Day 4 of the field trip focused on Utrecht and Day 5 on Breda (previous blog posts: Day 1, Day 2 and Day 3).
In Utrecht...
City Hall for a presentation on Stationsgebied CU2030
A guided walking tour of recently completed projects in the city
JHK Architecten Office for a presentation on BIM in the Netherlands
And in Breda...
Crossmark Breda for a presentation followed by a guided tour by Breda Promotions
The student report on Day 4 - the morning in Utrecht by Sisilia Hermawati, Elian Pony, Rithika Ramachandran, Evangelia Vasilaki and Christopher White...
Utrecht City Centre Tour
The postgraduate group was treated to a presentation at The Utrecht City Office, followed by a tour of the said office, Utrecht Centraal Station and Hoog Catharijne Mall.
The presentation on Utrecht highlighted the evolution and nature of the city, and how the authorities plan to marry these factors with the continuous development of the city. Utrecht was described as a growing city with a population increase of approximately 74% (190,000 to 330,000) between the 1950s and present. It is also expected to grow towards 400,000 inhabitants in the next 10 years. Additionally, Utrecht being located almost at the center of the Netherlands, serves over 285,000 commuters daily, connecting the majority of the cities of the country. Another important fact about Utrecht is it being the second largest bicycle user city in the world. That is, 50% of the population. Twice the average of 25% of the Netherlands.
The city is defined by two main areas, the City Centre and Old Town. These areas combined form the character of the city. The City Centre houses the Utrecht Centraal Station, City Office, Hoog Catharijne Mall and several other contemporary/modern commercial buildings. The Old Town with its older buildings and canals, in contrast, maintains traditional architecture with little allowance for vehicular traffic. Given these factors, the city focuses on the commercial development and the centralization of government in the City Centre, maintaining the historical architecture/nature of the Old Town, and residential development along the outskirts of the city.
A two phased project named the Development Program Station Area was detailed during the presentation. The first phase is called ‘Connect-Restore-Give Meaning’, and the second, ‘Healthy Urban Living’. It includes more than thirty developments planned for the city over the next 10 years. Also, projects such as Wonderwoods, a proposed residential apartment development with an integrated vertical forest, will help to give an environmental friendly character in the city.
Three projects were highlighted including the Utrecht Centraal Station, the City Office, and the restoration 2km of a canal within the city. All three projects were integrated. The canal was previously covered by the construction of a motorway in the heart of the city to serve transportation needs. This was later decided against during the motorway’s construction. It was mentioned that a partnership was formed with the developers, the city hall and the mall owner. The process was not easy, but all parties worked together and compromised to see the projects through.
The City Office which hosted our presentation is open to the public. It provides access for everyone to use the facilities, such as the library. The City Office was built and linked to the Centraal Station in line with ambitions to have a more centralized government.
The Utrecht Centraal serves as a transportation hub. It houses bus stations, tram stops, the central railway as well as two bicycle parks. The main train station has been renovated to accommodate more passengers and make it more attractive given the high throughput of commuters. The station building itself is surrounded by a glass wall that provides a more open space feel, while maintaining the necessary division of spaces. The wave-shaped roof is designed as a way-finder. The waves flowing across the entrance and exit are brightening by LED lights at night and by the natural light during the day.
The multi-storey bicycle park is the largest in the world. It accommodates an impressive 12,500 bicycles. This was done in an effort to effectively store the large volume of bicycles used throughout the city. The project showed innovation, harmonizing space and function. During the tour at the park, the easy flow and accessibility for bicycle users was highlighted, as there are several access points from the station plaza to the bicycle park.
The canal restoration is in progress with a section slated to pass under the Hoog Catharijne Mall. This impressive engineering feat was among several observed throughout the developing City Centre. The canal restoration will return a greener character to the dense City Centre. Generally, buildings in the City Centre were modern, open and bright, due to the utilization of glass walls, which maximizes natural light, and by extension, improves the experience commuters. In comparison, it was interesting to see the City Centre developing, while Old Town remained traditional as per the City’s effort to maintain its heritage. All the above seeks to create a vibrant city with modern infrastructure and facilities, with an appreciation of its architectural heritage and sufficient housing solutions for residents.
Lessons Learnt: it takes a lot of effort and compromise to develop/redevelop and renovate a city and places in general. Several disagreements among parties will occur during the process but compromise is necessary to produce a “win win” outcome. A balance must be struck between modernization, sustainability and preservation of heritage.
On Day 5 (the final day) the students visited Breda for a presentation about the city and a guided tour, before returning to Oxford.
To find out more about any of our postgraduate courses in construction, click on the following links:
MSc Building Information Modelling and Management
MSc Construction Project Management
MSc Infrastructure and Sustainable Development
MSc Project Management in the Built Environment
MSc Quantity Surveying and Commercial Management
In Utrecht...
City Hall for a presentation on Stationsgebied CU2030
A guided walking tour of recently completed projects in the city
JHK Architecten Office for a presentation on BIM in the Netherlands
And in Breda...
Crossmark Breda for a presentation followed by a guided tour by Breda Promotions
The student report on Day 4 - the morning in Utrecht by Sisilia Hermawati, Elian Pony, Rithika Ramachandran, Evangelia Vasilaki and Christopher White...
Utrecht City Centre Tour
The postgraduate group was treated to a presentation at The Utrecht City Office, followed by a tour of the said office, Utrecht Centraal Station and Hoog Catharijne Mall.
 |
| Utrecht |
The presentation on Utrecht highlighted the evolution and nature of the city, and how the authorities plan to marry these factors with the continuous development of the city. Utrecht was described as a growing city with a population increase of approximately 74% (190,000 to 330,000) between the 1950s and present. It is also expected to grow towards 400,000 inhabitants in the next 10 years. Additionally, Utrecht being located almost at the center of the Netherlands, serves over 285,000 commuters daily, connecting the majority of the cities of the country. Another important fact about Utrecht is it being the second largest bicycle user city in the world. That is, 50% of the population. Twice the average of 25% of the Netherlands.
The city is defined by two main areas, the City Centre and Old Town. These areas combined form the character of the city. The City Centre houses the Utrecht Centraal Station, City Office, Hoog Catharijne Mall and several other contemporary/modern commercial buildings. The Old Town with its older buildings and canals, in contrast, maintains traditional architecture with little allowance for vehicular traffic. Given these factors, the city focuses on the commercial development and the centralization of government in the City Centre, maintaining the historical architecture/nature of the Old Town, and residential development along the outskirts of the city.
A two phased project named the Development Program Station Area was detailed during the presentation. The first phase is called ‘Connect-Restore-Give Meaning’, and the second, ‘Healthy Urban Living’. It includes more than thirty developments planned for the city over the next 10 years. Also, projects such as Wonderwoods, a proposed residential apartment development with an integrated vertical forest, will help to give an environmental friendly character in the city.
 |
| Utrecht city model |
Three projects were highlighted including the Utrecht Centraal Station, the City Office, and the restoration 2km of a canal within the city. All three projects were integrated. The canal was previously covered by the construction of a motorway in the heart of the city to serve transportation needs. This was later decided against during the motorway’s construction. It was mentioned that a partnership was formed with the developers, the city hall and the mall owner. The process was not easy, but all parties worked together and compromised to see the projects through.
 |
| Utrecht City Office outside... |
 |
| ...and inside |
The City Office which hosted our presentation is open to the public. It provides access for everyone to use the facilities, such as the library. The City Office was built and linked to the Centraal Station in line with ambitions to have a more centralized government.
The Utrecht Centraal serves as a transportation hub. It houses bus stations, tram stops, the central railway as well as two bicycle parks. The main train station has been renovated to accommodate more passengers and make it more attractive given the high throughput of commuters. The station building itself is surrounded by a glass wall that provides a more open space feel, while maintaining the necessary division of spaces. The wave-shaped roof is designed as a way-finder. The waves flowing across the entrance and exit are brightening by LED lights at night and by the natural light during the day.
 |
| Utrecht Centraal outside... |
 |
| ...and inside. |
The multi-storey bicycle park is the largest in the world. It accommodates an impressive 12,500 bicycles. This was done in an effort to effectively store the large volume of bicycles used throughout the city. The project showed innovation, harmonizing space and function. During the tour at the park, the easy flow and accessibility for bicycle users was highlighted, as there are several access points from the station plaza to the bicycle park.
 |
| The multi-storey bike park - inside... |
 |
| ...and outside. |
The canal restoration is in progress with a section slated to pass under the Hoog Catharijne Mall. This impressive engineering feat was among several observed throughout the developing City Centre. The canal restoration will return a greener character to the dense City Centre. Generally, buildings in the City Centre were modern, open and bright, due to the utilization of glass walls, which maximizes natural light, and by extension, improves the experience commuters. In comparison, it was interesting to see the City Centre developing, while Old Town remained traditional as per the City’s effort to maintain its heritage. All the above seeks to create a vibrant city with modern infrastructure and facilities, with an appreciation of its architectural heritage and sufficient housing solutions for residents.
 |
| Hoog Catharijne Mall and Canal. |
 |
| Utrecht old town |
Lessons Learnt: it takes a lot of effort and compromise to develop/redevelop and renovate a city and places in general. Several disagreements among parties will occur during the process but compromise is necessary to produce a “win win” outcome. A balance must be struck between modernization, sustainability and preservation of heritage.
On Day 5 (the final day) the students visited Breda for a presentation about the city and a guided tour, before returning to Oxford.
To find out more about any of our postgraduate courses in construction, click on the following links:
MSc Building Information Modelling and Management
MSc Construction Project Management
MSc Infrastructure and Sustainable Development
MSc Project Management in the Built Environment
MSc Quantity Surveying and Commercial Management
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