Radical pragmatism

Abstract

This thesis will investigate modern Dutch Spatial Organization and design strategies. Raumplanung and spatial organization are a small part of the design process used by the Dutch. Raumplanung is a European idea about spatial organization within three dimensional space, but it has been reinterpreted by many architects and designer to be utilized on an incredibly broad spectrum of design problems. Dutch architects have been using Raumplanung within their design strategies; Rem Koolhaas uses it in his own way and his firm OMA has developed a think tank, named AMO, dedicated to spatial organization. AMO applies a new way of thinking and development to all levels of design, branding, and even the way a company or institution is run. OMA has a unique understanding of spatial organization and it has been successful on both local and international scales. For example the Seattle Public library was designed using OMA's unique spatial organization strategies, and the entire concept of what a library could be was rethought and redesigned. MVRDV's Silodam project applies a unique form of spatial organization to create an architectural design, rich with intriguing sectional properties, creating a unique sense of place for the inhabitants of this large scale multi-family housing project. OMA and MVRDV are only two of the Dutch firms that are pushing the limits of spatial organization, and there are many others that are redefining this idea for themselves and successfully applying it to a wide range of architectural designs.