Education at the HFG: A wide range of professional activities was possible by using meta-languages and meta-methods. My professional development as an example: Gerhard Curdes Prof. em. for Urban Design and Country Planning. RWTH Aachen-University Lecture at the faculty of Architecture, Buenos Aires, 12-2011
Meta-languages and meta-methods The conflict after 1961 between teachers of "theory" and "design" at the Hfg has distracted, how great the significance of the theoretical foundations was which have been taught: The ability to look behind the surface of the structure of tasks and problems. We learned a meta-language which made us fit to search and communicate even in job fields outside architecture and building. In numerous professional fields in modern society the main method of communication is a structural language. This ability we especially owe to the theoretical teachers of the Hfg.
Professional development 1963: Research about quantitative figures of tertiary services in urban and regional planning, free lance 1964-1967: Researcher at the Institute of Tertiary Services and Town planning in Cologne (INGESTA) 1967-1970: Member of the planning staff of the Prime Minister of the State North-Rhine-Westphalia 1970-1971: Lecturer at the Institute for Environmental Planning Institut für Umweltplanung - succession Institute of the hfg 1971-1998: University Professor and Director of the Chair and Institute of Urban Design and Country-Planning, University of Technology. Aachen 1998 Emeritus Research in urban morphology and urban climate change 3
Memberships 1965 Member of the Regional Science Association, Philadelphia 1966 Founding member of the Gesellschaft für Regionalforschung (German-speaking part of the Regional Science Association) 1970 Architektenkammer NRW 1980 Akademie für Städtebau und Landesplanung 1997 International Seminar on Urban Form
Research and workings fields 1963-2011 Methods for analyzing and planning of services in town- and regional planning 1963-1967 Development programs for regions and the state 1967-1969 Methods for the planning of district centers 1966-1973 Environment, planning and planning critics 1969-1980 Historical development of urban theory and urban form 1973-1985 Urban morphology and urban development 1985-2000 Urban history - city of Aachen (Internet portal) since 2005 Urban morphology and climate change (since 2008) 5
Research at INGESTA (Institut Gewerbebetriebe im Städtebau) Köln 1964-1967 Methods for analyzing and planning of services in town- and regional planning Retail areas of city centers Retail structure of the Ruhr-Region Hierarchy of city- and district centers Central place systems and services
Ruhr Region 1965-66 Source: Institut Gewerbebetriebe im Städtebau, Köln Institute of Commercial businesses in Towns, Cologne Retail areas of city centers Regional hierarchy of centers 7
Research about retail efficiency and retail regions of towns and districts FRG + Ruhr-Region 1965-67 Source: Institut Gewerbebetriebe im Städtebau (INGESTA), Köln Institute of Commercial Businesses in Towns, Cologne Source: Curdes, G.: On a method for analyzing retail centrality and efficiency in town- and regional planning, in: "Urban Core and Inner City", Amsterdam 1968 8
Hierarchy of city- and district centers Ruhr-Region 1966 Source: Institut Gewerbebetriebe im Städtebau, Köln Institute of Commercial businesses in Towns, Cologne 9
Work at the planning staff of the prime minister of the federal state North-Rhine-Westphalia 1967-1969 Development program Ruhr State program for infrastructure development My part: Program for city development, housing and transport Program for landscape development Development program for the state: Nordrhein-Westfalen-Programm 1975 My part: Program for city development, housing and transport Program for landscape development
Development Program Ruhr 1967 State North-Rhine-Westphalia Planning staff of the Prime-Minister Coordination rapid transit + city development 11
North-Rhine-Westphalia Program 1975 (Published 1970) Planning-Staff of the Prime Minister 1968-1969 Development goals for town- and district centers along rapid transit lines Coordination of the development of public transport and city development 12
Urban design-work at the Institute of Urban Design and Country Planning, RWTH Aachen Town square Hückelhoven Town square Kohlscheid Station square Cologne (sketch) 4 Site plans city Herzogenrath 4 Site Plans village Rengsdorf Development studies for villages and small towns Development study for the Northern region Aachen Development study for green structure and public spaces in Aachen 13
Design of squares Krefeld-Oppum 1994 1 Aachen-Center 2 1988,1994 3 Hückelhoven 1987-1990 4 1) with Raumplan, Aachen 2) with Moisisch 3) with Reicher-Haase 4) with Bruchhaus, Grönhagen, Ruland
Station-square Cologne 1998 City of Cologne: Exchange of ideas for the design of the station-square (6 offices) Planning sketch Curdes (one of three recommendations of a staircase solution) Realization: Arch. Schaller, Cologne Comments: Bauwelt 1998 Nr. 35
Teaching for architects and urban planners Spatial and urban theory Urban analysis History of urban form Urban morphology Urban planning and urban design Rural planning Planning law 16
Selection of books Stahl, K.; Curdes, G.: Umweltplanung in der Industriegesellschaft. Lösungen und ihre Probleme, roro tele Nr. 30, Hamburg 1970 (Environmental-planning in industrial society. Solutions and their problems). Six television shows WDR 1971 / 72 Curdes, G.; Fester, F.; Helmer, P.: Entwicklungszentren - Köln 1980 = Schriftenreihe Politik und Planung, Band 8 (Development-Centers in the FRG) Curdes, G., Oehmichen, R. (Hrsg.): Künstlerischer Städtebau um die Jahrhundertwende. Der Beitrag von Karl Henrici. Köln 1981 (Artistic urban design around the turn of the century. The contribution of Karl Henrici) Montanari, A.; Curdes, G.; Forsyth, L. (Edit.): Urban Landscape Dynamics. A Multi-Level Innovation Process. Aldershot (UK) 1993 Curdes, G.: Stadtstruktur und Stadtgestaltung. Kohlhammer. Stuttgart 1993. 2. Auflage 1996 (Urban structure and urban design) Chinese edition 2006 Curdes, G.: Vorlesungen zum Städtebau: Perioden, Leitbilder und Projekte des Städtebaues vom Mittelalter bis zur Gegenwart. Institut für Städtebau und Landesplanung. Aachen 1993 (Lectures about urban periods) Curdes, G.: Stadtstrukturelles Entwerfen. Kohlhammer. Stuttgart 1995 (Structural urban design) Chinese edition 2006 G. Curdes (Edit.).: Reihe Stadt - Raum - Innovation: (Book series: Town-Space-Innovation) Curdes, G.; Ulrich, M.: Die Entwicklung des Kölner Stadtraumes. Der Einfluß von Leitbildern und Innovationen auf die Form der Stadt. Dortmund 1997 (The development of the urban space of Cologne) Haase, A.: Die Entwicklung des Duisburger Stadtraumes. Der Einfluß von Innovationen auf Räume und Funktionen. Dortmund 1999 (The development of the urban space of Duisburg) Curdes, G.: Die Entwicklung des Aachener Stadtraumes. Der Einfluß von Leitbildern und Innovationen auf die Form der Stadt. Dortmund 1999 (The development of the urban space of Aachen)
Selection of books 18