·
Ben
Van Berkel
·
Nationality:
Dutch
·
Born:
1957
·
Buildings:
o Moebius House
o Erasmus Bridge
o Mercedes- Benz Museum
·
As a
network practice, a highly flexible methodological approach has been developed
which incorporates parametric designing and collaborations with leading
specialists in other disciplines.
·
“Quite
clearly a question of character, as this man has a lot on his mind. He listens
attentively then explains his thoughts with broad gestures, repeatedly picking
up his pencil to draw small illustrative sketches on a piece of paper thrust
hastily towards him.”
o Draws a lot – switched to painting.
o Art fascinates him.
o Paintings are conceptual- geometric
constructions.
o Fascinated with the use of colour in
architecture because by using colour you can change the impression a building
makes.
·
Interested
in solutions which integrate architectural and technical aspects on an equal
basis.
·
Develops several design models.
·
Experiments
·
“If
the client is really interested in originality and understands what is required
then we are very happy to try out things which have been tried before.”
·
Deep
planning is essentially a methodology of information gathering and
organisation, investigating the specific conditions of a project in relation to
infrastructure, urbanism, economics and program.
·
Uses
digital techniques- comparitvely analysed and structured to provide a
comprehensive understanding of a given project.
·
The
interest of UN Studio in creating a dialogue between architecture, art and
their cultural context is a guiding principle.
·
“We
strive to make a significant contribution to the discipline of architecture, to
continue to develop our qualities with respect to design, technology, knowledge
and management and to be a specialist in public network projects. We see as
mutually sustaining the environment, market demands and client wishes that
enable our work, and we aim for results in which our goals and our client’s
goals overlap.”
·
“I like restrictions and I like to play with the
puzzle of restrictions. The more difficult, the more I am pressed to innovate.
So I like that.”
·
What
we are going to do is go more public with these knowledge platforms and
communicate what we can achieve with our knowledge, and the knowledge others
might have, about how we can build more intelligent buildings, for instance.
Above: the
UNStudio Knowledge Platforms are formed around the topics of sustainability,
materials, organisation and parameters.
·
Reads-
especially design magazines
·
“I’m
obsessed about public constructs, public conditions and how they separate from
private.”
·
Pet
cat
·
Fascination
for construction- interested in bridges- interested in everything that came
from the ground.
·
Where do you work on your designs and projects?
o When traveling- makes notes anywhere- plan
or bed.
o Writes them down, sketches and
photographs.
·
Describe your style, like good friend of
your would describe it.
o Not so easily to dress to one style...
o I've a few topics where I'm highly
interested in, and that is
organizations - the way how a building is structured together -
then in geometry - the way how let's say a building is used -
not in the classical sense of function, but very much in the idea of
how it gives the people an atmosphere to function, so how can
we stretch utilities in the building.
organizations - the way how a building is structured together -
then in geometry - the way how let's say a building is used -
not in the classical sense of function, but very much in the idea of
how it gives the people an atmosphere to function, so how can
we stretch utilities in the building.
·
No
dead ends in his buildings- trying to make projects endless to create a bigger
kind of capacity of continuity in them.
·
Van
Berkel and his wife, art historian
Caroline Bos, are the founders of UN Studio, and together they’ve developed
an inclusive concept of architecture that incorporates designers, engineers and
specialists in various relevant disciplines to collaborate on large-scale,
ambitious projects.
·
"The
living room used to be the most important meeting place in a house – as a
semi-public, semi-private space. Now the kitchen has taken over that function.
It's the most important place. You don't just cook there; you can sit down and
relax."
·
In
his own kitchen, van Berkel, who prefers to cook Italian food, even has a sofa.
"Together with my wife and daughter I can sit back and feel wonderfully
relaxed while one of us cooks," he explains. Ben van Berkel and his wife
Caroline Bos run the architectural firm UNStudio in Amsterdam and Shanghai,
which gained international renown with the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart,
shopping centres in Seoul and China, and the building of the Music and
Performing Arts faculty at the University of Graz. "I tend to eat more and
more consciously," says van Berkel. I eat breakfast too, and now I even
take time for lunch."
Part 2
Ben Van Berke and his wife, Caroline Bos are the co-founders
of UN Studio, and together they have developed an inclusive concept of architecture
that incorporates designers, engineers and specialists in various relevant
disciplines to collaborate on large- scale, ambitious projects.
Ben Van Berke has a wife and one daughter, so the design of
the house will need to accommodate the needs of the three members of the
family. The design of the house will have to be one that is based on structure
and function, particularly emphasizing on how it gives people an atmosphere to
function. A lot of thought will be put on how certain spaces in the house will
allow each member of the family to perform certain tasks and function.
Ben Van Berkel is particularly fascinated in drawing and
painting. He is intrigued by the use of colour in architecture because by using
colour he feels it can change the impression that a building makes. An art
studio/ space would be particularly fitting for Van Berkel to create artworks
and plan his architecture.
“I am obsessed about public construct, public conditions and
how they separate from private” this quote form Van Berkel is important in
considering how to separate the public and private spaces in the house.
Ben Van Berkel has once said in an interview that he thinks
the living room used to be the most important meeting place in a house- as a
semi- public, semi- private space. Now the kitchen has taken over that
function. In his own kitchen, Van Berkel has a sofa. The reason for this is
that together with his wife and daughter he can sit back and enjoy each others
company while on of them cooks.
Room List:
·
Kitchen
·
Living
room
·
Dining
room
·
Art
Studio
·
Studio
(Architecture)
·
Library
·
Study
room
·
Master
bedroom with ensuite
·
Bedroom
with ensuite
·
Guest
bathroom
·
Laundry
·
Garage
(2 cars)
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