MArch study trip: Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Utrecht

Key Information
Eligibility
About

Key Information

Information

Application Deadline: 20/10/25 at 9:00 am

Opportunity type: Academic-led trips

Faculty: Technology, Arts and Culture

Ref: 10009761

Dates

Departure Date: 19/01/26

Return Date: 26/01/26

Student cost

£300: This is your estimated cost for travel and accommodation after deducting the £200 DMU Global bursary.


What’s not included: UK transfers, in-country travel (£40) activities, visits, food, drink, and visa (if applicable).

Booking

Accommodation: Shared rooms will be provided in a hostel/hotel

Travel: Travel booked by DMU (students travel as a group)

Contact

General Enquiries: Global Mobility Office - dmuglobal@dmu.ac.uk

Trip Lead: Ben Cowd - bencowd@dmu.ac.uk

How to pay

Payment details: If offered a place, students will receive further information and will be asked to pay the student cost listed above. As mentioned, the DMU Global bursary has already been deducted from this.

Your application

Important: The use of generative AI tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot and others to write or generate content for your application is not permitted. DMU Global reserves the right to reject applications that have been created using these tools. To learn more, visit our application process page.

Trip Profile

Independence

Independence

Group travel

Independent travel

Trip price

Trip price

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Trip duration

Trip duration

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Eligibility

MArch Architecture (K10047 & K10048) students are eligible to apply for this opportunity. There is a maximum of 30 places available, with a minimum of 15 participants required for this opportunity to take place. Students are recommended to check the eligibility criteria before applying.

About

Trip description

This postgraduate field trip offers MArch Architecture students the opportunity to critically engage with a diverse and ambitious range of housing and public architecture in Amsterdam, Utrecht, and Rotterdam. The trip is focused on studying innovative and socially responsive housing models—historic and contemporary—that respond to pressing urban issues, including affordability, sustainability, and density.

In Amsterdam, students will undertake guided visits to major early 20th-century social housing projects including Het Schip (Michel de Klerk) and De Dageraad (de Klerk & Piet Kramer), both celebrated for their expressive Amsterdam School architecture and integration of craft, community, and ideology. More recent housing schemes include Borneo-Sporenburg (West 8), an internationally recognised model of high-density low-rise living, and Sluishuis (BIG + Barcode Architects), a floating housing project combining environmental performance with social ambition. Additional visits will include cooperative housing experiments and emerging infill schemes.

In Utrecht, the group will visit the Rietveld Schröder House (Gerrit Rietveld), a De Stijl masterpiece challenging conventional domestic boundaries, and Enric Miralles’ Utrecht Town Hall, which demonstrates layered spatial complexity and civic identity.

In Rotterdam, students will engage with a range of innovative housing typologies, including Kop Dakpark (INBO + h3o) and Cube Houses (Piet Blom), alongside public and cultural architecture such as the Kunsthal Rotterdam (Rem Koolhaas). The programme will also include walking tours, and potential engagements with local architects and planners.

An additional £40 will be collected from students to cover the cost of rail travel between Amsterdam and Rotterdam (return) and Amsterdam and Utrecht (return).


Learning objectives

The primary objective of this field trip is to immerse MArch Architecture students in a dynamic international context where they can critically explore alternative approaches to housing, urbanism, and architectural practice. The Netherlands (particularly cities like Amsterdam, Utrecht, and Rotterdam) provides a unique opportunity to study how innovative, low-cost, and socially responsive housing typologies are being implemented in response to contemporary urban challenges. Key objectives include:

  • Academic Development: to enable students to research and analyse a range of innovative housing models, from cooperative living to modular and circular design systems. By studying these in context, students will be better equipped to critique and reimagine housing strategies within the UK—particularly in light of the ongoing housing crisis and growing demand for sustainable, affordable living environments.
  • Professional Insight: to provide direct exposure to international architectural practices and planning bodies that are leading in socially-driven and environmentally-resilient design. This includes visits to renowned firms and urban projects that challenge conventional development patterns and offer alternative modes of practice.
  • Cultural Engagement: to deepen students’ appreciation for how architecture operates within diverse cultural and political contexts. Dutch cities offer compelling examples of how design can reflect social values, foster inclusivity, and negotiate historical identity with contemporary needs.
  • Personal Growth and Graduate Attributes: to cultivate critical, globally aware, and socially engaged designers. Students will build confidence in navigating unfamiliar environments, communicating across cultures, and reflecting on how architecture can serve public good. These experiences directly contribute to DMU Graduate Attributes such as Global Outlook, Critical Thinking, and Civic Responsibility.

Ultimately, the trip aims to inspire students to think ambitiously and responsibly about their own design practice, and to draw meaningful lessons from the Dutch context that can inform more equitable, creative, and sustainable responses to housing in the UK.


Skill development

This opportunity has been designed to help develop the following DMU Graduate Attributes:

Agility
Agility
Confidence
Confidence
Critical Thinking
Critical Thinking
Organisational
Organisational


Cultural activities

Outside of the structured academic programme, students will have ample opportunity to explore the cultural richness of Amsterdam, Utrecht, and Rotterdam independently. Each city offers a unique urban experience, with a wealth of museums, public spaces, and architectural landmarks to discover at their own pace.

In Amsterdam, students may choose to visit the Stedelijk Museum, Rijksmuseum, or EYE Filmmuseum, all located within walkable or bikeable distances and offering valuable perspectives on design, modern art, and visual culture. Exploring the canal belt, historic Jordaan district, or the redeveloped docklands provides informal but valuable architectural insight.

In Utrecht, students can take time to wander the charming medieval centre or visit local cafés and bookshops.

In Rotterdam, students might independently visit the Het Nieuwe Instituut, home to one of Europe’s leading architecture archives, or take in the city’s bold post-war skyline from a rooftop bar or water taxi. Independent sketching, photography, or exploring contemporary urban projects such as the Luchtsingel or the Timmerhuis are all encouraged.

These cultural activities are intended to inspire reflection, curiosity, and personal connection with the built environment beyond the formal study programme.