COMPANIES

MWM Architecture has extensive experience creating Masterplans for large scale development projects. The organisation focusses its attention on acting as initiator, supporter, think-tank and expert in the fields of architecture, urban planning, construction and research.

NON PROFIT

Due to declining subsidies from the government for development aid foundations and organizations, the smaller foundations in the Netherlands are suffering. MWM Architecture can assist these struggling foundations, by creating designs and visualisations. By means of supplying simple sketches or visualisations, most foundations find it easier to communicate their projects to their supporters and attract potential sponsors.

After 7 years of experience in Eastern and Western Africa, working with foundations such as ‘Back2Africa’ and ‘Elimu Mount Elgon’, MWM Architecture has managed to specialize itself in designing and implementing development projects. The projects are initiated by the local residents themselves and are developed to support the social and cultural backgrounds of the people. The (construction) systems are created in such a manner that the local residents can easily apply them and adjust to their will. These people can therefore continue to build themselves and decide how and where. This method focuses on community, culture and collective choices.

CV (link)

PORTFOLIO (link)

Vernacular Construction

INTRODUCTION TO PHD RESEARCH

 

THE DEVELOPMENT AID ARCHITECT

 

THE ROLE AND METHODS OF THE ARCHITECT (PROFESSIONAL) IN RELATION TO THE SELF-RELIANCE OF SUB-SAHARAN RURAL COMMUNITIES. (NON-PROFESSIONAL).

For centuries the community of Mt. Elgon was largely self-reliant. My intervention as a practitioner (development aid worker) influenced the degree of self-reliance of the community towards their built environment. The first confrontation of problems within development aid came with the book Dead Aid (Dambisa Moyo). The first major cracks appeared in the sustainability of the realized development aid showing its inefficiency. In a recent study (S. Van Kinsbergen 2013), the effectiveness of global operating PI’s (private initiatives) is being criticized. It became clear that cultural misunderstanding and the lack of strategy often decrease the sustainability of the project. As described in the research many of the projects seemed to fail to be maintained after a few years. As the largest percentage of dwellers still live in self-built and maintained dwellings the question arises if there is a need for a methodology that benefits the knowledge ex-change from professional (non-local) to non-professional (local).

 This would require a radical change in the role of the architect. In this case the actors of the architect relate and interact in a completely different way. In the recent published book Spatial agencies. Other ways of doing architecture (Awan et al., 2013), the shift between the actors is investigated. This research intends to understand how the agency of the architect relates to the agency of the inhabitants and to the agency of the financers. Specific for the current condition of the rural inhabitants is the self-reliance in their built environment, which requires them to be independent from other actors (agencies). Not only the spatial actors relate to the self-reliance, but also the materials and construction actors. In recent examples we can observe a gradual change of these actors (for instance the use of corrugated sheets) and how this influences the possible shape of the floor plan (and thus basic spatial organization). It would be close to impossible to analyse and conclude the possible social, cultural and anthropological consequences of these changes.

 This research only intends to analyse and explain possible consequences of these changes to the self-reliance of the inhabitants towards their built environment, it will always leaves the freedom of choice to the inhabitants themselves. This could never result in a complete self-reliance, but is it important to explain the consequences of certain decisions to the inhabitants. Especially how certain decisions make them reliant to other agencies and what would happen if they lack the resources to make these agencies available (professional, construction and material). For these reasons this research reflects on my past role as an architectural practitioner and as a result intends to make communities, inhabitants and practitioners aware of the importance of self-reliance in the built environment.

The future of places (download presentation)

TEACHING INTERNATIONAL TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY KRAKOW Ir. Michiel Smits

Location: Krakow (Poland)

Employer: International Technical University of Krakow

Studio: MSc1-2 Urban/Architectural Design

Date: 02-2010/08-2010

Description

Following my coaching of a group of students at Auschwitz I was asked by the professors to come teach at the university. During six months I taught a group of 25 students. Here, I formulated the tasks per week, supervised and reviewed the designs in addition to a weekly lecture.

Interns are always welcome to apply by means of motivation letter and CV. However the following demands must be met before consideration;

–        Minimum of 1,5 years of experience as architecture student or 2,5 years as building engineering student.

–        Experience with AutoCAD, Rhino, Illustrator and Photoshop.

–        Affinity with development aid is a preference.

Send your application to [email protected] under the reference of ‘Application Internship’.

For information and questions please feel free to contact MWM Architectuur via:

 

Michiel Smits

Phone: +31610810674

Mail: [email protected]