Are you an architect, urban planner, heritage specialist or advocate interested in going to the Netherlands to learn more about how the Dutch deal with heritage? Then, the Netherlands Embassy (Australia) together with Cultural Heritage Agency (Netherlands) have a wonderful opportunity for you.
Built structures tend to have a longer lifespan than the use they initially were constructed for. So, when the original use fades, we have a challenge to face. Demolishment and constructing a new building to accommodate actual needs is a most logic and often performed option. Only, today this world can hardly afford demolishment any longer for reasons of embedded (scare) energy and embodied (limited) resources. Thus, there is an urge to explore alternative, adaptive strategies.
Finding adaptive strategies for outdated structures and faulty urban fabric is a challenge faced around the world. While the challenge is global, the conditions differ largely per country and even per locality. But ‘differences’ can be our asset. Differences make us question ourselves, make us wonder about our partner and will stimulate the debate. The Australian-Dutch cooperation on Adaptive Reuse aims at knowledge exchange between heritage professionals on both sides of the globe. Ultimately the joint cooperation within a global heritage community may bring common solutions to shared challenges.
The joint program consists of two parts, conducted consequently in Netherlands and Australia.
Course on Urban Heritage Strategies, June-August 2023 (online and NL)
The course objectives are directed towards gaining cognitive competence, learning practical skills and building international networks.
See: Urban Heritage Strategies course | Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies | Erasmus University Rotterdam (ihs.nl) See link below
Application deadlines for this course have been extended. Course fees for Australian applicants will be covered by the Cultural Heritage Agency and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands will consider contribution to airfares and accommodation (upon application).
I am a Fijian Citizen and practice in Fiji, is there any chance that this invitation could be extended to us?