Tagged : lectures

Did you know that 50 percent of the world's population lives on just 2 percent of the earth's land surface, but uses 75 percent of the earth's energy and is responsible for 80 percent of the world's pollution?

This is what starchitect Rem Koolhaas said during a lecture at Cornell University earlier this month.

2-50-75-80

I Don’t Like the Spotlight – the Photos

About two weeks ago I gave a presentation in mega church Bethel. A while ago I received several photos, made by photographer Jan Iepema. I’d like to share several of them with you.

For people interested. The photographer, Jan Iepema, used a D90 50mm 1.4.

Be sure to check out his Twitter and website.

I Don’t Like the Spotlight

Last week, I came across this article. It’s about ‘the secrets of success in life’. According to this article, if you want to have success in life, you should get out of our comfort zone. I don’t know if it’s true, but this week I did get out of my comfort zone… Big time!

I had to give a presentation about a design I made for mega church Bethel (in Dutch: Vrije Baptistengemeente Bethel, Drachten). During the past, I gave many presentations, but none of them had an attendance of 400 people. And none of them were filmed by five cameras. This one did. Oh, there was an official photographer also.

As the title of this post suggests, I don’t like the spotlight. At least, that’s what I thought. This is one of the reasons I’m director. I enjoy being backstage. But as (soon to be) architect, it’s important to be on stage. To give presentations. To be, sort of, a public figure.

Anyway, since I was quite nervous for this presentation, I decided to go for a bike ride during the entire afternoon. This cleared my mind and allowed me to prepare my lines. Which, I believe, went well. That evening, the moment I stepped on stage… after I did my first line… and second line… I started to really enjoy being on stage. I saw the audience was engaged. Overall, time flew by and the presentation went great! Maybe I do like the spotlight after all…

Below are some video stills (from the video recording).

Moment of truth… first seconds on stage…

…I’m still a little nervous…

… and more relaxed already…

… I even had a couch to sit back and relax…

… I gave a live virtual tour of the new design…

… And time’s up… Questions? Anyone?…

…Body language during the Q&A…


…More body language.

What Architecture Can Do

An interesting lecture by Rem Koolhaas, founder of the Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA), at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in Singapore. He speaks about what architecture can do to the world. This includes topics like architecture, energy independence but also (European) politics.

Interestingly Rem Koolhaas lectures to non-architecture students.