ABE 010, Capita Selecta
Research Program: Design and History
Coordinator: Carola Hein
Description of the research program
The research program Design, History and Heritage combines three closely
interdependent disciplines in the realm of architecture and urbanism and merges
them in a unique and innovative joint venture. The program understands the built
environments as a palimpsest of cycles of design, transformation, preservation and
interpretation in changing local and global contexts. Architects, planners and other
design professionals produce physical structures at multiple scales that are part of
our cultural heritage; Historians analyse and interpret diverse sources on and of
these past interventions in the light of political, economic, social, cultural, artistic
and other contexts creating a narrative of the past; Heritage scholars and
professionals use this historical analysis to identify, select and protect cultural
landscapes, cities and buildings, choosing appropriate methods and conservation
technologies and preparing the ground for new design initiatives.
Workshop and Learning Goals
Students in the workshop will get insight into the multiple methodologies used in
the research program and the diverse intersections between the different fields. They
will explore all scales in the built environment including regions and landscapes,
cities and villages, country estates and their gardens, as well as public and private
buildings. The participants will get an overview of key research in the areas of
design, history and heritage and have an opportunity to reflect on the diverse
materials, approaches and theoretical frameworks of each field. They will also be
able to reflect on and discuss the development and content of a research
questions/topics that they will prepare during the assignment phase. The workshop
will demonstrate the multidisciplinary implications on each of the scales. Faculty
and PhD students from several departments will collaborate to lead an introduction
and discussions.
Program of the Day:
Lectures and Workshop: Design, History and Heritage on Multiple: Analysis,
Preservation and Project from Landscapes to Cities and Buildings
- Introduction
1. Landscapes, Regions and Gardens
Presentations and Workshop by Cor Wagenaar (History), Paul Meurs (Heritage &
Architecture)
2. Cities, Neighborhoods, and Urban Districts
Presentations and Workshop by Carola Hein (History), Hielkje Zijlstra (Heritage &
Architecture).
3. Buildings and Interiors
Presentations and Workshop by Marie-Thérèse van Thoor and Rob van
Hees/Barbara Lubelli (Heritage & Architecture)
- Conclusion
Literature: to be assigned a week prior to the workshop
Assignments to be done in preparation

Students will receive excerpts from different disciplinary publications on a
single building/urban area/landscape. In preparation for the workshop,
students will study these documents and prepare commentary on how these
readings differ in terms of using visuals, arguments, texts, what each
publications tells us about the topic, and how the various approaches
complement each other.
Assignment Day 2
The principal theme of the program is the environment (landscapes and buildings)
as it was produced in the (recent) past, its analysis, its potential for future use, the
re-design processes to make it fit to realize this potential for places of identity. The
program covers issues ranging from fundamental historical and theoretical studies
to technological innovations in the field of architectural and urban transformation,
its methods ranging from classical historical surveys via cartography to technology
oriented analyses of (historical) building materials. One of its most fascinating
challenges is the promotion of productive interaction between the various research
fields and methods.
Assignment: Given what you have learned in the first day of the workshop: Imagine
a research topic/question/hypothesis. Explain how you would address it using all of
the disciplines presented. Make an appointment with the program leader or other
presenters to discuss your findings.