Bekkering, H., Hoekstra, M. J., Rooij, R., Wagenaar, C., & Zeinstra, J. (2018). The Delft Fundamentals: integration of disciplines, projects and analysis. Proceedings of the ICE – Urban Design and Planning, 171(2), 87-96.
This article presents the teaching approach of the Fundamentals of Urban Design (Grondslagen) part of the bachelor curriculum at the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment of TU Delft.
As part of the renewal in 2013/2014 of the bachelor education curriculum in the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment, Delft University of Technology, a new study programme was prepared on the Fundamentals (in Dutch: Grondslagen) of spatial design. The teaching approach, visually presented by some examples and explained in this paper, consists of three closely related elements: (a) lectures and readings on basic concepts of architectural, urban and landscape architectural design, (b) a canon of 160 projects illustrating these concepts and (c) a typomorphological project analysis exercise. This new, integrated programme was the follow-up of three former, separate study programmes, Basic Concepts of Architectural Design, Basic Concepts of Urban Design, and History of Architecture, Urbanism and Art. The faculty had serious doubts about the educational quality of those study programmes, consisting of 11 small courses of only one or two EC. The curriculum renewal brought a fresh look at study contents, teaching approach and assessment strategies, based on the didactic principles of integrated learning.