• Architect Dom Hans van der Laan’s design principles unravelled
• The ideas of the Bossche School applied to complex design challenges of the future
• With insights and tools for contemporary architectural practice

In this design manual, architect Caroline Voet unravels the design principles of Dutch Benedictine monk and architect Dom Hans van der Laan (1904-1991), offering insights and tools for contemporary architectural practice. Step by step, Voet redraws Van der Laan’s philosophy of The Architectural Space, linking it to his proportional system of the Plastic Number 3:4, through a series of accessible analyses. The core principles underlying Van der Laan’s elemental architecture, as well as compelling interpretations by his ‘Bossche School’ students, are examined through practical examples. Voet demonstrates that these principles are rooted in design traditions ranging from Vitruvius to the Renaissance, while Van der Laan’s specific approach aims for a modern and dynamic spatial experience. This book offers new perspectives for validating the spatial experiments of The Architectural Space and applying them to the complex design challenges of the future.

Caroline Voet is a professor at the Faculty of Architecture at KU Leuven, where she completed her PhD on the spatial systematics in the work of Dom Hans van der Laan