The establishment of new housing initiatives for older people begins with the participation of (future) residents. This study explored how participation is experienced by both facilitators and ... Show moreThe establishment of new housing initiatives for older people begins with the participation of (future) residents. This study explored how participation is experienced by both facilitators and (future) residents and what lessons are learned regarding the facilitation of meaningful participation. Participation was studied through semi-structured interviews and focus group sessions from the perspective of 34 (future) residents and facilitators involved in participation processes in a diverse set of four housing projects from the Netherlands. The results focused on three phases: the initiation phase, the concepting and development phase, and the transition towards an established form of group housing. From the outset of such processes, it was important to involve all relevant stakeholders and to create a shared vision about the participation process. Discussions in small groups, the use of references, creative elements, and the creation of the right atmosphere were experienced as valuable during the concepting and design phase. In the third phase, the role of the organisation and residents needed to be discussed again. Participation should be a continuous process, during which trust, communication and having an open attitude are key. This study showed how innovative approaches can contribute to the creation of an environment in which older people can impact the actual design of housing, and make it more inclusive. Show less
In diesem Kapitel beschäftige ich mich mit Möglichkeiten und Grenzen unterschied- licher Strategien, mit denen Architekten und Stadtplaner neue Technologien und Materialien einsetzen und... Show moreIn diesem Kapitel beschäftige ich mich mit Möglichkeiten und Grenzen unterschied- licher Strategien, mit denen Architekten und Stadtplaner neue Technologien und Materialien einsetzen und alternative Formen der Kooperation nutzen, um ein Re- pertoire an Formen für eines tieferes Verständnis der Beziehungen von gebauter und natürlicher Umwelt zu entwickeln. Die Überlegungen speisen sich aus der seit der vielzitierten Krise der Moderne geäußerten Skepsis gegenüber großmaßstäblichen Visionen zu Architektur und Städtebau. Zudem stellt sich angesichts der globalen Phänomene von Überkonsum und Klimawandel gegenwärtig die Frage, wie die gebaute Umwelt in einer nachhaltigeren und weniger ressourcenintensiven Weise gestaltet und organisiert werden sollte. Bisher wird Nachhaltigkeit vor allem im Hinblick auf Kosten und Nutzen diskutiert und droht ausschließlich instrumentalis- tisch verstanden zu werden. Als Kunst- und Architekturhistoriker denke ich, dass das Konzept der Nachhaltigkeit um einen formbezogenen Kontext erweitert werden könnte. Insbesondere möchte ich darauf eingehen, inwieweit die Entwicklung eines zukünftigen Formenrepertoires neue übergreifende (Autoritäts-)Visionen zur Archi- tektur, Stadtplanung und ästhetischer Form erfordert oder gar rechtfertigt, oder ob Architekten und Stadtplaner sich mit gesellschaftlichen Akteursgruppen verbindensollten. Show less
In 1686, the French Jesuit and writer René Rapin wrote his treatise Du grand ou du sublime, in which he proclaimed French king Louis XIV as being the most sublime person. To do this, he used the... Show moreIn 1686, the French Jesuit and writer René Rapin wrote his treatise Du grand ou du sublime, in which he proclaimed French king Louis XIV as being the most sublime person. To do this, he used the concept of 'le sublime', a notion Rapin derived from the Greek classical writer Longinus. With his book, Rapin actually builds on an older tradition: writers had been using an elevated rhetoric to write about Louis XIV for many decades. In this discourse, architecture played a key factor. Writers recognized the overwhelming potential of the king's buildings and future projects, and also employed architectural metaphors and transcendent fictions to try and elevate the monarch. Ultimately, however, all of these works and projects - like Rapin's claim - proved very problematic. Firstly, the rhetoric of the sublime used to evoke the effect of sublimity has always been problematic, since it relies on an interplay between opposite extremes, which are highly unstable. Secondly, when attempting to establish the king himself as sublime, writers were confronted with the far-reaching implications of this claim. The sublime is not only an extreme notion but also a highly subjective one. It cannot be asserted, nor can it be wielded. Show less
