ALUMNI PROFILE: Rebuilding Resilient Urban EnvironmentsProfile
by Jan Willem Petersen, AADipl(Hons) 2005Jan Willem Petersen, Assembling Kabul, Afghanistan 2016[/caption] How do you think studying at the AA has influenced your work/career? The distinctive culture at the AA has been instrumental in the way we conduct many projects. I think the exciting and arguably critical aspects of the AA is that it delivers an environment of perpetual insecurity and at the same time affirms a sense of certainty when undertaking projects, often in unchartered territories. To some extent, our current projects are born out of level of anxiety, ultimately fostering an inquisitiveness that characterises parts of the school. [caption id="attachment_7820" align="alignnone" width="360"] View on the existing Kabul on the left, and the expansion blueprint already imprinted on the desert right. For a city struggling to come to terms with its past, planning is an extremely complex task, perceived by its population as painfully slow-moving. Indeed, for many of the areas subjected to urbanisation, no governmental plans have been devised.
Jan Willem Petersen, Assembling Kabul, Afghanistan 2016[/caption] [caption id="attachment_7821" align="alignnone" width="360"] The most obvious sign of post-war transformation is immense urban expansions. Kabul featured a growth rate of around 600%, resulting in large settlements creeping up the steep surrounding mountains. The 35,000 additional households annually present a significant challenge for well-established governments, let alone for the entirely new administration in a country plagued by conflict.
Jan Willem Petersen, Assembling Kabul, Afghanistan 2016[/caption]
Jan Willem Petersen, Assembling Kabul, Afghanistan 2016[/caption] What role does the architect play in solving urgent problems? Like any urgent societal issue, architecture is highly political. I think in that sense we live in very interesting times. Architecture, as a profession, is inherently optimistic in nature. Even when it can be testing to be positive when standing in the field, experiencing the inhumane onslaught of conflict by the Islamic State, I believe there is a real duty. In a world where there is a strong tendency to search for easy answers to complex questions, there is an obligation to reflect constructively. Perhaps more than ever, it is critical to deliver and persuade with real content as to have an informed debate and discussion making, and counter fact free argumentation. [caption id="attachment_7823" align="alignnone" width="360"] At present, Kabul is playing a game of catch-up. The local municipality is developing legal instruments to help guide some of the forces currently acting independently in the city. Thirteen years after the rebuilding of Afghanistan began, Kabul has yet to come up with a mode of urban planning that serves both its population and the city as a whole. The multibillion plan for a Kabul New City is at a standstill. At the centre of the proposed masterplan, one can witness the unfinished stretch of infrastructure, untouched for years.
Jan Willem Petersen, Assembling Kabul, Afghanistan 2016[/caption]
Jan Willem Petersen, Uruzgan Legacy – Field work assessment of the reconstruction projects conducted under the Dutch Task Force Uruzgan mission, Afghanistan 2017[/caption] What advice would you give to current students? Be a collaborator. What we can see today is that, architecture’s greatest asset is not its ability to deliver buildings but an intrinsic capacity to move and engage between radically different cultures, each with their own value system, and to seek out pragmatic and exciting innovations. I think it is incredibly liberating, and necessary, to venture outside the realm of architecture and demonstrate a renewed relevance. [caption id="attachment_7825" align="alignnone" width="360"] Field work assessment of the reconstruction projects conducted under the Dutch Task Force Uruzgan mission. Traveling in an extremely challenging environment due to the constantly changing security situation can prove difficult. Immersion in the local context, being housed by the incredibly brave and hospitable Uruzgani proved invaluable in deriving at lessons learned.
Jan Willem Petersen, Uruzgan Legacy – Field work assessment of the reconstruction projects conducted under the Dutch Task Force Uruzgan mission, Afghanistan 2017[/caption] For more information: Discover Jan Willem Petersen’s work Watch Jan Willem Petersen speak as part of the Exodus Lecture Diploma 10 Unit Brief Read the full set of profiles by visiting our Alumni Portfolio [caption id="attachment_7827" align="alignnone" width="360"] Jan Willem Petersen, Uruzgan Legacy – Field work assessment of the reconstruction projects conducted under the Dutch Task Force Uruzgan mission, Afghanistan 2017[/caption]