(abridged version Bonas essay) K.P.C. de Basel (1869-1923) On February 14, 1869, Karel Petrus Cornelis was born. In 1889, De Bazel went to live on his own. Several moves followed, during which he lived successively in Amsterdam and Hilversum. In Hilversum, he was also superintendent for the construction of St. Vitus Church. His weak health, which had been a problem throughout his life, meant that he had to undergo a cure in Germany at the end of the church's construction period. After his stay in a convalescent home, De Bazel became chef de bureau with architect P.J.H. Cuypers. A move to Amsterdam followed in 1892. At his master's office, he became acquainted with J.L.M. Lauweriks. Together with Lauweriks, De Bazel started a studio for arts and crafts beginning in 1895. The studio lasted only five years, as in 1900 De Bazel was again struck by a serious illness and had to stay in a sanatorium in Putten. De Bazel died on November 28, 1923 on the train on his way to De Klerk's funeral after a violent coughing fit. Education After elementary school, De Bazel attended carpentry school in The Hague. There he received very diverse assignments, which he duly carried out. It was common for young practitioners of technical subjects in The Hague to study at the Haagsche Academie, which is what De Bazel did. Between 1882 and 1888, he attended an evening course in architecture at this Academy of Fine Arts. De Bazel became acquainted with the two styles that had dominated architecture twenty-five years earlier: the classical and the rationalist school. At the hands of teachers at The Hague Academy, who thought his talents could be developed elsewhere, De Bazel was pushed in the direction of architecture. From the carpenter's store he went to one of The Hague's architectural firms, where he was able to continue his practical apprenticeship. From 1892 to 1894, De Bazel took his final course: an evening course in model drawing at the Rijksacademie voor Beeldende Kunsten in Amsterdam. Architectural offices Through his older brother, De Bazel became acquainted with pastor Brouwers of Bovenkerk aan de Amstel, who was a friend of architect P.J.H. Cuypers. So it was that at the age of 20, the former carpenter's apprentice came to work in the office of this great Dutch master builder, who had just completed the Rijksmuseum and still had numerous buildings in his portfolio. During his time at Cuypers' office, De Bazel was employed as a draftsman and did very different work and came into contact with many peers. After the completion of the Hilversum St. Vitus Church, De Bazel returned to Cuypers' office to become chief de bureau of the drawing studio. He produced his last drawing job at the bureau for Jos.Th.J. Cuypers: a large perspective drawing of St. Bavo in Haarlem. Due to differences of opinion between the Catholic P.J.H. Cuypers and the theosophically inclined De Bazel, the latter decided to leave the bureau and start his own business. The understanding of the value of craft, which De Bazel already had "by nature," had been further developed through Cuypers' work, as had the need for ornamentation in buildings. The first commissions in which De Bazel was able to apply all this concerned furniture and ornamental art. Together with Lauweriks, he made designs in an 'atelier for building and decorative art' they founded in 1895. Under the name of firm 'De Bazel and Lauweriks' they enjoyed fame. Teaching practice Throughout his life, De Bazel emphasized the importance of good education in lectures and articles. He also taught at several schools himself. Between 1897 and 1902 he was a teacher at the Kunstnijverheidsschool in Haarlem. There he taught a Vâhanacursus in design together with Lauweriks and H.J.M. Walenkamp. This course, started for idealistic reasons, was named after the theosophical lodge to which the three architects belonged. They taught drawing, art history and aesthetics, among other subjects, with an emphasis on designing on system using triangles. Publications In the 30 years, during which he worked as an artist and architect, De Bazel wrote several articles on architecture and related subjects. In the early years of his career, these were submissions to the magazines Architectura and Theosofia. That De Bazel published quite a lot was not surprising. From 1897 to 1903, he was a member of the editorial board of Architectura, the journal of the society Architectura et Amicitia. As he received more and more building commissions, however, his name appeared much less in the magazines. Characterization of oeuvre De Bazel's architectural oeuvre is very diverse in nature and consists largely of residential and country houses. He also built working-class and working-class houses, offices, a model farm and a synagogue. He made designs for town halls, a concert hall, a crematorium and a world capital near The Hague. For many buildings he also provided designs for the interior and furniture. De Bazel was also active in the field of urban planning. As an architect, urban planner, interior architect, furniture designer, graphic artist and designer of utensils, De Bazel fits within the group of artists of the early twentieth century who - in the line of William Morris and Henry van de Velde - prioritized a return to craftsmanship. The responsibility they felt for society and the artist-society relationship was very important in this regard. For De Bazel, this meant a continuation of the ideas of his teacher P.J.H. Cuypers, who had already focused on the re-education of the small middle class of artisans. De Bazel's craftsmanship is reflected in the detailed way he made his designs. De Bazel chose security, which he found in designing by system. His works are characterized by a strict main form, within which rich detailing is applied in a controlled manner. Design process De Bazel developed all his architectural designs from geometric systems, first using triangles. After 1900, he switched to a system of rectangles, the dimensions of which were implemented in all parts of the building. He did this from the idea that a building should have "unity in multiplicity. Established measures and formal relationships of the parts to each other and to the whole would lead to harmony of the entire structure. Garden architect For his country houses, De Bazel often designed the gardens as well. He started making these garden designs from the moment, that he worked as an independent architect in Bussum in 1902. In total he made designs for 28 gardens, most of which were made in the period 1909-1917. De Bazel always worked from a rectilinear layout, with an axis running from a bay window or door into the garden. The garden itself was highly symmetrical, and when it consisted of several different parts, those parts were designed around their own axis of symmetry. Slot Although he died at the age of 54 and his life was dominated by poor health, this did not stop De Bazel from being active in many areas. He was a member of many organizations and president of important associations such as Architectura et Amicitia and unions such as the Union of Dutch Architects. He also published his views on art and architecture and gave lectures. De Bazel left behind a large architectural oeuvre, which was of great importance not only in his own time but still has great value today. The importance of his oeuvre lies not only in the beauty of his work, but also in the thoughts and theories behind it. His urge for perfection and the geometric systems developed from his theosophical philosophy created harmony in his work. De Bazel's ideas about the artist as a servant of society also made his buildings "human". Education: Timmermansopleiding The Hague/1873; Academy of Fine Arts The Hague/1882-1888; Additional positions: Quellinusschool Amsterdam/teacher/1901-1903; Nederlandsche Vereeniging voor Ambachts- en Nijverheidskunst/co-founder and member/; Commissie van advies bebouwing gemeente bouwterreinen Amsterdam/lid/1911; Commissie van Nederlandse Oudheidkundige Bond/lid/1910; Commissie behoud raadzaal/lid/1909; Hoofdbestuur Maatschappij tot Bevordering der Bouwkunst/lid/1912; Bouwkunstcommissie van Bond Heemschut/lid/1912; Commissie voor stadsschoon/lid/1913; Rijkscommissie voor de Monumentenzorg/lid/1918; Committee to study the question of building a garden city or garden villages in the vicinity of Amsterdam/member/; Het Binnenhuis, Rokin 120, Amsterdam/member/ from 1900; Brick application competition/jury member/1906; Architecture and Friendship competition Rotterdam/jury member/1905; Godon competition/jury member/1908; Competition block of workmen's houses on a corner of a street on a canal/jury member/1899; Competition design for an exterior door of a town house/jury member/1896; Competition Funeral chapel for a general cemetery/jury member/1910; Competition hotel in a small seaside town/jury member/1912.