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Guiding Architects, tour: Laboratory of Deregulation: Oosterwold (Fig. 1)
Guiding Architects, tour: Laboratory of Deregulation: Oosterwold (Fig. 2)
Guiding Architects, tour: Laboratory of Deregulation: Oosterwold (Fig. 3)
Guiding Architects, tour: Laboratory of Deregulation: Oosterwold (Fig. 4)
Guiding Architects, tour: Laboratory of Deregulation: Oosterwold (Fig. 5)
Guiding Architects, tour: Laboratory of Deregulation: Oosterwold (Fig. 6)
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Laboratory of Deregulation: Oosterwold: Anneke Bokern (Thumbnail)
Anneke Bokern
Almere, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht

Anneke Bokern is an architecture journalist and writer based in Amsterdam. Born in Frankfurt, Germany, she studied History of Art and Architecture in Berlin. She moved to the Netherlands in 2000 and has been writing about architecture and urban development for German and international publications including Bauwelt, Baumeister, Topos and DETAIL ever since. She is also the author of several books on Dutch architecture.

Her passion for Dutch building culture led her to found architour in 2004 and co-found the Guiding Architects Network, making her one of the pioneers of professionally guided architecture tours in the Netherlands.

She develops programmes, curates tours, and leads groups in English, German, and Dutch, and continues to write and publish on Dutch architecture.

anneke-bokern.com

Laboratory of Deregulation: Oosterwold: Paul Vlok (Thumbnail)
Paul Vlok
Almere, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht

Paul is an experienced architect and lecturer. Born in Utrecht, the Netherlands, he graduated from TU Delft with an honours degree in Architecture in 1995.

In the years that followed, Paul worked for several Dutch architecture firms, contributing to projects in urban extensions and renewal areas. His work has consistently focused on housing and urban planning.

Since 2018, Paul has been a partner at architour. He develops and organises programmes and leads tours in English, Dutch and German. He also teaches at the Amsterdam Academy of Architecture.

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Tour in Almere:
Laboratory of Deregulation: Oosterwold

When Almere was founded in 1977, functionalist planning still prevailed, resulting in a polynuclear urban layout. By now, however, the city has turned into a living lab with a focus on innovation, sustainability and bottom-up processes. The Oosterwold neighbourhood takes experimentation to the next level. A few years ago, this was still a potato field. Now it is a laboratory for urbanist laissez-faire, destined to house 15,000 people. MVRDV developed the masterplan for Oosterwold and quite immodestly called it a “revolution in Dutch urban planning”. The only organising principle is the distribution of functions. Residents do not only build their own houses, but also have to realise their own infrastructure and facilities in collaboration with their neighbours.

On this tour, we’ll show you the growing agro-urban patchwork of Oosterwold, explain how the laboratory of deregulation came into existence and visit some of the self-build projects.

  • Duration: 3 hours

  • Transport: by coach

  • Services: experienced local architect as guide

  • Languages: Dutch, English, German, French

  • Group size: max. 25 per guide

Projects:

  • Explanations about the experimental urban set-up and masterplan

  • Co-Living Oosterwold I + II (Bureau SLA, 2017)

  • House in House (Bureau SLA, 2020)

  • Tiny House Farm

  • Lofthomes (BKKV, 2020)

  • Lofthoeve (BKKV, 2020)

  • Earthship house

  • Rotating house

  • Residential complex Vliervelden (Ketting Huls, 2020)

architour is led by Anneke Bokern and Paul Vlok. We currently have a team of 18 guides, based in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht and Eindhoven.

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Guiding Architects
Guiding Architects, tour: Laboratory of Deregulation: Oosterwold (Fig. 7)
Guiding Architects, tour: Laboratory of Deregulation: Oosterwold (Fig. 8)
Guiding Architects, tour: Laboratory of Deregulation: Oosterwold (Fig. 9)
Guiding Architects, tour: Laboratory of Deregulation: Oosterwold (Fig. 10)
Guiding Architects, tour: Laboratory of Deregulation: Oosterwold (Fig. 11)
Guiding Architects, tour: Laboratory of Deregulation: Oosterwold (Fig. 12)
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