Overheul_S.P._1._Graduation_plan

graduation plan
Explore-Lab graduation studio, 2013-2014
department of architecture, TU Delft
island cabins
An exploration of the role of recreational houses in a touristic region according to locals and visitors,
a case study on the Dutch Wadden island Vlieland.
S.P. Overheul
personal information: S. P. Overheul
1538152
Schoolstraat 32
2611 HS Delft
06-44737005
[email protected]
studio: Explore Lab 2013-2014
architectural design mentor:
technical building design mentor:
thesis mentor:
R. Nottrot
Y. Cuperus
G. Verschuure-Stuip
choice of graduation studio and project: I applied for the Explore Lab graduation studio because I wanted to follow-up on
my architectural history thesis topic and method. It all started when I stayed in the back-to-basic recreational house 'de
Hut' on Vlieland which was designed by the architect Gerard Schouten (1924-2000) for his family in 1963. Although I had
been visiting Vlieland all my life, in 'de Hut' for the first time dwelling fell into true harmony with my experience of the island.
This triggered me to investigate Schouten's work on Vlieland for my architectural history thesis.
Because Schouten's work on Vlieland had not been investigated before, I got the chance to do empirical research
(interviews and archives), which I greatly enjoyed. The project strengthened my appreciation of the synergy between the
design of recreational houses and people's way of life and experience of the surroundings. Also I became more aware of
an architect's responsibility of designing and developing recreational houses in harmony with the local people and place
involved.
Therefore, when I learnt that the local organization Stichting Recreatiebelangen Vlieland who commissioned Schouten's
work on Vlieland, was again planning to develop a series of recreational houses I was inspired to use this as my
graduation topic and to base my design on a research project that focused on the actual people involved.
project: Island Cabins
problem statement: Vlieland's local community is almost wholly dependent on tourism. However, the economic drive
behind developments for tourism -such as new recreational accommodations- must not overrule socio-cultural and
ecological values. Due to Vlieland's small size an additional series of 30-50 recreational accommodations significantly
affects life for locals as well as the island's attractiveness for tourists. Also the community's and visitors' support together
ultimately determine the project's success and the overall sustainable development of tourism on the island.
research questions: My research project will explore the interests of the local community and the opinions of Vlieland's
visitors in addition to the client's (SRV's) goals and its users' wants and needs, all related to recreational accommodations
on the island.
The role of recreational houses on Vlieland will be explored twofold, because they hold different meanings for locals
versus visitors:1) How tourists' appreciation of Vlieland relates to their opinions about recreational accommodations on
Vlieland; 2) How locals perceive the role of recreational accommodations in the dynamics between Vlieland and its
community, recreational house owners or developers, and tourists.
design assignment: The design brief is a series of recreational accommodations in a part of the forest bordering the
camping on Vlieland. The results of the research project will provide starting points for a design that is 1) a contribution to
Vlieland's touristic identity and 2) considerate of local interests and values. Furthermore the research project will further
explain more detailed ambitions such as making the accommodations attractive for new tourist groups, enjoyable in the
pre- and late season, distinctly 'green', and suited for construction, use and maintenance in a forest on an island. These
ambitions amongst other pose challenges for the architectural- as well as the technical building design.
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The title of my dissertation already reveals my inclination towards designing a more primitive form of recreational housing
for Vlieland instead of the larger villa's that are increasingly popular on the island. For one I believe a 'cabin' will be
compatible with Vlieland's natural character, but more importantly it poses interesting questions for the program, the
design and the social meaning in contemporary society: What is the program for dwelling recreationally? What does a
house look like when it is stripped down to its essence? And lastly with my design I would like to confront my hypothetical
users: do we need the abundance of resources, technologies and space we are used to today to live enjoyably and
sustainably?
graduation project ambitions: My intention for the graduation project is to create a people-based design. I aim to create a
design that protects the local identity, supports the sustainable development of a local community and inspires
mindfulness in its users. And lastly, the small scale of the project allows me to create a 'complete' design that
encompasses construction, use and maintenance in detail.
scientific relevance: Recent studies on touristic dependent regions are increasingly concerned with the actors' (locals'
and tourists') behavior because this is considered quintessential to generate sustainable developments in tourism.
Although few investigate the relationship between recreational houses, tourists and locals directly, all studies show that
'buildings' for tourism directly or indirectly influence locals' disposition towards tourism and affect tourists' behavior - with
due effects on the sustainable development of tourism in a region.
My graduation project builds on this knowledge by focusing strongly on the role of recreational houses in the specific
case of Vlieland. Its most important contribution however will be as an example of how knowledge about actors'
disposition towards recreational houses can be utilized to create recreational accommodation that triggers sustainable
behavior.
social relevance: Based on the number of inspirational and self-help books there seems to be an active interest similar to
the 1970s in how sustainable living (raising personal wellbeing as well as the saving of resources) can be realized on the
scale of individual homes, households and during personal free time - thus realizing bottom-up social and environmental
improvement locally. A similar return to local truths is apparent in the architectural philosophy of 'critical regionalism' that
counters impersonal globalized architecture yet kitsch traditionalistic scenery as well.
The theme of individuals and regions becoming more 'rooted' is interwoven in my graduation project's method and
ambitions. By understanding the meanings recreational houses hold for the local community as well as the tourists and
translating this insight into starting points, the resulting architectural design will be in accordance with local values. In
addition the choice for a primitive form of recreational housing is motivated by the philosophy of inspiring greater
awareness and care in its users.
methods: Research and Design
research methods and techniques: The thesis research consists of a preliminary literature study on tourism-studies,
relevant architectural discourse and handbooks on qualitative research to support my empirical research. The empirical
research involves an exploration of people's ideas about recreational accommodations on Vlieland through semistructured interviews with locals and surveys with tourists during the late-season. Additional research for the design
project will consist of on-site observations of the site and surrounding landscapes, a collection and analysis of
miscellaneous inspiring or guiding sources (art projects, reference projects, fiction, government reports) related to my
design project, and note-taking from relevant handbooks on architectural design and building technology design.
design methods and techniques: The design will be based on starting points deduced from the thesis and an analysis of
the practical and aesthetical characteristics of the site and surroundings. Throughout the design process I will collect
inspirational sources and ideas in a notebook and use these to creatively explore design options. As the design
progresses I will return to Vlieland in order to evaluate the design on site. Design themes will guide me between various
scales and topics so I will consider the design from various viewpoints. Whereas the notebook is important for exploring
ideas with sketches and diagrams, computer drawings will help to concretize, visualize and communicate design ideas.
And lastly, official presentations at the faculty will help to create a 'status-quo' from which the design can progress, while
informal presentations for my mentors and contacts on Vlieland will help to evaluate the design.
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literature list theories and general precedents:
Andereck, K.L. et al (2007). Resident's perceptions of community tourism impact. Annals of Tourism Research, 32(4),
1056–1076.
Arksey, H. & Knight, P. (2011). Interviewing for social scientists. London: Sage.
Borden, I. & Ruedi Ray, K. (2006). The dissertation, an architecture student's handbook. New York: Routledge.
Borges, S. (2013). Rock the Shack. Architecture of Cabins, Cocoons and Hide-Outs. Berlin: Gestalten.
Canizaro, V.B. (2007). Architectural regionalism. New York: Princeton Architectural Press.
Cottrell, S. et al. (2004). Measuring the sustainability of tourism in Manuel Antonio and Texel: a tourist perspective. Journal
of Sustainable Tourism, 12(5), 409-431.
de Leeuw, K.P.C., Linders-Rooijendijk, M.F.A., Martens, P.J.M. (1995). Van ontspanning en inspanning: aspecten van de
geschiedenis van de vrije tijd. Tilburg: Gianotten.
Denig, E. et al (1969). Het kleine buitenverblijf (de tweede woning). ANWB
Hessels, A. (1973). Vakantie en vakantiebesteding sinds de eeuwwisseling. Assen: van Gorcum en Comp. B.V.
Doedens, A. & Houter, J. (2010). Vlieland: een Nederlandse geschiedenis. Franeker: van Wijnen.
Farstad, M. (2011). Rural residents’ opinions about second home owners’ pursuit of own interests in the host community,
Norwegian Journal of Geography, 65:3, 165-174
Kaltenborn, B. P. (2008). Recreational homes in natural settings: factors affecting place attachment. Norwegian Journal of
Geography, 51:4, 187-198
Kaltenborn, B.P. & Clout, H. D. (2008).The alternate home - motives of recreation home use. Norwegian Journal of
Geography, 52:3, 121-134
Kruys-Harkema, N. (2012). Vlieland Duinhuisjes.Harlingen: Flevodruk.
LanceWad Nederland (2001). Waddenland - Landschap en cultureel erfgoed in de Waddenzee regio. Leeuwarden:
Uitgeverij Noordboek.
Lefaivre, L. (2003). Critical regionalism: a facet of modern architecture since 1945. Munich: Prestel.
Lonswai, B. (2009). Making Leisure Work, Architecture and the experience economy. New York: Routledge.
Meij, S.A. (1973). Uw tweede woning in eigen land: van stacaravan tot weekendboerderij. Wageningen: Kluwer.
Montijn, I. (2002). Naar buiten! Het verlangen naar landelijkheid in de negentiende en twintigste eeuw. Nijmegen: Sun.
Odgers. J. et al. (2006). Primitive: original matters in architecture. New York: Routledge.
Postma, A. (2013). When the tourists flew in: critical encounters in the development of tourism. Groningen: RUG.
Provinciale Planologische Dienst in Friesland (1951) Planologische aspecten van recreatie op de Friese Waddeneilanden.
Leeuwarden: P.P.D. in Friesland
Rijksdienst voor het nationale plan (1950). Doelmatige vakantie-accommodatie. Den Haag: Staatsdrukkerij en uitgeverijbedrijf.
Rykwert, J. (1972). On Adam's house in paradise: the idea of the primitive hut in architectural history. New York: Museum
of Modern Art.
Suyling, P. & van der Ham, S. (2012). Thuisgevoel, over komen en gaan. Retrieved 15 November, 13.
<http://thuisgevoel.net/thuisgevoel-over-komen-en-gaan/>
Tress, G. (2007). Seasonality of second home use in Denmark. In Palang, H., Sooväli, H. Printsmann, A. (eds.), Seasonal
landscapes. Dordrecht: Springer.
van der Bijl, R. (2011). Wonen, werken en recreëren op 42 eilanden, de Wadden bestaan niet. Blauwe Kamer. 35(3).
van Hooff, W. & de Bruin, T. (2006). Toeristische identiteit Vlieland. NL RNT
Vriend, J.J. (1956). Modern country houses in the Netherlands. Amsterdam: Kosmos Publishing Company.
Quartino, S. A. (2009). Small eco-houses. Singapore: Page One Publishing.
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plan:
mon
tue
wed
thu
fri
week
P2
design concept, sketch design
results, conclusions, starting points for design
JAN
4
5
Organizing Explore-Lab workshop
Designing: site
Writing thesis: scientific context & research discussion
6
FEB
7
8
9
10
11
MAR
12
Writing thesis
Vacation
Designing: house
- program and climate: interior and exterior plan/walls
- construction and maintenance concept
- materialization, atmosphere
Writing thesis: social, historical, architectural context & research conclusions
Writing thesis: introduction, preface, conclusion, abstract | complete 1st draft
Editing thesis: improvements, layout and illustrations | complete 2nd draft
Review:
- recap starting points, design concept, sketch design
- review from the viewpoint of the user, the observer, the owner: practical, aesthetical, comfortable etc.
Designing: details
- reconsidering program and climate, construction and maintenance, materialization and atmosphere, site
P3
ARP
14
Editing thesis: improvements, layout and illustrations | complete final draft
15
Review:
- recap starting points, design concept, sketch design
- review from the viewpoint of the user, the observer, the owner: practical, aesthetical, comfortable etc.
16
17
18
19
Designing:
- reconsidering details
- reconsidering program and climate, construction and maintenance, materialization and atmosphere, site
MAY
- finalizing drawings, diagrams and models
P4
21
JUN
22
Designing - improvements
23
Making presentation drawings and models
24
Making presentation drawings and models
25
Preparing the presentation
P5
27
4