Day 1 – UNStudio Visit 3-10-2023

Despite the cold temperatures and some jet lag, students, staff and I met at the Rotterdam Central Station (CS) early in the morning. Rotterdam Central Station is also referred to as the international gateway to Rotterdam. An estimated 110,000 travelers pass through Central Station every day to use the bus, tram, metro, or train. In recent years, it has undergone a total metamorphosis, making it one of the many architectural icons of Rotterdam.

We traveled to Amsterdam and joined the few others who had been based there for the first initial days. At 11:00 a.m., we arrived at UNStudio where we spent more than two hours learning how this multidisciplinary studio operates, locally and globally. UNStudio is located worldwide! This year, they are launching their first U.S.-based office in collaboration with HKS and Gehl.  This partnership (HUG) was selected to lead a major expansion of the public transit system in Austin, Texas. Gabriel Punkenhofer, the business developer at the office, described the importance of people, culture, and business. He highlighted the relevance of popular trends, technology, information, and human comfort.

UNStudio has different research hubs for understanding and studying today's markets’ needs. The issue of scale, from Masterplan to object, was explained through the presentation of a variety of projects UNStudio embraces. Projects vary from masterplans in the Middle East to utensils (created in collaboration with Alessi) at the Salone del Mobile in Milan – the UNStudio team covers all phases and scales of design.

After a well-formatted presentation, Daniele de Benedectis (who was recently promoted to Associate in the office), walked us to the model shop. The concept of fabrication is taken seriously at the office. The in-house model-making shop is where personnel experiment with diverse materials, paying particular attention to principles of sustainability, upcycling, and circular economy. The research revolves around the idea of exportability. Questions such as "How can we fabricate models for global branches?," "What are the limitations of virtual modeling?,” “What are low impact means of transportation?" and "Is local craftsmanship outsourcing the most sustainable avenue?" are recurrent in the office. How to fabricate in times of global pandemics is also something UNStudio is studying. Examples of their findings have been logged in manuals with instructions for the use of QR codes and foldable/collapsible models to be assembled locally. It is ongoing research that is essential to pursue in times of climate change and the scarcity of materials. Finally, both Daniele and Gabriel emphasized how the office focuses on local knowledge and multi-diverse collaboration to realize successful projects. This office is growing and expanding, and it welcomes diverse and multidisciplinary personnel. A good time to apply, Morgan SA+P students!

Day 2 – Black Heritage Tour

Day 3 – Amsterdam Walking Tour

Day 4 – Delft-Rotterdam – Back Down Memory Lane

Day 5 – Architecture Evolving

Day 6 – Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen

Day 7 – Office for Metropolitan Architecture

Day 8 – Time to Say Goodbye