Vote for Student accommodation Delft for a wildcard in the BNA Gebouw van het Jaar award 2013

This year Murtada Alkaabi, architect at KCAP, was part of the BNA jury selecting buildings that focused their design on the added value that the building brings to people and society. As Murtada explains: "We were interested in designs that go beyond beautiful visual architecture." Is a building a sum of beautiful details and materials? Or is architecture more than just materials and components?" Murtada shares his thoughts about the meaning of Architecture. “Looking back to the jury during the BNA Best Building of 2021, I can say it was a fantastic experience for a young architect. I learned a lot from the different projects, jury colleagues, architects, and clients. Reading and visiting all these projects helped me as a young architect to understand much better what makes a good building and what kind of added value our designs and projects can have. The only issue I saw is that this added value is not self-evident. It's a pity that you still experience that we, as architects, sometimes focus more on the exterior look of our building to create an icon for PR purposes. We sometimes forget that we design for people. In my view, contemporary architecture sometimes has become entangled in a functionalist belief of standardized architecture. It seems like that all users are the same. That means we forget the importance of added value that buildings can bring to diverse people and society, so architecture serves the user. It is interesting to see how the media or people reacted to the winners of BNA best building 2021. Calling the winner(s) as SURPRISE. It shows that sometimes we look too shortsighted at architecture and judge buildings on the type of client or architectural appearance. We forget that architecture is more than just concrete, glass, and steel or mere appearance. A good building looks ...

Edward Schuurmans, a partner at KCAP, is chairing the 43rd BNA Kubus Award in his function as a board member of the Royal Institute of Dutch Architects, BNA. Since 1965, the BNA Kubus has been awarded to an architect or spatial designer who excels in craftsmanship and conceptual work, contributing to the development of the profession and archi-tecture 'in general', and who has built up a recognizable and innovative oeuvre. At the end of June, the jury will meet twice to decide who will be the new recipient of the prestigious award. Edward says: "The BNA Kubus is a special recognition for excellent spatial designers. The Kubus Award contributes to the awareness of the value of spatial quality in our living environ-ment, both within our profession and beyond." In 2018 Francine Houben received the 42nd Kubus from Hedy d'Ancona. The jury will announce her successor in July. The award ceremony will take place on 4 November 2021, as the final act on the BNA Architects' Day. Chairman of the jury: Edward Schuurmans, Partner KCAP and BNA Board Member. Jury secretary: Harm Tilman, architecture publicist. Members of the jury: Francine Houben, founding partner Mecanoo and recipient of the BNA Kubus in 2018, Marc Koehler, Marc Koehler Architects, Heleen Aarts, CEO Amvest, Ed Nijpels, chairman IABR, chairman Abe Bonnemafonds and chairman Uit-voeringsoverleg Klimaatakkoord. Portrait Boudewijn Bollmann

The student accommodation De Vries van Heijstplantsoen will be officially opened on Tuesday, June 25, by Dutch minister Blok. The student accommodation is located in the university quarter of the Delft Technical University (TUD). This inner-city project is a combination of a new building and the renovation of a (partly) monumental building, built in 1923. The student apartments can be used for short-stay and for long-stay rental. The ensemble contains 295 residential units in two buildings. The new 6-storey, u-shaped building offers 212 residential units and 15 shared apartments. The renovated villa houses 6 units and 6 shared apartments. The concept and distribution of the residential units reflects the current request for students’ living space. In the future, depending on the market, the units can be adjusted. With this concept, the design follows a flexible and sustainable approach.With its contour, material and solid and quiet appearance, the new building shows respect for the monumental villa and the surrounding buildings. The composition of the façade with its high and vertically oriented openings and the horizontal and vertical brick surfaces presents a playful quietness. The inner outdoor space between the new building and the villa has a intimate atmosphere, enhancing the feeling of social connection. At the same time it offers defined visual connections to the outside. The De Vries van Heijstplantsoen was originally a laboratory for general and analytical chemistry of the university. It gained its monumental status because of the main stair case.    

Cast your vote here.

Cast your vote here.

Cast your vote here.

On September 8th, at 2pm, Irma van Oort will give a short introduction into the design of the student accommodation in Delft. The student accommodation on the campus of the Technical University of Delft offers living space for 303 students. It occupies a complex of two buildings: a new 6-storey, u-shaped building and a renovated historical villa. During Dutch national Open Monument Day the focus will be on the topic of 'old and new' within this project. Date: 8 SeptemberTime: 2 pm introduction, open 10 am - 5 pmLocation: De Vries van Heijstplantsoen The annual Open Monument Day takes place on September 8 and 9. This year's topic is: Green of the past (Groen van Toen). Click here for the website of the Open Monumentendag.