INTERN
2015 - 2016
ROTTERDAM UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED SCIENCES - INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION & SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Project
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
LOCAL
LIFESTYLE Products & Hotspots & Food
a view on
RESILIENCE
It created TRANQUILITY in our lives
Be thankful It was one of the last days during my stay in Cape Verde. I was sitting on a terrace with some of my college students and some older local people. We looked back on the adventure we set out on together a couple of months ago. A lot of positive and negative experiences; we made new friends, discovered our inner selves and each other in a way that we could never have imagined and we saw magical places with magical cultures. We also had our struggles; Cape Verde was not as safe as we were used to in the Netherlands and this had a huge impact on our daily behaviour. It was this moment, on one of the last days in Cape Verde, when I felt truly happy and thankful for the experiences and the moments I had. The locals and their culture touched me deep in my heart. It made me think about my, more hectic and stressful, existence and how I truly do not appreciate everything I have. This magazine is a resume of all the international internships from the minor ‘International Cooperation & Sustainable Development’ programme. Many Dutch and foreign students went to countries to do a research project through which the economy, the culture or even the people could benefit from. The countries visited were the Netherlands, Indonesia and Cape Verde; the islands that were visited in Cape Verde were Sal, Fogo and Santiago. All the projects, the countries, the students and their individual stories can be found in this magazine. Try to learn something from this magazine, hopefully something similar to what I did. Try to reflect on your existence and realize that you should be thankful for everything you have.
Editor & Art Director
A view from Santiago, Cape Verde (Photography: newtour.pt)
13
CONTENTS
International Cooperation & Sustainable Development Magazine 2015 - 2016
20
Cape Verde
Resilience
8 12 13 14 15
4
How is Cape Verde? Project Santiago Projec Sal Project Fogo Anecdotes
16 34
Resilient Development for a sustainable world Improve our world and our livingspace The Flexbase Concept
Indonesia
Specialists
10 22 25
18 36
How is Indonesia? Project Semarang Anecdotes
Lifestyle
The Netherlands 11 32 33
Social Housing in Cape Verde Sustainable renovation of monumental areas
How is the Netherlands? Project Rotterdam Anecdotes
26 28 30
Local Products Local Hotspots Local Food
27
39
31
INTERN I 3
RESILIENT DEVELOPMENT
Innovative problem solving as
The international community faces many social, environmental and economic challenges. Present day questions such as how to respond to climate change, the growing need for energy, water and food, the increase of social and economic inequalities or the consequences of far reaching economic crises, urge us to develop more sustainable development models (1). With the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda (2) the international community has re-committed itself to social, environmental and economic justice, better protection of the ecosystem and the promotion of a more secure and prosperous future for all on the globe.
However, awareness is growing that our current way of problem solving won’t do the trick when it comes to present day challenges. What we need are innovative and humane ways to deal with the grand challenges: ways of problem solving that acknowledge existing values like autonomy, rationality and economic growth and merge them with values and concepts big enough to respond to present time challenges (3). The minor International Cooperation & Sustainable Development responds to this with a programme that challenges students to work toward resilient development from the perspective of social, environmental and economic justice (4). Building the capacity of areas, communities and organizations to cope with hazardous events, trends or disturbances is considered a possible answer to the grand questions of our time. Resilient areas are capable of responding or reorganizing in ways that maintain their essential function, identity, and structure, while also maintaining the capacity for adaptation, learning, and transformation (5).
OUR CURRENT WAY OF PROBLEM SOLVING WILL NOT DO THE TRICK The minor offers a learning space that fosters the development of capacities essential for addressing contemporary challenges from the perspective of resilience: curiosity, critical thinking, context awareness, analytical and conceptual thinking, interactive learning and multidisciplinary collaboration (6). Sincere engagement with a real problem, careful analysis of this problem and empowerment in playing an active part in solving it can have significant effects on the development of necessary capacities and consequently on how we respond to the grand challenges of our time (7). Within the minor such responses become visible in feasible solutions that address the needs at grass-root level, support the search for sustainable and resilient ways of responding to contemporary challenges and are helpful in gaining insight in the bigger values and concepts needed for dealing with the complexity
FOR A SUSTAINABLE WORLD a response to global change of these challenges. Promoting the development of capacities needed for coping with the grand questions of our time confronts this minor with the particular challenge to deal with diversity in experiences students have concerning critical thinking and learning in complex and dynamic systems. The challenge is to accept and appreciate this diversity, to consider it a complex whole of individual educational histories and to facilitate a learning space that invites each individual student to step out of their comfort zone and experiment with new practices and approaches, appreciate the complexity of contemporary challenges and by doing so develop capacities needed in today’s world.
With this type of education the minor aims to promote the evolvement of sustainable en resilient societies and aspires to contribute to the development of an education that truly support students in becoming the effective thinkers our world currently needs! This magazine presents creative, innovative and critical ideas this year’s students have for working towards resilient societies, communities and organizations. Let these ideas inspire you! Enjoy reading!
Marlies van der Wee-Bedeker Coordinator minor International Cooperation & Sustainable Development Educational Researcher, Research Centre Sustainable Port City Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences
1) UNESCO (2012). Shaping the Education of Tomorrow: 2012 report on the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development Abridged. Paris: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. 2) http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/sdgoverview/post-2015-development-agenda.html 3) Kunneman, H. (2013). Kleine waarden en grote waarden: normatieve professionalisering als politiek perspectief. Amsterdam: Uitgeverij SWP. 4) Hogeschool Rotterdam (2015). Minor International Cooperation & Sustainable Development: Module Manual 2015. 5) IPCC (2014): Summary for policymakers. In: Climate Change 2014: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability. 6) Part A: Global and Sectoral Aspects. Contribution of Working Group II to the Fifth Assessment Report of the 7) Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Field, C.B. [et.al]. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA, pp. 1-32 8) Hogeschool Rotterdam (2015). Omleiding volg je intuïtie: Honours Onderwijs aan de Hogeschool Rotterdam. 9) Fazey, I. (2010). Resilience and Higher Order Thinking. Ecology and Society, vol. 15, (3), 9. Photography: Rick Keus Fotografie ©
INTERN I 5
Cape Verde This picture was taken in a small fishing village on the east side of the island Santiago. The boats were left on the beach waiting for the next fishing trip. (Photography: Sean Huizinga)
The Netherlands One of the most famous attractions in Holland; the windmills. This picture is taken at Kinderdijk, a small village in the Alblasserwaard. 19 different windmills can be seen here. The windmills are part of UNESCO world heritage. (Photography: Syafriana Fadilla)
INTERN I 7
Morabeza
PLEASE TELL ME Santiago
Cape Verde, a former Portuguese colony, is a volcanic archipelago, consisting of 10 islands off the west coast of Africa. The different islands are very diverse and vary widely in character and scenery, one island is known for its beautiful white beaches and the other is great for hiking, because of the mountain ranges. The Cape Verdean style of music, food and the morabeza (is a word that characterizes being Cape Verdean and means open spirit, welcoming, hospitable, relaxed, islander etc) is what makes this country so fantastic.
“WE LOVED TO SEE THE SUNRISE EVERY DAY”
Our project group was located in the city of Praia on the island Santiago. Santiago is the largest island of Cape Verde and is home to the current capital, Praia. More than half of the Cape Verdeans now live on this island and it is the most African-influenced island of Cape Verde. The most difficult thing to adapt to was the lack of safety. Due to safety precautions, we could not go outside on our own, because it was dangerous, especially when it was dark outside. Our project group also experienced something known as a “casubody”, Creole slang for “cash or body”, which involves either robbing someone for cash or leaving the body behind if there is no cash. What we miss the most are the very nice people we met during our stay in Cape Verde. Next to that we also loved the lifestyle we had, including the possibility to see the sunrise on the horizon every day and enjoy the great weather. The most inspiring person we met was Savy, a student who provides education to the children who live on the street.
Santo Antão
Santa Luzia São Vicente Sal
São Nicolau
Boa Vista
Maio Brava
Fogo
Santiago
HOW IS CAPE VERDE? Fogo
Sal
The word Fogo means fire. Pico de Fogo, the active volcano dominates the island’s landscape as it is the highest point of Cape Verde. The volcanic soil makes the land furtile and therefore some excellent local products grow here, such as coffee and the famous Fogo wine.
Sal, one of the ten islands of Cape Verde is located in the middle of the exquisite turquoise-blue ocean. Sal is the most popular island as a holiday destination and is an island where people go to unwind because of the beautiful white beaches, good weather, nice local bars and restaurants.
Our project group stayed in Assomada on Santiago for the first two weeks. After that we moved to Nos Teiros on Fogo for one and a half weeks and finally, we spent four weeks in São Filipe. In the last place we had an incredible home with a rooftop terrace and beautiful views. It was a lovely colonial village with nice squares, restaurants and bars. There was also a very beautiful black sandy beach.
The most difficult thing to adapt to was the organising of things, or should I say, the lack of organising. We “Dutch” are a very methodical people, so letting go of that was a challenge for us. Nevertheless, not being that organised, created a certain amount of tranquillity in our lives. Another difficulty was the fact that there was no local fruit and vegetable supply in Sal, because the soil in not fertile enough. As a result, most of these products have to be imported from other islands or countries, which makes the prices of fruit and vegetables very high.
“THEY WANT TO SHARE WHATEVER THEY HAVE” The most difficult thing to adapt to was their perception of time; it was completely normal to make an appointment with someone for one o’clock and for them to arrive at three o’clock or they could even call you at half past one and say that the meeting would be cancelled and rescheduled for the following day. Furthermore, they are fine, friendly people who are willing to help you. The climate and the slow pace of life is what we miss the most about Fogo. In the Netherlands everything is rushed; everything needs to be finished and done here. The most inspiring people we met were Adriano Montrond and his wife Filomena; they lived in the Chã and their house was completely destroyed because of the volcano eruption. They currently live in a small house in a village just outside the Chã. They lost almost everything but when we arrived they instantly opened a bottle of homemade wine and took cheese and cake out of the cupboard and onto the table. We were not allowed to leave until it was finished. When we visited them on another occasion, exactly the same happened. We gave them a present of Manecom wine before we left. Although these people lost everything, they still want to share whatever they have with others; this is what they call ‘morabeza’.
We miss the “morabeza” the most. Morabeza is a word that characterizes being Cape Verdean and means open spirit, welcoming, hospitable, relaxed, islander etc... We will also miss the remote lifestyle, without any stress and living day to day; I think that the people who live in Sal get more (happiness) out of life compared to the Dutch.
“CREATED TRANQUILITY IN OUR LIVES” The most inspiring person we met was Nilda Margarida Cruz. Nilda is a social worker who puts a lot of time and effort into an organisation that cares for children living in the slums of Sal. She really takes such good care of these children and with so much love. Mainly, because of her experience with the children in the slums, Samantha Verouden even decided to go back to Sal to do further research and also her thesis. “I really want to help the children and their development, and this would give me a great feeling of satisfaction” says Samantha Verouden. (Photography: Sean Huizinga)
INTERN I 9
HOW IS INDONESIA? Indonesia, a country well known for its beautiful landscapes with green rice fields, tea plantations and white palm beaches, but this is only one side of the country. Indonesia is also a country that suffers hugely from environmental pollution, with polluted air, streets, rivers and soil. This makes Indonesia a country of contradictions.
Indonesia comprises more than 17,000 islands, which makes it the biggest island state in the world. The bestknown island is Bali, but the main islands are Java, Sumatra and Kalimantan, also known as Borneo. Java and Sumatra are mostly used for agriculture, while Kalimantan is more like ‘the jungle’ as most people expect. Indonesia has a tropical climate with wet and dry seasons and an average temperature of around thirty degrees. The biggest cities can be found on Java and Sumatra with the capital Jakarta in West-Java. Jakarta is one of the largest cities in the world and is really overwhelming when you visit it for the first time, because it is so crowded with people and traffic. The traffic is one of the biggest issues in all Indonesian cities. The streets are full of cars and an uncountable number of motorcycles. The colossal number of motorcycles causes such a lot of air pollution, which makes the Indonesian cities an unhealthy environment to live in. The quality of the living environment is a serious problem in Indonesia. As there is no efficient waste management system in place, it is common for people to throw their garbage wherever they want. Therefore, you can find a lot of garbage along the city streets and also in the polluted rivers.
Semarang
The contrast between the cities and the countryside is huge. The countryside of Java is quite varied with regions of rice fields, tea and coffee plantations and huge volcanoes. Indonesia is the country with the most active volcanoes, with Mount Merapi (mountain of fire) being the most active.
“INDONESIAN PEOPLE ARE VERY OPEN MINDED, HELPFUL AND HOSPITABLE WICH MAKES INDONESIA VERY ACCESIBLE” Indonesia is mainly an Islamic country and up to 95% of the inhabitants is Muslim. The Indonesian culture is based on relationships between the people. Indonesian people are very open-minded, helpful and hospitable which makes Indonesia very accessible as a foreign visitor. While the majority of the population is referred to as Islamic, the Indonesians are open to other cultures, tolerant and peaceful. The people are also very social. Their social life happens outside. Many people do not prepare food at home but do go out for lunch and dinner instead. This is because the street food is extremely cheap in Indonesia. A total meal will cost around 20.000 rupiah. For comparison purposes, one euro is worth around 16.000 rupiah. When you go out for lunch or dinner, there is a huge variety of choices, but one thing for sure is that you will eat rice. (Photography: Marleen Siers)
HOW IS THE NETHERLANDS? “IT IS A GREAT EXPERIENCE TO STUDY IN A PLACE WHERE ACTIVITIES FLOURISH AND WHERE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT PLAYS A BIG ROLE” The fieldwork in Rotterdam took place in the Four Harbor Block (4HB), part of the Merwe-Vierhavens. The surrounding neighbourhoods are Delfshaven and Marconiplein. Characterized in the past by its portrelated and heavy industrial activities. The Merwe-Vierhavens is now turning into a living and working environment, in which Food, Medical, Health Care, and Creative Industries are the most promising, according to the plans of the Municipality of Rotterdam. At the moment, it is a very isolated area, suffering from low accessibility due to a decreasing economy and only industrial activities, without green or public areas.
Our group, consisting of three Dutch and two international students, studying here for 2 months at the beginning of the fieldwork, did not have any major problems concerning adaptation as some members of the group were able to speak Dutch and clarify any situation properly. However, the working atmosphere was very specific and unique and the client, Ebami Tom, made the Fair Design Square available to the group of students. This place facilitates activities of the cooperative MadeIn4Havens and works in close collaboration with art students and different workers acting for “sustainable design”, mainly with refurbished materials. It is a great experience to study in a place where activities flourish and where sustainable development plays a big role in the different projects. Then, the fieldwork is naturally improved thanks to these dynamics and interactions within the Fair Design Square. Consequently, the group had opportunities to meet inspiring people during this fieldwork. Firstly, the client is also the architect and founder of the MadeIn4Havens. Through his particular vision of the development on the Four Harbour Block, and his deep involvement in the cooperative, this man was an accelerator of the research. He gave suggestions about progression in the project, but also ideas to solve particular issues in the surrounding neighbourhoods. Thanks to all those who participated, this fieldwork was full of surprises and totally unique, even in the city of Rotterdam. (Photography: stayokay.com, urbanisten.nl)
INTERN I 11
CAPE VERDE SANTIAGO Interview with Serife Dikbas and Michau Breet
The Santiago group consisted out of 9 students: Lotte de Jonge, Serife Dikbas, Michau Breet, Stephanie Bergen-Hengouwen, Jenny van Adel, Esther van den Brugge, Lily Wouters, Hilbeth Santos and Sean Huizinga went to Praia, the capital city of Cape Verde for our field research. (After two weeks Jenny and Esther decided to finish the project in The Netherlands and the rest of the group continued with the field research in Cape Verde).
What were your recommendations?
In order to make use of the resort again we recommended that the Sambala management should be changed so that it can be either turned back into a resort again or the houses should be rented out to the high-income class of Cape Verde. But in order to do this, legal issues need to be solved and facilities need to be connected in and around the resort.
What were the setbacks?
Our assignment was to find out whether or not it was possible to transform unfinished/abandoned resort(s) into social housing on Santiago, Cape Verde. We did research on the possibilities to transform the abandoned Sambala Village resort into social housing.
A problem we had to deal with during this research was the fact that there were on-going lawsuits between Sambala Management and a lot of people. As a result, many people we tried to interview were hesitant to talk about Sambala and it was also hard for us to visit the resort. Another setback would be the language. Not a lot of people speak English in Cape Verde so almost everywhere we went, our team member Hilbeth had to come with us to translate.
What were the results?
Things that surprised you during the project?
What was the research topic?
The resort does not suit the norms, values and wishes of the target group for social housing, Sambala Village is too modern for them and the transformation would be too expensive. Also, the resort is located on the top of a mountain and lacks many facilities and there is no water or electricity supplies. One of the most difficult aspects of the transformation would be the legal issues as all the houses in Sambala Village are owned by different people (investors) and one of the contractual agreements is that the property cannot be sold to a native Cape Verdean.
In our first week we made many contacts and held many interviews with different institutes. A lot of people wanted to help us and made a lot of time for us. For example, in our first week, we went to the Ministry of Environment and they drove us around the city to show us different social housing projects and also gave an impressive presentation. Before going to Cape Verde we were told that Power Distance was very high in this country, but we found out that this was not the case at all. Instead of that the word ‘Morabeza’, which stands for hospitality, was extremely important in this country.
THE “MORABEZA” WAS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT IN THIS COUNTRY
WE WERE FLABBERGASTED BY THE ENTHUSIASM AND OPENNESS OF THE CAPE VERDEANS Interview with Samantha Verouden Jazz Correa, Dionne van den Eng, Daniëlle de Lange, Sama Khorasani, Dennis Valkenburg, Vanildo Varela and Samantha Verouden went to the beautiful island of Sal in Cape Verde. They created a product that has a positive effect on the adolescents/teenagers.
What was the research topic? Through the InterCambios International (ICI) foundation, we came across a research project in Sal, Cape Verde called Education for a Sustainable Development. We based our topic on this project and subsequently formed our research question: ‘How can education on the island of Sal bridge the economic and social gap between local inhabitants and tourists in a sustainable manner?’.
What were the results? After doing research and all the interviews we carried out with the locals, our project group came up with several products. “The Mirror” (O Espelho) is a workbook for teenagers that will be used in high schools and it is designed to develop a person’s identity and future focus. “Humans of Sal”, inspired by Humans of New York, was a project to show different stories on social media, from different people living in Sal. “Project Mirror” was created with all the stories and pictures we collected through the “Humans of Sal” project. We showed all the stories to a larger group of people during the benefit we organised. In front of the posters we placed a box and inside the box there was a mirror with a text saying: “inside this box there is a picture of someone who is beautiful, kind and caring,
the smallest change can be made with the person inside this box”. And with this we hoped to get donations for our book “The Mirror”.
What were your recommendations? Although our project group did not write a recommendation, we did, however, create a product (The Mirror and Humans of Sal). The next group to do their project in Sal can check if the product we created has had a positive effect on the adolescents/teenagers there and if they were able to pursue the work we carried out.
What were the setbacks? To be honest, I did not really experience any setbacks. The local people were so enthusiastic, kind and helpful. Sometimes the planning did not really go as we had in mind or that we hoped for, but we were flexible and able to adapt. The only thing our project group found difficult was not being sure of what we were exactly going to research when we travelled to Sal. This uncertainty actually led to our creativity and we were able to deliver something valuable and really necessary to the inhabitants of the island.
Things that surprised you during the project? We were flabbergasted by the enthusiasm and openness of the Cape Verdeans. Everyone we met wanted to collaborate and help us with our project. We were able to make people aware of our project through a local news broadcast and even hotels offered to help us with the benefit we organised.
CAPE VERDE SAL INTERN I 13
CAPE VERDE FOGO Interview with Olivier Doesburg
Emma van Staalduinen, Lenard Hofland, Pim de Jong and Olivier Doesburg went to Fogo island to do their fieldwork. They researched the reconstruction of Fogo after the volcanic eruption.
What was the research topic? The topic of our research is the reconstruction and redevelopment of the village of ‘Chã das Caldeiras’ on the island of Fogo. The two parts of the village were completely demolished during the 2014 and 2015 volcanic eruptions. The last being the third eruption in a row and although the government does not want the people to return to their villages, as it would cost too much money, the people themselves want to return. This course of events is happening right now which cannot lead to a resilient society.
What were the results? Enumerations of different factors that have effect and are determinant for the resilience of the society. Factors like monitoring the volcano, collaborating between the government and the citizens, infrastructure, economic aspects and the communication and trust between the citizens and the government.
What were your recommendations?
Local citizens need to be involved in policy making. Expand the monitoring of the volcano activities and carry out research into the possibilities of a financial safety net in the case of a possible further eruption. We hope that the government will see that the current approach has already failed twice and that it is highly likely that it will fail again and therefore it needs to be revised. The research report will be handed out to the relevant parties; the government for example.
What were the setbacks? Making and planning appointments caused setbacks due to the unreliability of public transport timetable schedules. Even the boat we should have taken departed one and a half hours earlier than scheduled when we were returning from Fogo to Santiago. This was the last boat before our intercontinental flight left, but great difficulty we arranged our flight tickets in time. This was not pleasant experience.
Things that surprised you during the project? People’s openness and their willingness to help was a great surprise. We spoke with all the mayors and everyone was willing to help us. We could just call them if we needed anything.
Local citizens need to be involved in policy making
“TO SEE THE JOY IN THE EYES OF THE CHILDREN WAS an AWESOME experience” During the final weeks of our project we, the project group in Santiago, met Savy, a studen who studies journalism. Savy is a Rastafari and he strongly hopes for a better world. To achieve this he gives classes and workshops like music to children living on the streets. We went to the place where he teaches and it was clear to see that he did not have enough facilities to provide education to the children. There were, for example, only a few chairs and tables for more than 20 children He had a good mindset, but unfortunately he did not have the right resources.
Can you see me?
We thought that we needed to do something about this situation and decided to collect money and sponsor his project. Through Facebook, we asked our friends and families to make a small contribution. We bought notebooks, writing material, crayons, 20 chairs and toys from the money we collected. Afterwards, we spent the day with the children drawing our dream houses. That day was the greatest experience throughout our two months in Cape Verde. To see the joy in the eyes of the children and
I am representing history!
“BY LISTENING TO THEIR STORIES WE CREATE AN OVERVIEW OF THE REAL SAL” We have noticed that most tourists who go to visit the Island of Sal have an unrealistic image of what happens in the streets beyond the walls of the all- Inclusive holiday resorts. As a result, we created this Facebook- page: Humans of Sal (inspired by Humans of New York), to show the world the real Sal. We can do this by interacting with the people we meet on Facebook. By listening to their stories and providing pictures we can create an overview of what we think is the real Sal. We hope that you will come to love the island and its people as much as we do. www.facebook.com/Humansofsal shows you the real Sal. Here you’ll find stories and testimonials from local people and visitors to the island.
My life is not difficult, I have a home and a job INTERN I 15
DAAN ROOSEGAARDE
IMPROVE OUR WORLD AND OUR LIVING SPACE Talking about innovation, resilience and sustainability, a well-known name in this field of expertise is Daan Roosegaarde, founder and leader of Studio Roosegaarde. Daan Roosegaarde is a Dutch artist and innovator, internationally known for creating social designs exploring the relation between people, technology and space. Based in the Netherlands and Shanghai, Studio Roosegaarde is the social design lab with his team of designers and engineers.
Motivation
Together with his team Daan Roosegaarde thinks about new technologies to improve our world. Improving the world is his highest motivation when thinking about new projects, ranging from fashion to architecture. The technology developments through the years contributed to our prosperity but brought also new environmental issues and challenges. With his innovative ideas Daan Roosegaarde wants to excite government and business to involve in regeneration and improvement. In his opinion the people’s majority only gives their opinion about these topics but don’t come up with any suggestions or ideas. And that’s what our world need: ideas to improve our world and our living space. In an interview with Dutch newspaper Vrij Nederland he quotes the Canadian philosopher and scientist Marshall McLuhan saying: there are no passengers on spaceship Earth, we’re all crew.
Smart Highway
Studio Roosegaarde became known with the project Smart Highway. The Smart Highway is the interactive and sustainable road of tomorrow, developed in collaboration with Heijmans Infrastructure. Its goal is to make smart roads by using light, energy and information that interact with the traffic situation. The Smart Highway contains glowing lines that charge at daytime. The lines will glow at night for eight hours. The first Smart Highway actually have been realized in The Netherlands and the concept will be further launched internationally. The concept is also applied in the Van Gogh-Roosegaarde bicycle path in Nuenen, Netherlands. The bicycle path is located at the place where the famous artist Vincent van Gogh lived from 1883 till 1885. In the path, technology and cultural heritage meet each other. Over a length of 600 meters, thousands of glowing rhinestones are integrated in the coating layer of the asphalt. At night, these glowing rhinestones give an incredible sight of the bicycle path. The bicycle path can be seen on the left page.
Smog-free tower
In their newest project, Studio Roosegaarde developed a smog-free tower. Driven by the personal experience of bad air quality in Beijing, Daan Roosegaarde took initiative to make people aware of how it feels to live in a place without air pollution. The numbers of air pollution don’t solve anything of the problem, it is time to let people experience by themselves how it could be. Today, the first proto-type is built in Rotterdam, behind the studio of Daan Roosegaarde. The tower aspirated the air from the surrounding area, cleans it and blow clean air out again. This process creates a so-called ‘smog-free bubble’ in the surrounding area, allowing people to experience clean air for free. Smog-free towers are a feasible solution for cleaner air, but it’s not going to help a whole city. It is a local solution. We need more large-scale decisions about cleaner energy, electric cars and emissions. But at least, Daan Roosegaarde triggers people to think about a cleaner environment with his very innovate and inspiring projects. (Source: studioroosegaarde.net, Photography: heijmans.nl)
INTERN I 17
TOP A representation of a future Casa Para Todos project BOTTOM Children playing outside of a Casa Para Todos complex
FRANSCISCO LIVRAMENTO
Social Housing in Cape Verde
Franscisco Manuel Vieira Livramento is an architect, Cape-Verdean and has a French nationality. He currently works for the ‘Casa Para Todos’ program in Cape Verde.
What did you study? I graduated 25 years ago from “Ecole Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture de Nantes - ENSAN - ENSA Nantes”.
What is your occupation and role in the ProHabitar & Programa Casa Para Todos? I am one of the authors and coordinators of the PCT. I am also the author and in charge of the implementation of the subprogram PROHABITAR project.
What is your history? I worked as a teacher in primary school from 1981 to 1982. 1982 – 1983 taught Descriptive Geometry in Domingos Ramos high school. 2003 – 2004 lectured in Architecture at the Jean Piaget University. 2004 – 2005 lectured in Architecture at the Jean Piaget University. As a field trip lover and having architecture as a focus, I have traveled to Europe (Germany, Andorra, Austria, Spain, France, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, United Kingdom, Czech Republic, Sweden, Switzerland and Turkey). I have also traveled to Japan, China, Vietnam, Brazil and Australia. In my continent, I have been to Angola, Algeria, Morocco, Mauritania, Mali, Kenya and Senegal.
Can you tell more about the Casa Para Todos program? The government of Cape Verde chose 2009 as the “Year of Housing” and a series of measures and strategies to promote social habitation in the country, seeking to create the conditions for gradual fulfillment of one of the constitutional provisions, the right to adequate housing, long claimed by the population. The social housing policy was elected as a priority of public policy for the coming years. A plan of action was developed to be implemented from 2010 to 2016 designated “Programa Casa para Todos” which defines the vision, mission, strategic priorities, goals and a set of programs and projects that will result in an effective reduction of the housing deficit over the coming years.
In what way is Casa Para Todos sustainable? The PCT is sustainable because it has been implemented from the restructuring of institutional matrices, financial and Cape Verdean human resources, exploring models, technologies, material and financial resources. I aim to promote compatible housing of a basic standard by redirecting the expectations of Cape Verdeans to the effective capacity of families, with a view to the implementation of the constitutional right to housing for all and the cultural need of owning a house.
What would you like to accomplish in the future? I want to keep doing private architectural projects and improve CPT. (Photography: Francisco Livramento, Casa Para Todos)
INTERN I 19
Indonesia Taken when walking along the outer edge of the project area. This man was standing on the side of the road with his Becak. When he spotted the camera he reacted enthusiasticly. The picture was taken at exactly that moment. (Photography: Bart Nagelkerke)
Indonesia Children who live in the Kemijen area. They are
cheerful and happy. They do not mind their poor enviromental quality. (Photography: Ranoe Ramjiawan)
INTERN I 21
INDONESIA SEMARANG Interview with Kees Stam
Kees Stam and Justin van den Baard went to Semarang, a city in Central Java in Indonesia. Their research area was the Kota Lama in Semarang. The Kota Lama, an old Dutch city, used by the Dutch East India Company. The old Dutch VOC buildings are still visible there, but many of them are abandoned and in really bad condition today. They did research on the revitalization of the Kota Lama.
What was the research topic? Before our departure to Semarang we wanted to give some recommendations on how to revitalize the Kota Lama. But after we realised there was so much indistinctness about the current situation and conditions in the Kota Lama, we decided to do a valid and detailed research into the current situation in the Kota Lama. We did a lot of fieldwork and mapped all the buildings in the Kota Lama on their function, physical condition and their historical value. We did this research as a starting point for future research on revitalization projects in the Kota Lama.
What were the results?
What were your recommendations?
We gave some general recommendations to stimulate revitalization in the Kota Lama. The most important being that the Semarang government acknowledges the value of the Kota Lama because without the support of the local government, it will be hard to revitalize it. Focussing on tourism and establishing an overall organization will also help the process of revitalization.
What were your main setbacks? As we had to try to figure out what function each building had, we had to talk a lot with the local inhabitants and sometimes the language barrier was hard to overcome. Luckily, most of the time we had an Indonesian student collaborating with us to translate everything. After doing all the fieldwork we had so much data, it was sometimes hard to manage it all.
What surprised you the most during the project? What surprised me the most was the fact that not many people saw or understood the value of the Kota Lama although it was a really nice area, especially the restored buildings. Someone told us that the government would rather lose the Kota Lama than try to preserve it as a historical district.
We figured out that almost 40% per cent of all the buildings in the Kota Lama had no or little economic activity resulting in the buildings looking abandoned. Approximately 39% of the historical value of the buildings is still visible which makes them interesting for any future restoration projects. Unfortunately, the condition of 80% of the historical buildings is insufficient and in some cases even extremely bad. Therefore, there is a serious risk of buildings collapsing, causing the Kota Lama to lose some of their historical and iconic buildings. For our reference research, the main point is that revitalization always starts by acknowledging the value of a historical district. And, at this stage, the Semarang government is struggling with this.
revitalization always starts by acknowledging the value
Our expectations of the area was so different from reality Interview with Marleen Siers Marleen Siers went to Semarang with Bart Nagelkerke, Thomas Ohm and Riko Dwi Saputra. The project area concerned the Kota Lama in Semarang. The Kota Lama is the oldest part of Semarang. It was built in the Dutch colonial era in Indonesia. During this era the Kota Lama was the economic centre of the city. It has a lot of colonial buildings and it exudes the colonial atmosphere. They did research on the development of tourism in the Kota Lama.
What was the research topic? The topic of our project was to achieve economic growth in the Kota Lama. In our research we chose to focus on the development of tourism in the area as tourism is well known for achieving quick economic growth and the Kota Lama has a lot of potential to become a tourist destination.
What were the results? We used the GAP-analysis for our research. In order to analyze the current situation we focused on mapping the area. We created maps of public places, transportation, buildings and the current places of interest. To analyze the desired situation we interviewed local inhabitants, tourists and experts. The locals were mostly focused on improvements to the waste management system and the safety of the area. They also mentioned the fact that the municipality does not keep to their word when it comes to the restoration of the buildings.
Tourists, we spoke to, mentioned the restoration of the buildings and the structuring of the street vendors as points of improvement. The local visitors focused more on safety and the cleanliness of the area. We figured out that the number of inter national tourists in the Kota Lama is almost negligible compared to the number of local visitors. We also analysed the desired places of interest and we did a trend research concerning the Kota Lama.
What were your recommendations? Our recommendations focused on a few topics. These topics are: marketing, structuring the street vendors, creating a clean environment and offering creative, authentic and unique workshops for tourists. Most of the recommendations concern further research, especially regarding the waste management system and the structuring of the street vendors. It would help a lot if the Indonesian government websites concerning tourism would mention the Kota Lama as a highlight for tourists. More information in English would ensure a growth in the number of international tourists to the area.
Did you experience setbacks during the project period? The image we had, of the Kota Lama, did not meet reality. We had expected a slum area, but this was absolutely not the case. Our expectation of the area was so different from reality that we needed to change our research plan.
What things surprised you during the project? The thing that surprised me the most was the state of the buildings some people lived in. This made me aware of how bad the living conditions really were. Another thing, that in Western terms, the Kota Lama has a lot of potential as a tourist area, but tourists and Indonesians still have to discover this. (Photography: travelphotography.net)
INDONESIA SEMARANG
INTERN I 23
I was amazed how they dispose their waste Interview with Lijanne Edelijn Lijanne Edelijn went to the Kemijen area in Semarang together with Ranoe Ramjiawan, Ameed Hasiba and Mitchell van Zeeventer. They formulated a sustainable polder-system-development strategy.
What was the research topic? How to formulate a sustainable polder-system-development strategy as a long-term solution for the operation and maintenance of the Banger polder.
What were the results? In order to make the pumping station fully operational around 75 inhabitants will have to leave their illegal homes. To house these people flats have already been built, but the people do not want to cooperate and move. It is important for the government and BPP SIMA (a water board set up for the Banger polder project) to gain the trust of the inhabitants in order to get them to move. The construction of the temporary dam is the first step to gain their trust. We explained the possibility of implementing a water tax or tax levy. BBP SIMA has already constructed a plan to achieve this. They devised a five-year finance plan for the polder and the government will bear the costs in the first year of operation. In the years following, the inhabitants will finance a larger part of the operation and also maintenance costs. After five years the inhabitants should pay the full amount of the costs.
A small business enterprise will also need to be established to guarantee the sustainability of the water fee as a source of funding for the operation and maintenance of the Banger Polder. In order for the plan to be sustainable it is important to make investing in the polder system attractive. This will have a positive influence on the relocation of inhabitants from the slums and it will help improve the infrastructure.
What are your recommendations? Our first recommendation is that BPP SIMA should introduce a water fee. It would be hard to implement a taxation system such as the one applied in the Netherlands, as the Dutch tax system is different from the Indonesian one. They would also have to provide extensive communication to the inhabitants of Semarang. Despite the fact that only East Semarang will feel the positive impact of the Banger Polder, all Semarang people have to accept the tax levy. This could cause a lack of sympathy among the inhabitants of other parts of Semarang. Besides that, as most of the people in East Semarang live in poverty and work as casual workers, they would not have sufficient funds to pay tax every month. The second recommendation focuses on the implementation of economicgrowth-development- programs as the alternative solution to casual workers. These programs are designed to anticipate the decline of the economic conditions of the inhabitants caused by whe water fee.
What things surprised you during the project? While walking through the Kemijen area we saw a huge amount of dumped garbage and part of it was on the street where we were walking. I was really amazed by the way they dispose their waste.
INDONESIA SEMARANG
“CHOOSING BETWEEN THE ECONOMY AND THE ENVIrONMENT IS A FALSE DICHOTOMY” The International Cooperation and Sustainable Development program is a Minor programme cooperation between our university in Indonesia (UNISSULA) and Rotterdam University of Applied Science in the field of environmental research.
Hello sir, how are you?
Being a part of the Minor programme of International Cooperation and Sustainable Development at the Rotterdam University, has given us new insight into what we face today in an environmental context, and how to build our areas and communities more resiliently and sustainably. We stepped out of our comfort zones to join this minor programme, because at my University in Indonesia, we didn’t have any courses that focused on the environment, or anything in relation to economic and sustainable development. Since joining this minor programme, we became aware that choosing between the economy and the environment is a false dichotomy. Long-term economic prosperity will require healthy ecosystems and environments. We need solutions for achieving economic growth, while maintaining and recovering the life-supporting services provided by ecosystems. Moreover, sustainable development concerns not only economics and natural environment, but also society and political or government system. New course, new place, new culture, new people, and different teaching and learning methods required quick adaptation but it was very enjoyable. By joining this minor programme, it makes us understand more about how to collaborate with other people who have quite different backgrounds, as we know that Indonesian and Dutch people have a lot of differences in culture dimensions (communitarianism – individualism, high power distance – low power distance, etc.) And now, we have had a lot of experience working with Dutch students, becoming friends with them, and they are very good friends to work and hang out with. In this minor programme, the Dutch lecturers were also very kind and critical regarding these complex problems in an urban area, they inspired us to give attention to the social and environmental problems around us, and be more critical to come up with practical solutions to solve these problems. Finally, we would like to thank you for this new insight, and an unforgettable experience that we had during our study at the Rotterdam University. We hope future cooperation between Indonesia and the Netherlands, particularly in this minor programme, can continue. Sharing knowledge about sustainable development concepts and practices to make a better environment in a more resilient and sustainable context. (Text: Syafriana, Hasran, Riko and Ibnu, Photography left: Ranoe Ramjiawan)
Are you making a picture of us? INTERN I 25
LOCAL PRODUCTS Food & Wine & Fashion & Design & Jewelry & Bodycare 1 2
Dutch Design
A fruit plantation in Santa Cruz, Cape Verde (www.ndp.exposure.com)
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FROM BALI
1. Fogo do Chão
3. Silver Bali Bracelet
Batik
2. VanMoof Bicycle
4. Fogo Coffee Spirit
6. Bali Ratih body butter
The ‘Fogo do Chão’ is a red and white wine produced on Fogo, Cape Verde. The bottle embraces the fiery landscape it comes from. The wine is elegant, with complex taste and superb fruity flavors. For sale at www.fogodechao.com
Dutch Design at its best; the VanMoof bicycle is a world famous product that can be seen in Amsterdam, New York, Barcelona, Tokyo or Sydney. Move around town faster in style! Contact for sale points at: www.vanmoof.com
The little things are the ones that matter. This little silver with gold bracelet will become your favorite accessory. The Bali-inspired design is stunning. For sale at www.hsn.com
The volcanic soil of Fogo makes this coffee very special, unique and exquisite.100% Arabica and Organic. Curious how this special coffee taste? Try it yourself and go to the specialty espressobar Bocca Coffee in Amsterdam (Kerkstraat 96). www.bocca.nl
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5. Batik
Batik garments play a central role in Indonesian rituals. Many are symbolic. Batik brings the person who wears it luck and happiness. Batik is part of the Indonesian UNESCO heritage. For sale at www.gomanstore.com
A velvet, hydrating boddy butter that is whipped to perfection. Next to body butter, Bali Ratih has a range of different products for healthier, youthful and radiant skin and hair. Contact for sale points at: www.baliratih.web.id
INTERN I 27
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ENJOY
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HOTSPOTS
The SPECIAL and AMAZING places you should visit
1. Kralingse Bos (Rotterdam, The Netherlands)
The ‘Kralingse Bos’ is one of the most beautiful woodlands in the Netherlands. The area covers 200 hectares and comprises water, woodlands and grasslands. Multiple facilities can be found here such as pancake restaurants, sports or a children’s farm. Every bit of stress will vanish immediately after a visit. (Photography: moosterhout.nl)
2. 5al da Música (Praia, Cape Verde)
The capital of Santiago, Praia is rich with restaurants, bars and cafés, but only a few of them will capture your heart. A good example is 5al da Música, this small restaurant serves local food with live music. Multiple big Cape Verdean artists played here. The place to be for a muscial diner. (Photography: facebook.com/5aldamusica)
3. Cape Fruit (Santa Maria, Cape Verde)
A little piece of organic food heaven can be found in Santa Maria on the island Sal in Cape Verde. This restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and snacks using fresh and healthy ingredients. The ambience, friendly staff and the good food make this place a true gem. (Photography: tripadvisor.co.uk)
4. Chã das Caldeiras (Fogo, Cape Verde)
This little village is situated in the crater of the active volcano ‘Pico do Fogo’ on the island Fogo in Cape Verde. The place is bizarre and beautiful at the same time. The moon-like landscape and the enormous size of the crater makes you feel super tiny and out of this world. (Photography: earth-of-fire.com)
5. Curug Lawe (Kalisidi, Indonesia)
This waterfall will make you realise how small you are. It lies in the village of ‘Kalisidi’ north of the centre of Semarang. It is a half-hour drive to the waterfalls from the city centre and it takes half an hour to walk from the car park to the waterfalls. The landscape and waterfalls are just as magical as they are beautiful. (Photography: Marleen Siers)
6. Sakapatat Beer Garden (Semarang, Indonesia)
Indonesia has a lot of European influences and a good example is this Beer Garden in Semarang. The Flemish owner serves a variety of Belgian and Asian special beers. He also serves Indonesian and Western food, such as traditional Flemish fries. The place to be if you are looking for a cold beer! (Photography: Sakapatat Beer Garden)
7. Skypool STAR Hotel (Semarang, Indonesia)
Be prepared for extraordinary views from the highest swimming pool in Indonesia approximately 100 meters above ground level. The whole city can be observed from here while enjoying a cocktail in the skypool. The skypool can be found on the 30th floor of the STAR hotel, the highest building in Semarang. The hotel also offers other, luxurious facilities. (Photography: mediasemarangonline.com)
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INTERN I 29
LOCAL FOOD Dutch Pea Soup Ingredients
100 gram streaky bacon 500 gram split peas 2 large onions 2 litre water 2 potatoes 2 leeks
500 gram ham hock 1 smoked sausage 1 bunch celery 1 large carrot 1 celeriac
Rye bread (optional) Slices of ‘katenspek’; lightly streaked pork, first boiled and then smoked back (optional)
Dutch Indonesian Cape Verdean
Preparation
Rinse the split peas in a sieve under the running tap. Bring water to the boil with the peas, gammon and bacon. Skim off the floating scum. Pour all water off, rinse peas and meat again and put them back on the fire with clean water. Meanwhile, prepare the vegatbles. Cut the skin of the celeriac, peel the potatoes, and dice celeriac and potatoes. Peel the carrot and dice it. Cut the leeks and wash them. Add the vegetables to the pan and let simmer until the peas are done in around one and a half to two hours. Take the meat out of the pan and cut in small pieces. Return the meat to the pan. Wash the sprigs of celery and chop the leaves. Twenty minutes before the end of cooking, add the whole smoked sausage and the celery. Finish off with peper and salt.
Serving
The pea soup is still fairly liquid. Let it cool completely and reheat it the next day, or freeze in portions. Serve with rye bread and katenspek. (Recipe: coquinaria.nl, Photography: vvv-adventure.nl)
eet smakelijk!
Selamat makan!
Ingredients
500 gram red snapper 3 red hot chilli peppers 6 hot chilli peppers 2 cups indonesian basil 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 tomatoe 1/2 cup canola oil 400 gram shallot
Preperation
Indonesian Ikan Rica Rica
Clean the red snapper. Peel and finely slice the shallots. Deseed and slice the chillies. Cut the tomatoe in squares. Heat up the oil in a frying pan at medium fire. Shallow frie the fish until golden brown at both sides. Remove and place on a plate when it is finished. Heat up three teaspoons of oil in a wok and frie sliced shallots for two minutes. Add all the chilli peppers and the tomatoe and stir until well combined. Season with the sea salt. Add the fried fish and make sure it is good coated with the spices. Add lemon basil and stir for one minute. Transfer the fish onto a serving plate.
Serving
Garnish with fresh lemon basil, serve with rice. (Recipe: Cooking Tackle, Photography: info-kuliner)
Ingredients
2 cups of corn 1 small cabbage 1 cup lima beans 1/2 cup stone beans 500 gram pork meat 250 gram chorico sausage
2 tomatoes 6 garlic buds 1 small pumpkin 2 laurel bay leaves 1 chicken bouillon cube 1/4 cup red kidney beans
Cape Verdean Cachupa
Preparation
Wash all the dry corn and beans. Boil corn for 10 minutes in a big 10 liter kettle and carefully discard froth which collects on the top. Add the dry beans, 1 bay leaf and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Bring this to boil. Lower the heat enough to maintain a steady but slowly boiling process. Add the pork and leave the cover slightly open. After the mixture has boiled for the first hour add the sausage. Cook the sausage partially covered at low heat. Let the whole kettle boil for half an hour. Add the chopped tomatoes, the cabbage, the garlic and the last laurel leave. Add the pumpkin after again half an hour cooking. Let this cook for half an hour before it is finished.
Serving
Let the Cachupa cool down for at least twenty minutes before serving. (Recipe: Raymond Almeida, Photography: foodie.pt)
bom apetite! INTERN I 31
THE NETHERLANDS ROTTERDAM Interview with Bastien Massias Joris Pickkers, Rebecca Raven, Michel Houtkamp, Marina Daros and Bastien Massias were one project group. The minor programme ICSD had one fieldwork project in the Netherlands, in Rotterdam. Without doubt, the Merwe-Vierhavens is suffering from a restructuring of the industrial port-related activities. This area needs a new era of development, also with regard to socio-economic and environmental issues in the surrounding neighbourhood like Delfshaven.
It is a way of connecting the area with its surrounding neighbourhoods, and relates to economic growth, education and entrepreneurship. Concerning carrying capacity, the research demonstrated that the zone could house 350 people, and be 100% sustainable (electricity; CO2). Then, two scenarios were studied in depth, for post 2025. The first being with housing for 1,250 people (1,600 in total), and 46,000 m² for business area. This scenario could be 50% sustainable. The other scenario would remain 100% sustainable but without any of the businesses and the housing would be within the whole M4H.
Unemployment and a lack of education are dramatically important, but also pollution and a declining economy are affecting this location. That’s why the Municipality plans to turn this zone into a modern and sustainable neighborhood. Ebami Tom, architect and creator of the cooperation “MadeIn4Havens”, has a particular vision for the development of the Merwe-Vierhavens (M4H). He was the client throughout the fieldwork, focused on the Four Harbor Block.
What were your recommendations?
What was the research topic?
What were the setbacks?
The main Question of research was “How can the Four Harbor Block establish a socio-economic connection with the surrounding neighbourhoods and ensure its future potential function without exceeding its ecological carrying capacity and create a new sustainable and healthy, living and working environment, in the city of Rotterdam?” Thanks to a multidisciplinary group, we studied different topics of resiliency such as alternative energy, pollution, health, social cohesion and economy. The whole area would manage to ensure a sustainable urban form, paying attention to spatial quality and needs.
What were the results?
In order to build a living and working environment (Municipality plans), the first scenario would be preferable. But even with the other choice, the research advise is to develop the Four Harbor Block in collaboration with the whole M4H. It is the same conclusion in order to reduce unemployment, it is possible only if a local economy is facilitated within the M4H.
The most important thing was to create an architectural model. There was no one in the group who was skilled to lead such a project, but working collaboratively allowed us to be able to do this. It is very simple but allows to visualize correctly the area needed for each of our suggestions.
Things that surprised you during the project? The most surprising thing in this fieldwork was, of course, the Smog-Free Tower, built by Studio Roosegaarde. Being able to purify the air and separate all the impurities, this tower is a fantastic technological and ecological accomplishment. (Photography: nlrtm.nl)
Art/Design and Creative industry being fundamental for the client, it was decided to build a school, dedicated to LowTech Engineering.
WORKING COLLABORATIVELY ALLOWED US TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS
Look, I am a Windmill!
“I DISCOVERD A NEW URBAN LIFESTYLE HERE”
Even though it rains all the time, The Netherlands is a very beautiful country and totally worth visiting. And so is Rotterdam. I’m very glad to be here, especially because this Minor programme has everything to do with my field of work, which is Civil Engineering. Most of the people I met during this exchange program were friendly and willing to help me when I needed it. The biggest cultural difference I found here was that people are very individualist and strict on schedules. On the one hand, it is very good because everything works on time, but on the other, I noticed that some people don’t do anything beyond their own duty – even if it is to help someone.
I never knew pink elephants existed..
In general, I would say that I like it here a lot, even with the cultural differences, and this exchange programme was totally worth it! Coming from France where big cities are busy and noisy, I discovered a new urban lifestyle here in the Netherlands, especially in Rotterdam, which is much more comfortable. Green is more present in the urban design, and people are less stressed than in Paris for instance. People I met were very helpful and friendly towards me. However, I had some difficulties adapting to a strong individualism, and the big gap between a person’s professional and personal life. I think this is the most notable difference between Dutch and more Latin cultures. Nevertheless, I will keep memorable souvenirs from this minor programme and the Dutch culture in general. (Text: Bastien Massias, Photography: Marina Daros)
INTERN I 33
FLOATING BUILDINGS
THE FLEXBASE CONCEPT Floating buildings is a current topic on a more sustainable and resilient environment. Social issues like a lack of space and possible climate problems are crying out for an innovative solution. A part of the solution can be building on water, in other words: a floating building. But how? The Dutch company FlexBase has designed an innovative concept for a floating building.
Why a floating building? In the year 2007, for the first time, as many people lived in a city as in the outskirts. On a daily basis approximately 200,000 people worldwide settle in a city. This urbanization leads to a greater vulnerability to natural disasters, as population and economic value increasingly become concentrated in a limited area. The effects of climate change will affect urbanized areas first. Rising sea levels, the intensity and frequency of bad weather conditions and further urbanization will have a major influence on cities and lowland delta areas. It is vital that these vulnerable areas adapt to the future. In the battle against water, a floating building is a great example of innovation trying to adapt to the future. In fact, building on water makes the problem become part of the solution.
FlexBase The pioneering idea of a floating building is the concept of FlexBase. FlexBase designs and implements floating foundations for buildings, based on the buoyancy of Expanded Polystyrene (EPS), also known as Styrofoam. This product is mostly used as insulation. The concept of FlexBase gives EPS a totally new use which can be implemented on a large-scale.
Technology The concept of FlexBase EPS is used to build a floating platform which carries the building upon it. FlexBase says EPS has a lot of benefits. Firstly, water cannot affect EPS and it does not decompose. This makes EPS a sustainable product. Besides that, a platform of EPS is almost unsinkable with a very high buoyancy level, and it does not require any maintenance once it is built. The starting point of the FlexBase concept is that the platform is actually built on the water. This means the shape and size of the platform can be achieved without having to worry about bridges or locks. The EPS has a coating that protects it against insects, animals and chemical substances. The coating that is used does not contain any toxic materials and is shockproof. The floating platform is provided with a concrete floor with all the required pipework. The construction of the platform can be strengthened depending on the future load. After the construction of the platform with a concrete floor, a third party company can construct the superstructure.
Implementation Nowadays, several projects using the concept of FlexBase have been successfully realized. Not only in Europe, but all over the world. The FlexBase concept has already been implemented in countries like Indonesia and Bangladesh. One great example in the Netherlands, using the concept of Flexbase, is the Floating Pavilion in Rotterdam that can be seen on the left page. This event venue is available for conferences, exhibitions, presentations, receptions and dinners. In fact, every kind of building and function can be built on the FlexBase floating platform. FlexBase is a great example of new opportunities that arise in the need for innovation. Floating buildings can be a part of the solution in adapting to the future, and it will help vulnerable urbanized areas to deal with the effects of climate change on the environment. (Source: flexbase.nl, Photography: dafne.com)
INTERN I 35
STEEF BUIJS
SUSTAINABLE RENOVATION OF MONUMENTAL AREAS
Steef Buijs is a specialist in urban planning. He got involved in Indonesian projects by coincidence. He got involved with the ‘Kota Lama’ through a friend. He is one of the key characters for the sustainable renovation of the monumental Kota Lama.
the community, I organize a workshop and a conference once a year. The intention of this workshop is to bring several stakeholders together, like owners of buildings, operators, NGO’s, the railways, students and different municipality departments.
What is your profession?
This was the fourth year I organized both the workshop and the conference. Initially, we talked about prioritizing the buildings, target groups and possible functions of the buildings and public spaces. For the second year workshop two different groups of students joined. One group, spatial planning, focused on the volume of the buildings and the space that was available for the intended function of the buildings. The other group, economics and real estate, focused on the feasibility of the projects. The third year we asked the participants what they thought we needed to do with the informal users of the buildings. We call them informal users, because they use dilapidated and abandoned buildings or houses for just somewhere to sleep. It is not illegal in Indonesian, but it is not desirable. Creating an area where they can also live their lives is desirable. It is necessary to create a situation in which their wellbeing improves as well. Therefore, every development plan for the Kota Lama should also involve the informal users who are currently there. This year’s workshop was focused on the further elaboration of the existing plans.
I worked as an urban planner for many governmental organizations. I worked for the municipality of Rotterdam, Ministry VROM and several provinces, mostly on a regional level, for years. I was also involved in exchange projects in Jakarta, Indonesia. I travelled there twice a year to help them with urban development projects. For the last 10 years, I have had my own consultancy agency. I am specialized in three main areas; structural planning in metropolitan areas, water regulation, such as the Dutch Delta Plan, and urban food supply. Structural planning, for example, in Jakarta, Saint Petersburg and Aden (Yemen) and these projects mostly focus on the revitalization of an area. Urban food supply will be an important subject in the future because of climate change. Currently, the projects are mostly focused on Asian countries like India and China, but Mexico is also working on this.
You also use your knowledge and experience to help develop an area. How did you get into that? It was by coincidence that I got involved in such projects. A friend of mine was already doing projects for PUM. This is an organization with a database of senior retired expert volunteers who can carry out projects in developing countries. The first time I did a project for PUM I was not even in their database. They needed an urban developer for a project in the Kota Lama, Semarang and they did not have anyone and a friend of mine asked if I wanted to help. That was my first contact with the Kota Lama, Oen’s Semarang Foundation and Unika. Oen’s Semarang Foundation is a non-profit organization that wants to restore the Kota Lama and turn it into a touristic highlight area in Semarang and in Central Java. UNIKA is the Catholic University of Semarang. The students there are very closely involved in the development of the Kota Lama.
What do you do for the Kota Lama? I help by creating business plans for restoration projects in the area. These plans are mostly focused on individual buildings. In order to create public support among
“A YOUTH CREATIVE CULTURE WILL ATTRACT MORE YOUNG PEOPLE” What will make the Kota Lama become a unique highlight? The area itself is only unique because of the high concentration of Dutch colonial buildings. The fact that these buildings are preserved in their current condition is also unique for Indonesia. This makes it easier to develop the Kota Lama into a touristic highlight area. The old cities in, for example, Jakarta, Bandung, Malang and Yogyakarta are not completely different from the Kota Lama in Semarang. Therefore, it is necessary to distinguish the Kota Lama by the range of activities it provides. Two buildings, which have been restored, are currently being used as catering facilities. The first one was Spiegel, which also has space for exhibitions. This is the more expensive one and therefore attracts people with higher incomes, mostly people between the ages of 30 and 40 years old. The second was the café TEKODEKO
and this also has an area for workshops, meetings and a guesthouse. TEKODEKO attracts the youth to the area. It is funny to see that students from the first workshop I organized run this coffee house. Both cafés are restored in colonial styles and have Western cuisines. Western influences are necessary in this area for historical reasons. This, however, does not mean that all the buildings need to be restored to their original architecture.
And how do you think this can be achieved? Semarang could be a destination for Chinese, Japanese or Western tourists if the downtown area were also developed. Although Semarang does not have major tourist attractions like the Borobudur in Yogyakarta, being part of a tour would be very interesting for Semarang. These tours are often booked by Western, Chinese and Japanese tourists. Such a tour would need at least four aspects: culture, history, wellness and relaxation. In order to offer such a tour and attract tourists, the city would have to position itself as a tourist attraction and would have to figure out what kind of tourists it would like to attract. In my opinion the Western, Chinese and Japanese tourists would be the most favourable. They are the ones with money and are mostly interested in culture and cultural activities and this is something you can find a lot of in Semarang. The cultural activities are currently mostly related to the Indonesian culture,
but it would be good if there were a situation where the Western and Indonesian culture could come together, like “East meets West”. The creative sector will be of more value to Semarang as it will enable young people in this sector to have more chances of getting jobs although is very difficult for them nowadays. A youth creative culture will attract more young people, which can contribute to “Semarang as a university town”. I think it is a good thing to invest in this sector and the youth, because they are the future of Indonesia. They have more possibilities to better themselves than their parents did. This group of Indonesians are also willing to work hard and they really want to create a better Indonesia.
How can Kota Lama contribute to a more sustainable Semarang? I do not think Kota Lama will make an actual difference to, for example, the quality of the air in the city, but I do think the area can become an example to other parts of the city. I think a better microclimate would not only be a huge improvement for the Kota Lama but also for the rest of Semarang. By just planting trees it would become a healthier and more pleasant environment to. It would also make walking through the area much more attractive. The trees would also protect people from the sun and heat. (Photography: gumayatowerhotel.com, Marleen Siers)
INTERN I 37
Cape Verde One of the valleys of the island ‘Santo Antão’. Taken when standing on the 30 meter high dam of Canto Cagarra (Photography: Michau Breet)
Indonesia An overview of a tea plantation just outside Bandung. The plants were planted throughout the whole area. The tea plants could be seen for miles. (Photography: Marleen Siers)
INTERN I 39
COLOPHON EDITOR IN CHIEF ART DIRECTOR EDITOR EDITOR EDITOR EDITOR EDITOR EDITOR GRAMMAR COVER AND BACK PHOTGRAPHY OTHER PHOTOGRAPHY
Lily Wouters
SPECIAL THANKS TO
Marlies Bedeker, Leander Ernst, Hannah Frederiks, Michael Meijer, Miriam van Groen, Annemarie Klok, Janneska Spoelman, Charlotte Schmidt, Alexandra Sweers, Francisco Livramento, Rick Heikoop and Steef Buijs
PEOPLE WHO CONTRIBUTED
Lotte de Jonge, Serife Dikbas, Michau Breet, Stephanie Bergen-Henegouwen, Jenny van Adel, Esther van den Brugge, Lily Wouters, Hilbeth Santos, Sean Huizinga, Jazz Correa, Dionne van den Eng, Daniëlle de Lange, Sama Khorasani, Dennis Valken burg, Vanildo Varela, Samantha Verouden, Emma van Staalduinen, Lenard Hofland, Pim de Jong, Oliver Doesburg, Kees Stam, Justin van den Baard, Marleen Siers, Bart Nagelkerke, Thomas Ohm, Riko Dwi Saputra, Lijanne Edelijn, Ranoe Ramjiawan, Ameed Hasiba, Mitchell van Zeventer, Joris Pickkers, Rebecca Raven, Michel Houtkamp, Marina Daros and Bastien Massias
Sean Huizinga Sean Huizinga Marleen Siers Michau Breet Kees Stam Thomas Ohm Bastien Massias Phil Mason-o’Brien Jim Richardson ‘Finding the faces of farming: Grains and groundnuts’ (P1, P42) Rick Keus Photography (P5)
Lily
Sean
Kees
Marleen
Thomas
Michau
Bastien
MERCI OBRIGADO GRACIAS DANKE DZIEKUJE KÖSZÖNÖM BEDANKT MULTUMESC TESEKKUR EDERIM TACK GRAZIE KIITOS TAKK D’AKUJEM HVALA DEKUJI DANKON GRÀCIES
THANK YOU
OL COX SAG FALEMINDERIT TÄNAN TEID DE’KOJU SHUKRIYA GRATIAS DANKIE TAKK FYRI SIPAS DEKEM HVALA VAM PALDIES TERIMA KASIH SALAMAT TRUGAREZ GO RAIBH MAITH AGAT CÁM O’N CÔ MERSI
INTERN I 41
I SEEN YOUT NEXTE YEAR RN
2015 - 2016
ROTTERDAM UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED SCIENCES - INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION & SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT