Campus combi: solid, liquid & gas (2)

by Alexandra den Heijer

Last week I gave four lectures – in Breda (NHTV), Amsterdam (AMC) and Liverpool (AUDE) – in which I presented my “solid, liquid & gas” metaphor for both the university and the campus. I started to refer to these physical states during our Campus NL research, in 2016. In a recent interview, published in “Portraits of Science” early January, I explain more about this metaphor, see online link and photo below for PDF publication.

2018 Alexandra den Heijer - PoS - quote and portrait2018 Alexandra den Heijer - PoS - photo and text

Pages above from TU Delft’s 2018 “Portraits of Science” – published at TU Delft’s 176th Dies Natalis in January 2018 – see PDF or link to intro for short or long interview.

Hand-outs of presentations in Breda and Liverpool can be found under DOWNLOADS. An earlier post about the Solid-Liquid-Gas metaphor can be found by clicking this link or even a 2013 post called “No clicks without bricks”. Our Campus Research Team will publish practical guidelines to translate the metaphor to a campus brief in 2018. To be continued!

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Smart tools 2.0: crossing borders

by Bart Valks, Monique Arkesteijn and Alexandra den Heijer

We are halfway with part 2 of our “Smart campus tools” research, exploring 3 different paths: (1) smart tools abroad, (2) smart tools at other organisations and (3) smart tools re-assessed at Dutch universities, which were cases in part 1.

Smart campus tools 2.0: exploring examples abroad

Exploring smart tools abroad: overview of universities that were approached for interviews

(1) smart tools abroad

The past few months more than 25 universities have been approached. Many universities have responded positively and agreed to an interview, including ETH Zurich, KU Louvain and Glasgow University. Also visits were made to Aarhus, Cambridge and Oxford. Many universities are moving forward in their use of smart tools.

(2) smart tools at other organisations

Parallel to the universities abroad a number of companies have been interviewed. Cases of smart tools at Microsoft, the Dutch government, Ericsson, and ABN Amro are documented. We hope to include a few more cases of organisations in the transport sector.

(3) smart tools at Dutch universities re-assessed

On Wednesday November 15th we (Bart, Monique & Alexandra = the Smart Campus Tools research team) hosted a meeting for practitioners from the Dutch universities together with our colleagues from TU Delft’s department of Facilities Management and Real Estate. Special location was TU Delft’s Teaching Lab (see photos). Each university prepared their data prior to the meeting and gave a short pitch during the meeting about their use of smart tools. Some universities have steadily moved forward with existing solutions, whilst others are busy with pilot projects. The meeting definitely raised some interesting topics for discussion, which we hope to address in our report. To be continued!

Smart Campus Tools photo Monique Arkesteijn en Bart Valks

Monique Arkesteijn wrapping up the discussion with Dutch universities

Smart Campus Tools photo Bart Valks

Bart Valks presenting the results so far at TU Delft’s Teaching Lab

For more information about the first book (of phase 1), previous blog posts and our research, see SMART CAMPUS TOOLS or mail b.valks@tudelft.nl

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Privacy and/or measuring space use?

by Bart Valks, Monique Arkesteijn and Alexandra den Heijer

As part of our “Smart campus tools” research a third blog post is available, in which we take a closer look at the privacy issues of measuring real-time space use.

Subject of the third edition of the smart campus tools blog is the apparent trade-off between privacy and collecting data to measure space use, combining a range of literature with examples from practice. For more information about the first book, previous blog posts and our research, see SMART CAMPUS TOOLS or mail b.valks@tudelft.nl

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Campus combi: solid, liquid & gas

by Alexandra den Heijer

In the past month I have visited Norway, Russia and Denmark to talk about (managing) the campus of the future – see TOUR. All countries are investing in higher education and want to know which facilities match the university of the future. My message in different countries is remarkably similar: the state of the campus will be a combinations of “solid”, “liquid” and “gas”. Of course that needs further explanation…

The future physical state of the campus will be a combination of:

  • “solid”, representing the fixed structures and (need for) territory on campus
  • “liquid”, representing the multiple connections on campus and more shared spaces
  • “gas”, representing the open structure of the campus and the possibility to work and study anywhere

I will present this in (much) more detail in Dutch (VSNU café en at dr. Tijs Breukink’s farewell event in Wageningen) and English (ERES conference) later this week! The presentation and paper will follow – see PUBLICATIONS and DOWNLOADS.

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How to find a study place on campus

by Bart Valks, Monique Arkesteijn and Alexandra den Heijer

As part of our “Smart campus tools” research a second blog post is available, in which we take a closer look at smart campus tools for study places. Three examples below illustrate the tools that are used at three universities.

FreeSpace App voor blogRU tool voor blog

UT group work tool voor blog

Smart campus tools, use at Duke University (FreeSpace App), at Radboud University (PC availability) and Twente University (Booking system for group studying)

For more information about the first book and our research, see SMART CAMPUS TOOLS or mail b.valks@tudelft.nl

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Smart(er) campus tools

by Bart Valks & Alexandra den Heijer

Exciting news: a few weeks ago the campus research team got the green light for a second year of research on “smart campus tools”! After publishing the 1st book in Dutch, we can not wait to explore the international tools and publish in English. Both the Dutch and English management summary of the first book can be found on the new page SMART CAMPUS TOOLS.

Smart campus tools - Monique Arkesteijn, Bart Valks, Alexandra den Heijer

Monique Arkesteijn, Bart Valks and Alexandra den Heijer with the 2016 book

In phase 2 of the smart campus tools research project – “smarter and more international” – we will focus more on what is happening in other parts of the world, both at universities and in other industry sectors. We decided to start a blog to report and communicate on our progress, updating you every few weeks. The first post is about our research project: what we intend to do next year and what we’ve found last year. A link to this first blog post can be found on the SMART CAMPUS TOOLS page.

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Campus NL in press and reprint

by Alexandra den Heijer

Three weeks after the publication of the Campus NL book the team is overwhelmed by the media attention and the fact that the book is already reprinted with 160 preordered copies.

With the PDF version freely downloadable this demonstrates one of the many ‘campus paradoxes’:

  1. we are increasingly paperless, but we still really like to read physical books
  2. we can work where we want, but we really like to have some form of territory
  3. we think working is a social activity, but for many activities we need a quiet space

The campus needs accommodate both sides of every paradox: virtual and physical, flexible and territorial, social and quiet. More about the Campus NL project on the CAMPUS NL page and soon in more PUBLICATIONS.

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Campus NL book published

by Alexandra den Heijer

Today our Campus NL report is officially published as a book. It summaries the Dutch campus developments of the past, illustrates the current state in facts and figures and identifies 10 trends and strategies for the future. I proudly presented my first official copy to our own TU Delft president prof. dr. ir. Tim van der Hagen.

Campus NL - overhandigen boek aan Tim van der Hagen (zoom in)

Proudly presenting and giving my first official copy of the Campus NL book to TU Delft’s president prof. dr. ir. Tim van der Hagen, with our own campus in the background.

[Campus NL is written in Dutch – more info in English will follow soon]

Via deze weg wil het onderzoeksteam alle universiteiten bedanken voor het aanleveren van data, tekst en beelden, de informatieve en inspirerende interviews, de actieve deelname aan de Campus NL inputbijeenkomst van 3 juni en hun commentaar op conceptversies of onderdelen van dit rapport. Bijzondere dank aan de begeleidingscommissie en de VSNU voor de intensieve begeleiding en de waardevolle discussies.

campus-nl-cover–> voor persbericht, zie VSNU website
–> voor bestelling boek: CampusNL-bk@tudelft.nl
–> voor meer info over het onderzoeksteam: Campus
Research Team
–> voor downloaden digitale versie, zie VSNU website
–> voor digitale samenvatting, zie PUBLICATIONS (asap)
–> voor onderzoeksinfo, zie page CAMPUS NL (op deze website)

CAMPUS NL in de Media

–> artikel in NRC Next 14 februari 2017
–> artikel in Trouw 14 februari 2017

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Campus NL: the 2016 tour

by Alexandra den Heijer

As an important part of our Campus NL project, our research team interviewed more than 35 persons about (the present and future of) 14 Dutch university campuses in April and May. This was an excellent opportunity to visit all NL campuses again: from Utrecht to Maastricht, from Leiden to Nijmegen. Some photos of Rotterdam (EUR), Amsterdam (VU), Groningen (RUG) and Twente (UT) can be found below.

Some preliminary results of both the data collection/analysis and interviews were presented on June 3, for an audience of executive board members, financial directors and campus managers. Together they discussed propositions about tomorrow’s university and campus – the results of that meeting will be added to the Campus NL report, which will be finished in December 2016 and published as a book early 2017.

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Back home to Campus NL

by Alexandra den Heijer

After a turbulent year with many unexpected turns, I am happy to announce that I will focus on the NL campus again. This post will summarise some 2015 milestones in education, research and valorisation, at least so far.

Alexandra den Heijer in front of design course students

October 30, 2015 – moderating the final session for TU Delft design students at BK city’s orange Oostserre (their assignment: TU Delft campus strategy)

July – TH Nürnberg students present designs for AEG campus

More than 60 students present their urban plans and building designs for AEG campus, the former industrial site in the west part of Nuremberg (Nürnberg in German). As guest professor I guided them during the semester and was present at their two-day final assessments mid July. My temporary position at TH Nürnberg was a great experience, thanks to the students and professors, with a special thanks to my host, Architecture professor Florian Fischer.

August – Exploring new business models for resource-efficient campus facades

Since March 2015 we have been working on a research project – funded by Climate KIC as a pathfinder project – to explore the feasibility of integrated facades as a product-service system (with leasing as an option). Both the client/user and the facade industry are actively involved. This could be a solution for the resource-efficient transformation of the large number of buildings from the 1960s/1970s on European campuses. More info: Climate KIC website.

September – Smart campus tools: measuring real use of space

On holiday “the towels on empty lounge chairs by the pool” are a source of irritation. Booked but empty meeting rooms and lecture halls are equally annoying on campus: expensive, high-quality facilities are often under-utilised, because of territorial issues. No problem if there is plenty of space and money, but even then it is unsustainable. With 13 NL universities we will explore existing tools to measure space use and design new tools and apps for campus navigations and better use of expensive and high-quality facilities.

October – TU Delft students present 10 strategies for their own campus

In September and October about 90 BSc students of our Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment studied their own TU Delft campus and explored strategic choices for the portfolio of buildings in their urban setting. With the didactic model of a management game (playing roles in an urban development process) ten teams of students analysed, discussed and designed ten campus strategies, which were presented to professors and practitioners on the last Friday of October.

November – Campus NL research starts

In November we started a research project in close collaboration with (all) 14 Dutch universities, to look back on the past 20 years of campus ownership (since 1995) and to explore the university of the future and strategic campus (investment) choices that need to be made. More info about this research project will be added to this website during the research process.

More about the lectures and publications of 2015 so far can be found under TOUR, DOWNLOADS and/or PUBLICATIONS.

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