can also respond on the Academy’s website. In any case, there is a temporary accommodation page on the internal affairs site. Here, digital versions of this newspaper and other documents, such as reports and studies, are available for all members of the Academy. See: internalaffairs.rietveldacademie.nl The site is not intended simply to provide you with information. We hope intensive use will be made of the site in order to respond to the plans published there and to contribute your own ideas for the new building. We will ensure that all input is taken seriously, as long as contributions are not made anonymously. We have also made a physical space available for showing ideas and inspirations for the campus. This is the display case next to Ben Zegers’ office. Everyone is free to put their creations, their models and drawings, here. Newsletter, website and display case

The brief contains all the requirements and suggestions regarding the campus. These include the project description (accommodation, the vision and ambitions for the future, information about the organisation, internal and external constraints, such as budget and regulations), expectations for the image of the building ( the aesthetics of the building and of the individual spaces), the schedule of accommodation (a list of spaces with the area required m2 , the intended use and level of comfort ) and the technical requirements (performance requirements for ventilation, light, sound, etc.). The work has been focused on the project description and expectations for the image of the campus, using the input 13 from the accommodation meetings, Brief

among other things. This newspaper can thus be seen as a first draft of the brief. However, this is certainly not the end of it. In the next phase we will delve more deeply into the functional requirements. We are particularly interested in the amount and type of spaces needed. We would also like to know whether, in your experience, these spaces should be regarded as being specific to particular departments, and which spaces can be divided and shared. In following drafts of the briefwe will return with more specific questions about space requirements at room level and finally at a technical level. Our contacts, such as coordinators, heads of staff and workshop managers, will remain responsible for communication with the different departments. It is intended that they will seek feedback from their own departments. The feasibility of the space requirement will be assessed against the project’s preconditions by the board of management. Finances

In the past years the academy has ended the financial year with a positive balance. Outgoings and income were balanced and generally easily manageable. The academy strives to break even however: being profitable is not a goal. If costs and income remain at a similar level in future years, the positive result means that it will be possible to increase some expenditure. The intention is to use the funds that come available in this way for the building project. As already stated in the introduction of this newspaper, there is uncertainty about future developments in the funding of the academy. We must acknowledge that these developments in particular could oblige us to adjust or even cancel our plans. For the building project the plan is to create a budget that is sufficient to realise the new building on a basic level. In addition to that, a budget will be reserved for interventions that will add greater quality to the project. The design team can develop proposals on how this extra budget is to be spent. This ensures that there will be room for design quality within the design & build contract. The funds needed for the project aren't just available to the academy. The project will need to be financed externally. The intention is to borrow the money from the state department of Finance through so called "treasury banking". This offers the most favourable borrowing conditions, so that spending on interest can be limited as much as possible.

Principles

The previous articles in this newsletter collectively form the input for the follow-up procedure. If, on the basis of the reaction to these articles, it can be established that the guiding principles are appropriate, the plan can be developed into a schedule of requirements and a concrete design. The first step towards translating the guiding principles into a plan has already been taken, with the aim of stimulating more specific discussion of these points, as reflected below. The principles set out here are open to discussion and need not necessarily correspond to the final result. They reflect the line of reasoning used in establishing the plan's vision. This relates not only to new construction but also to the reorganisation of the existing buildings.

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A A new building on the existing property, where the parking lot currently exists.

1 Create cohesion between three buildings

The point of departure for the project is the addition of a new education building with underground parking, as well as changes of use in the existing buildings and any resulting structural alterations. The initial intention is to build no more than four storeys. Several options have been considered for a new building within the grounds, including an underground alternative. Creating parking spaces which could be rented out to third parties, if they are not used by the academy itself, would generate income to help make up the additional expenditure on the campus. Creating the maximum number of parking spaces would necessitate building two l underground storeys. Deeper underground construction is extremely expensive. At this point in time it therefore seems realistic to assume that the new car park will be built above ground. An additional aim is to be able to use the car park for educational projects from time to time. A new building

The guiding principle in the vision is for the Rietveld and the Sandberg to remain on the same site. That does not alter the fact that they are two separate institutes, each with its own distinctive features. The buildings should reflect this. Two organisations in one complex, but with the capacity to operate inde14 Recognised location for Sandberg Institute

pendently. The extensive opening hours could be maintained, with some restrictions, while also enabling more encounter and exchange with the bachelor’s programme. The idea is to move the Sandberg Institute to the top floors of the new building, which would allow the it to establish its own identity. The new building should have a strong identity which will compliment that of the other buildings. Yet while each of the three buildings will have its own unique qualities, the intention is for them to function as a whole.. This could be achieved by interconnecting the buildings physically, ideally, at least on the ground floor.. In principle, they will also be linked in terms of programming. Spreading the communal functions throughout the three buildings will enable a more dynamic use of the total space available. The academy’s grounds will also play a vital part in creating unity. The plan should therefore consider the quality of the spaces between the buildings. The idea is for it to be possible to really use the outside area, which would consequently become more than simply a ‘rest area’. Interconnection between the buildings

2 Make activity visible Constructing a third building and clustering collective functions will probably also influence the location of the entrance. Regardless of where it is, the entrance should be easily visible and accessible and the entrance hall should preferably be spacious enough for visitors to immediately perceive and experience the academy’s activities. This could be achieved by visually linking the entrance hall to the workshops, canteen and auditorium, for example, or by creating a presentation area near the entrance. A dynamic entrance

At the moment the possibilities for exhibiting work, whether for longer or shorter periods, are limited. At a minimum, we would like a central exhibition room so that we could display what we do at the academy. Central exhibition room

3 Stimulate encounter and exchange Collectively used facilities will be clustered as far as possible, preferably on the ground floor, with a view to stimulating more encounters and exchange. Options for this include an assembly hall incorporating the general workshops, such as the cad-cam, woodwork and metalwork workshops, and a work-in-progress area, as well as clustering such activities as printing, copying, a more extensive shop and central lending service. The idea behind Cluster collective functions

this is that students and staff from the different departments will spontaneously meet and see what the other is working on.

5 Utilise the character of spaces to their maximum advantage

A A

B

B

E F D

A B C D E F

C

Main Entrance Assembly Hall, Theatre, Canteen Library, Theorie Department Departments and Workshops General Facilities Exhibition Space

Over the past few years, a great deal of attention has been paid to theory, education and research activities. The Studium Generale and the academy’s fellows (Lectoraat), the library and the researchers in residence are increasingly important to the academy. To stimulate more exchange in this respect, it is proposed that, as far as possible, these functions be clustered in an easily visible and accessible location. Students and tutors indicate a need for places for (informal) self-study in an educational context. Linking these functions to collective areas such as the library and the canteen would intensify and enhance the use of these areas. Clustering theory education and research

C

A Administration, Departments B Sandberg Institute C Departments

The rooms in the academy buildings are extremely varied. There is also considerable diversity in the quality of the rooms in the Rietveld and Benthem Crouwel buildings. The construction of the new building will increase this further still. A revision of the use of the available spaces is therefore only natural. The principle concern is that the function of a space be more consistent with its specific character. The office functions, for instance, will move to the Benthem Crouwel building to make more room in the Rietveld building for functions requiring higher spaces. Naturally the offices will also be made more visible and accessible and will therefore continue to form a central part of the academy. Where necessary and feasible, the character of the building will also be adapted to its intended purpose. The possibility to reorganise the floors of the Benthem Crouwel building will also be considered. A better affinity between spaces and their functions

4 Expand the facilities The evaluation meetings revealed a demand for several additional facilities. A much-heard requirement is for an assembly, which would enable students to work on large pieces and/or on projects for longer periods of time. This element will therefore certainly be included in the plan. Efforts will also be made to incorporate the suggested auditorium, printing and copying facilities and a more extensive shop. The suggestion to build a professional film studio will also be taken into serious consideration. Once point of discussion in this respect, however, is how intensively such a studio would be used and whether the benefits would justify the cost. New facilities

One of the results of the research into the actual use of existing rooms is that the reservable rooms are used more intensively than other rooms. Consultations with the organisation also revealed a demand for more project rooms of varying types and sizes. It is intended that these points be translated into an expansion of both the number and diversity of reservable rooms and departmental project rooms. Greater diversity of reservable project rooms

15

The research into the current use of the accommodation revealed a high level of internal movement. This means that many rooms are “occupied” while students actually spend a long time working elsewhere, eg. the wood workshop, a theory classroom or the canteen. An activity-oriented approach could optimise the use of the available space and help ensure that functions are more in keeping with the character of the various spaces. This approach could be used to create drop-in and/ or study areas for brief individual use, for example. Other ideas include designating non-departmental project rooms for flexible use and transforming general areas into informal meeting places and workplaces. Some of these ideas are also reflected in other guiding principles for the plan. The principle remains that each department should keep its own space, as set out in the vision. The theory behind the activity-oriented approach is to enable departments (especially the larger ones) to benefit from the wide range of different spaces available in the various buildings. The extent to which the departments want and are able to spread their various functions will be examined in the next phase of the process. Activity-oriented approach

Colophon

Text: Annelies van Eenennaam, Alijd van Doorn, Judith Kroon with input and editing from Tijmen van Grootheest, Ben Zegers, Jurgen Bey, Steven Jongejan Excursion photographs: Paul van den Berg, Jurgen Bey, Andre Klein, Judith Kroon, Mariken Overdijk, Henri Snel, Ben Zegers Diagrams: Mireia Luna Graphic design: Alexander Shoukas Typeface: Mercator by Dick Dooijes / Laurenz Brunner Printing: Dijkman Offset Cover photos: Jonas Lund & Anika Schwarzlose With many thanks to the students and employees of the academy that took the time to share their thoughts and ideas for the housing of the academy. © Gerrit Rietveld Academie, June 2011 Deze projectkrant is ook in het Nederlands verkrijgbaar. For more information: internalaffairs.rietveldacademie.nl