The Berlage Design Master Class led by Rural Urban Framework
November 6–17, 2017
Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment, Delft University of Technology
Delft 2628 BL
The Netherlands
The Berlage is pleased to announce that Rural Urban Framework (RUF) will lead the upcoming design master class, entitled “City of Nomads,” from Monday, November 6 to Friday, November 17, 2017. Continuing RUF’s longstanding explorations into waste collection and affordable housing in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, participants will design strategies for a community incubator for the city over the course of two weeks.
Ulaaanbaatar is a city where sixty percent of the population live without running water, sewage, or central heating. They live in sprawling settlements of self-built single-story houses and gers, traditional round felt tents. These districts collectively compose a suburban carpet lacking not only basic urban services, but also social and cultural infrastructure. In the transition between nomadic and sedentary forms of living, the question of defining what constitutes a “city of nomads” becomes paramount. As the population has no prior experience of living amongst others—it is sometimes claimed there is no word for “community” in Mongolian—a unique and urgent situation presents itself.
Working closely with Joshua Bolchover and John Lin of RUF, together with their partner organization Ger Hub, led by Badruun Gardi, participants will explore the merits of a community incubator at the architectural and urban scales. The particular qualities of the ger as a structural and material system of wood, felt, and canvas will be the point of departure for the master class.
Rural Urban Framework (RUF) is a research and design collaboration between Joshua Bolchover and John Lin. The objective of their work is to engage in the rural-urban transformation of developing regions through built projects, research, exhibitions, and writing. RUF operates as a non-for-profit organization and collaborates with charities, private donors, Chinese governmental bureaus, and universities. The work is conducted within the Rural Urban Lab, Faculty of Architecture at the University of Hong Kong.
Master classes are a unique feature of the Berlage. Twice a year students and young professionals work with world-renowned architects, designers, and thinkers to analyze a chosen subject relevant to contemporary issues in the built environment, and are encouraged to experiment with alternative forms of representation and dissemination.
Dates: Monday, November 6 to Friday, November 17, 2017
Place: The Berlage, Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment, Delft University of Technology
The master class is open to a limited number of participants. Interested applicants should submit a motivation statement, CV, and abbreviated portfolio by Friday, September 29 to info@theberlage.nl.
