How can Harvard/Oxford/Cambridge

style architecture with some Harry

Potter influences on a university campus
encourage interactions and how can this
be applied to Marinburg?
INTRODUCTION
The overall objective of this essay is to investigate different facets of
successful university campuses. This knowledge will be used for an adaptive
reuse project in which a monastery in the city of s-Hertogenbosch in The
Netherlands will be transformed into a graduate school; a collaboration
between the University of Tilburg and Eindhoven University of Technology.
The objective is to create a live-on campus which actively encourages
social interaction, stimulates sharing knowledge, and provides all that
is needed for graduate students, both national and international. The
project site is located in the city center and is therefore surrounded by
a variety of functions as bars, restaurants and shops. A perfect location
for student life. The multiple buildings on the site overlook a public and a
private garden.
When asked what a university campus looks like, images of traditional
architecture as seen on the campuses of Harvard, Oxford and Cambridge
come to mind, with students and teachers engaged in intellectual
dialogues. This association likely comes from images seen in TVshows, movies and on the internet. Interestingly, Eindhoven University
of Technology, does not come to mind directly. This might be due to the
modern concrete buildings which show little character, and do not fit into
the archetype of a campus. One of the objectives of this essay is to find
out whether this traditional architecture can encourage interactions and
enhance student life on campus.
This type of architecture can also be seen in the popular Harry Potter
movies. The characters in the movie are wizards who attend Hogwarts
school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. As the name suggests, this school
is magical, and this reveals itself within the architecture. The second
objective of this essay is to investigate these magical touches, analyze
what their influence is on interactions and suggest ways in which these
magical touches can be implemented at Marinburg.
TRADITIONAL CAMPUS ARCHITECTURE
There seems to be an urban design template for traditional campuses.
Buildings are scattered within a park-like environment, and in most
cases the central area of the campus is only accessible to pedestrians.
These traditional campuses often have and promote on-campus living.
The greatest advantage for students is the close proximity to the school
buildings, but the social implications should not be underestimated.
University is where scholars become part of society, and building relations
plays a pivotal role in this process. Each university must understand the
experiences of its own students, for their experiences in university have
great influence on their performance on campus and in future society
(Quingjiu & Maliki, 2013). Usually, becoming friends at university means
becoming friends for life. On-campus living encourages social life next
to studying. This also enables the campus to become more than an
educational facility. It can become a multifunctional area with facilities
for students to enjoy after their lectures. These can be restaurants,
lunchrooms, movie theaters, cafes and sport facilities which will convert
the campus into a vibrant area.
The classrooms also show more character than modern all-white
classrooms, but the greatest difference is the seating layout. Classes
mostly happen in small groups where the tables are placed in a U shape,

03 ESSAY

Essay

with the teacher at the open end. This creates a more intimate atmosphere
in which people are more likely and thus encouraged to engage and
debate. The trigger for this can be a closer proximity to the teacher, or
because inactivity is much more obvious when working in smaller groups.
Quingjui and Maliki (2013, p634) stress that like the neighborhood, the
campus must be regarded as a life space which should contribute to
the students well-being, or to the contrary, can generate dissatisfaction
and stress. Research on the impact of on-campus living satisfaction on
student development has consistently shown that students chances
of persisting to graduation are greatly improved by living on campus
and having a positive living and learning experience (Muslim, Karim, &
Abdullah, 2012).
Next to being an important life space, the campus is also a source
of identity. One study found that national undergraduate students
show higher attachment and identity to campus than international
students (Quingjiu & Maliki, 2013). Though the research only focused
on undergraduate students, it is likely that a similar study on graduate
students would result in the same conclusion.
Besides there being an urban design template, it could also be argued
that there is an architectural design template for traditional campuses.
The Gothic style of Harvard and Cambridge together form the
apotheosis of campus architecture, even inspiring collegiate Gothic as
a new architectural style (Bryn Mawr College, 2001). The architecture is
characterized by arched windows, the use of brick and the sometimes
theatrical size of spaces.
HARRY POTTER ARCHITECTURE
The architecture is described in the books, but is much more apparent
in the movies. The first movies were shot on location, and staged in the
great gothic cathedrals of the 12th-19th century in the United Kingdom.
There were even some Victorian elements added. In the later movies, the
architecture consists of only renderings and set constructions. Production
designer Stuart Craig states about the latest movie Harry Potter and
the Deathly Hallows: Part two that There were so many periods, styles,
and changes that we could use. The whole movie was a great show in
the history of Gothic architecture (Stamp, 2011). No perfect location
existed, resulting in a composition of different cathedrals and abbeys
and throughout the movie series, the architectural styles vary (Saltzman,
2014).
One of the main architectural elements in Harry Potter is the grand
staircase (Rowling, 1997). This is the main staircase of the building, and
what makes it special is that these magic stairs move. They turn and
connect to different floors. The ever changing character of these stairs
create a significant opportunity to encourage interaction. When the stairs
move when youre on it, you end up on a different floor or in a different
hallway, which can lead to spontaneous encounters.
There is a total of seven secret passage ways out of Hogwarts. Some of
these are hidden behind statues, and others require magic to be found.
An example is the main kitchen, of which the door is hidden behind a
painting of a fruit basket (Rowling, 1997). This secrecy and sneaking
around is one of the main themes in the Harry Potter series. Not only
exciting this secret can also lead to an increased place attachment.

URBAN HERITAGE MARINBURG

by Evelien Florijn
APPLICATION TO MARINBURG
Marinburg in its current situation already shows clear resemblance to
the Harvard and Cambridge campus and architectural styles. Albeit the
scale difference and though technically being one building, the floorplan
of the complex is spread in a park-like green environment. Splitting the
complex into different building parts would increase the campus layout,
as students will be able to walk around all buildings. More similarities
can be found when looking at the facades of Marinburg. They are
also characterized by arched windows and the use of brick. The main
entrances are emphasized by somewhat theatrical stairways. The chapel
of Marinburg can be used as one of the main halls or lecture rooms, as
can been seen at Harvard.

Harvard

Marinburg
Pictures by Evelien Florijn

Using the idea of moving staircases to promote interaction and

spontaneous encounters. Routings can be designed in such a way
that they enable for these encounters to happen. A seating area at the
point where two routings intersect provide more opportunity for these
encounters, evolving something very functional like a hallway into a social
hotspot.
The concept of secret passageways can very well be used at Marinburg.
One of the elements in the program is a co-working space in which both
students and entrepreneurs work. Another one consists of workspaces
which are only accessible for students. These two spaces could be
connected by a secret passageway of which only the students know.
This concept can also be used to design entryways onto the campus
grounds. Secret passages through buildings can add a fun element,
and quick routes can be designed to optimize traffic flows on campus.
CONCLUSION

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Marinburg has a lot of university campus potential based on comparison

to successful campuses as Harvard and Cambridge, though on a smaller
scale. Separating the complex into individual buildings would create an
improved campus layout clarifying the overall structure. On the interior,
smaller classrooms can be designed that provide space for tutoring and
the campus style U-shaped lecture rooms. The Graduate School only
needs to provide courses that can be taught in this format, creating a
synergy that will lead to a successful campus at Marinburg.

Bryn Mawr College. (2001, December 20). Collegiate Gothic - Cope

and Stewardson. Opgeroepen op January 22, 2015, van Brun Mawr
College: http://www.brynmawr.edu/library/exhibits/thomas/gothic.html

The elements derived from the Harry Potter series can create a more
playful and dynamic atmosphere. Properly designed routings and the
implementation of hotspots can be used to promote interaction and
encourage spontaneous meetings. Secret routes, only used by students
can contribute to place-attachment. Creating a large central hall where
events can take place, would not only follow the Harvard example, but
also the Great Hall at Hogwarts in the Harry Potter series. This would be
a place where students can study, relax and have dinner.

Quingjiu, S., & Maliki, N. Z. (2013). Place Attachment and Place Identity:
Undergraduate Students Place Bonding On Campus. Procedia Social
and Behavioral Sciences, 632-639.

It is impossible to create an identity, place-attachment and the unique

campus atmosphere. This can only be done by the students themselves.
The only thing that can be done, is creating facilities for discussion,
interaction and a clear structured environment. The key to becoming a
successful university campus is to create a stress free environment in
which students feel at home.

03 ESSAY

Muslim, M. H., Karim, H. A., & Abdullah, I. C. (2012). Satisfaction of

Students Living Environment between On-Campus and Off-Campus
Settings: A conceptual overview. Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences, 601-614.

Rowling, J. (1997). Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone. London:

Bloomsbury Publishing.
Saltzman, A. (2014, September 7). Hogwarts Castle. Opgeroepen op
November 9, 2014, van Harry Potter Wiki: http://harrypotter.wikia.com/
wiki/Hogwarts_Castle
Stamp, E. (2011). Inside Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.
Opgeroepen op November 9, 2014, van Architectural Digest: http://
www.architecturaldigest.com/ad/set-design/2011/harry-potter-setdesign-slideshow_slideshow_item9_10

URBAN HERITAGE MARINBURG