Phenomenology for Introductory Architectural Analysis Courses: The pentagon methodological approach

As a consequence of fruitful discussions about joining theory and practice both in design research and educational design programmes, this article aims to explore phenomenological parameters in the framework of an exercise for Engineer-architecture students from the University of Leuven in Belgium. Relying upon the arguments of recognised architects regarding the importance of the phenomenological approach in the field of architecture, it is intended to propose a five-step method (pentagon) to add to architectural analytical exercises. The paper argues that an explicit phenomenological awareness within architectural design education should be addressed in addition to the potential references to architectural phenomenology in theoretical courses or in the discourse of architectural design teachers during the studio courses. This article begins this process through the discussion of one example: ‘Integrated Seminar on Housing’ which is taught in the first semester of the bachelor programme. A qualitative review of theoutcomes of the exercise stresses a positive effect in the development of students’ skills that are not an explicit focus of methodologies related to programmatic or technical skills. The conclusions encourage the development of the experimental study to improve the complementarity of the phenomenological approach with the more technical methodologies. In the final reflectionsabout the results of the pentagon methodological approach some evidence is provided in respect to the article’s claims

The divisive nature of neoliberal urban renewal in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

This chapter analyses the extent to which neoliberal urban development, in particular slum redevelopment in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, has the potential to support or undermine strong urban social struggles for the ‘right to the city’. Slum redevelopment in Burkina Faso is a widespread and large-scale phenomenon which affects a large number of residents. Large-scale slum redevelopment was introduced by the revolutionary government of Thomas Sankara in 1984 as a decisive attempt to ??? a more equal redistribution of resources and access to facilities, while giving urban development in the country a more modern face. When the Sankara regime was overthrown in 1987, slum redevelopment continued to employ the modernist tabula rasa approach, but gradually lost its egalitarian principles, thereby severely affecting the livelihoods of slum dwellers in a negative way. Although Harsch (2009) recognizes slum redevelopment as one of the driving forces for urban protest in Burkina Faso, only 25 of the 207 urban mobilizations he found between 1995-2007 were related to it. Since well over 100 000 parcels have been created in Ouagadougou alone , this is a very low number. We argue that the divisive nature of the redevelopment projects, affecting different groups of residents differently in various stages of the process, is an important factor in explaining why only few large-scale ‘right-to-the-city’ mobilizations have developed so far.edition: 1ststatus: publishe

The obduracy of the detached single family house in Flanders

After the Second World War, Belgium, and especially the Flemish region, was confronted with massive suburbanisation. The single family house became the dominant building type located in residential subdivisions, ribbon developments or as piecemeal developments scattered through the landscape. Today, there are growing concerns about the future of the post-war suburban housing stock in the light of the changing demographics, economics and an increasing ecological consciousness. Incremental modification, through the creation of secondary dwelling units in existing underused dwellings, is one of the strategies currently discussed to transform low-density residential neighbourhoods into more sustainable patterns. However, practice shows that the subdivision of detached single family houses still remains a rather marginal phenomenon in Flanders. This article analyses the 'obduracy' of the detached single family house in detail. Our analysis shows the obduracy as the result of a complex entanglement of very heterogeneous elements such as the materiality of the house, the meaning of home, the local home culture, real estate values, spatial policies, zoning plans and legislative framework. If the creation of secondary units would be adopted by the government as a transformation strategy for the suburban housing stock, then its implementation will demand a clear spatial vision on the future of residential neighbourhoods, an integral policy with linkages between the different policy sectors and different levels of administration, and a comprehensive set of measures. © 2013 © 2013 Taylor & Francis.status: publishe

Comparison of heterologous β-alanine-responsive biosensors in Escherichia coli

This dataset contains the raw data that lie at the basis of the results discussed in Chapter 6: Comparison of heterologous β-alanine-responsive biosensors in Escherichia coli of the PhD thesis of Amber Bernauw. The README.txt file provides more information on the different data files