Minor in Architecture

An architect needs imagination. Imagination to design spaces, to find suitable materials and to ensure a building functions properly. He or she must also be sensitive to what the user will experience in the building: how do you stimulate the senses and encourage encounters?

During the minor in Architecture of the Academy of Architecture in Amsterdam, we will challenge you to broaden your imagination, with creative courses and inspiring lecturers who will teach you to work on the basis of your imagination and intuition. You can register if you are doing a degree programme with an applied emphasis (hbo-opleiding) in Architecture.

Why this minor?
• You will learn to seek out the unknown, work on the basis of your intuition and happy accidents.
• You will be introduced to historical and contemporary ideas about architecture.
• You will be inspired by fascinating lecturers, lectures and excursions.
• You will increase your insight into the profession of the architect.
• You will practise useful research and presentation techniques, such as photography and drawing.
• You will learn through practical challenges: you will design and experiment a lot yourself, for example with scale models.
• As a result of all these experiences, your curiosity will be nourished and you will form your own vision.

Three guiding principles
Imagination has three guiding principles: inspiration, designing by experimenting a lot yourself and clear communication.

1. Inspiration
During this minor, we will challenge you to further develop your imagination. As an architect, you are the director of the experience and the corresponding imagination. During this minor, you will be given the freedom to discover what fascinates and inspires you, how your imagination comes to life, and how you can transform and translate it into a building. Research, analysis, ideation, production and presentation will flow into one another in a design process, the aim of which is: to create architecture. You will work yourself on various design assignments and exercises within those design assignments. Lectures from inspiring architects and artists, and excursions to architectural firms and projects will support the exercises which you are occupied with in that week.

2. Designing by experimenting a lot yourself
We will challenge you with short assignments that stimulate creative and intuitive design, and in which your hands and the tool will play an important role. The discoveries that you will make in this way can yield a great deal. The product (models or drawings) are not fixed in advance. By continually starting from a different point of departure, for example a material, image, artwork or story, your imagination will be stimulated. The design skills that you will gain in the first period of the minor will come in handy during the larger design assignment in the second part of the minor.

3. Clear communication
In addition to inspiration and a design, you need communication skills in order to talk about your ideas and make them visible. You may have a beautiful idea, but if you are not able to communicate this, it will be difficult to make other people enthusiastic. During this minor, you will learn how to make scale models, drawings, photos, collages and booklets in order to convey your ideas.

By communicating, discussing and presenting your work, you will reflect on your work and you will learn to continue honing this further. Which manner of communication works best to present your plan convincingly?

Practical teaching method
At the Academy of Architecture in Amsterdam, we believe in ‘learning from experiences’ and ‘applying theory in practice’. Our way of teaching is adapted to this. The combination of studying and concrete practise is an essential part of the course.