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Honourable mention Pieter Graaff

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Few districts are more extensively thought of and written about than Pendrecht in South Rotterdam. With the war fresh in mind, people sought to build an open democratic society to counteract mass society. However, it is the same neighbourhood that is labelled the second worst district of the Netherlands after 50 years. Who compares the motives of the original design and construction and those of contemporary projects sees many similarities. This suggests that there must be an alternative to demolition.

On Monday the 25th of June Pieter Graaff graduated with an honourable mention. In his research and design he shows how the (in concrete) Collapsed Ideals of Pendrecht can be revived. Not only for the preservation of this heritage, but especially to thereby contribute to answering today’s challenges. This project takes the position between the apparent dilemma of the heritage approach and on the other hand community development and offers a perspective on the contemporary meaning of collectivity in post war neighbourhoods.

Pieter was supervised by Olindo Caso, Marie Therese Andeweg, Pierre Jennen and Otto Trienekens. He is now applying his knowledge on this subject at the Field Academy in the Project on the existing housing stock on Zuid.

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