Reuse, Transformation and Restoration

In the period I was teaching at the Eindhoven University of Technology, the Netherlands, from 1984–1998, I often had the privilege to welcome our first year students entering the faculty of architecture. After I had paid my compliments to the students for having chosen a fascinating study and future profession I told them that for environmental and climate reasons, it would be best not to build at all any longer. And since this was unrealistic, the next best thing was that we should learn how to renew the world with things that exist already. Laughter was always their response. Didn’t the nutty professor notice that outside an enormous boom of new building was going on as a result of the neo-liberal wave that was hitting Europe and North America? Besides, the ambition of most of them was to become the future Rem Koolhaas or Norman Foster. So please don’t spoil the party. Directly after my talk they were embraced by the faculty staff to fulfill their dreams