Grieving ecological losses: Creating space for ecological grief in the urban context to contribute to a societal transition towards eco-centric values

The world is facing an escalating environmental crisis marked by major socio-ecological losses. Human-induced environmental threats, like biodiversity loss, climate change, and pollution, underscore the onset of the Earth's sixth mass extinction, recently termed ‘ecocide’. Despite the urgent warnings from the scientific community and growing...

Designing for a future urban mobility system: Targeting inclusivity as a commonality in three Rotterdam neighbourhoods

The urban mobility transition is in full swing. Growing urban populations, increasing traffic congestion and the need for more sustainable transport solutions are forcing cities to think about the future of mobility. This transition is also strongly present within Louwman Group, where the focus has traditionally been on cars, but where mobility...

Integrating urban context in daylighting simulation: The design consequences in Dutch urban areas, regarding visual & non-visual levels of daylight

The Netherlands is facing a housing demand of 1 million homes before 2030. Most of these residences are planned to be built in and around existing cities, causing an increase in urban densities with sub-optimal indoor daylighting conditions as a result. Simultaneously, the daylight assessment methodology for buildings in the Netherlands is set...

Machine learning-based evaluation of dynamic thermal-tempering performance and thermal diversity for 107 Cambridge courtyards

The dynamic thermal conditions profoundly impact on the quality of physical, cultural, and social experiences in courtyard spaces. This research aims to identify the microclimatic dissimilarities between courtyards in terms of tempering seasonal–diurnal thermal extremes and enriching ground-level thermal textures. The methodology included...

A systematic literature review on community relocation in the historic urban contexts

Community relocation could be voluntary or forced, but such change in the composition of inhabitants can endanger the historic urban context and its cultural significance. So, finding the answer to these questions is crucial: What are the main factors for relocation in historic urban contexts, and are these areas affected differently? This paper...

Sound predictions in an urban context

Recent studies show that environmental noise in urban environments continues to be a great health risk. This noise is especially further transmitted by the hard materials that are mostly used for façades. To predict these effects it is desirable to have a reliable prediction method. There are already several ways to predict sound levels in an...

(in)human architecture: The confrontation between automated waste infrastructure and the human urban context in 2100 Amsterdam

As a part of the Complex Projects Graduation Studio this project is set in 2100 Amsterdam and part of a collective research and design effort to look forward in architecture and urbanism. Due to technological advancements, automation and the advent of the circular economy, it may be advantageous to locate a recycling and sorting facility inside...

A Corridor towards sustainable urban development: Maputo Metropolitan Area, Mozambique

A corridor towards sustainable urban development is a reflection about the current planning techniques and how to apply them in the African context, specifically in Mozambique. It aims to raise awareness about the necessity of an understanding and adapting of European urban theories to the context conditionants and strong cultural identity of the...

Sound reflections in an Urban Context: The influence of façades on urban noise levels

In a research of the World Health Organization (2011) it is shown that environmental noise is number two on the list of health risks. Environmental noise is linked to certain health conditions ranging from annoyance to heart attacks and is caused by the growing number of noise sources in the urban environment. An important aspect influencing the...

United Nations Environmental Council

United Nations Environment Council plays an important role as the connection from urban to costline in New York city. ZIGZAG concept solves the 7meter height difference on site with a staircase combining landscape, seatings, tourism functions. It is the collective space inside new UNEC. Vertically the building is divided into three parts, upper...

University of Amsterdam - Conference centre andStudent hotel

Graduation project for Hybrid Buildings

View Preferences and their Effects in a Contextual Virtual Environment with Adaptable Representations