Bouwndary

Abstract

Today we are experiencing the crisis of the territory. Everything goes fast and consequently it is increasingly difficult for planners to govern the new phenomena of the city. Architects have the important role of trying to solve urban issues through the architectural project, whether it is a building, a square, or even just a seat. It is important to focus our attention on small things as well.
One of the aims of this research is precise to demonstrate how the simple design of a boundary is able to strongly influence people's perception of space. In this sense, history can teach a lot to contemporaneity. In particular, between 1960 and 1990, some Dutch architects addressed the issue of the boundary between public and private, between exterior and interior, and so on, in such a revolutionary way that it is still the object of research today. Aldo van Eyck's Burgerweeshuis, Piet Blom's Bastille, and the Delftse Montessorischool designed by Herman Hertzberger are three magnificent examples. In these buildings, every edge, corner, and surface was designed to be used by its inhabitants.
However, if we focus our attention on the new areas of the contemporary city we can still recognize some characteristics that were already criticized during the last century. In this sense, brushing up on some virtuous experiences of the past is a useful exercise. Indeed, the history of architecture has a great deal to teach the contemporary practice. History provides prototypes, a catalog of tried and tested responses to problems. It is for this reason that past themes and ideas return cyclically in the practice of contemporary architecture. The aim of this thesis is therefore to provide a catalogue of references based on Dutch structuralism that can be a source of inspiration for architects of today and those of tomorrow. Especially for the kind of architects who care not only about issues relating to 'design' but also to issues relating to its 'humanization'.