A healthy oasis in the centre of Apeldoorn: Taking care of the human wellbing by architectural interventions in the shopping mall

Without realising it, a building can have a lot of impact on user health. Using literature studies and interviews in two case studies, we looked at how physical elements in a building affect the user's experience. These physical elements are nature, material, air, light, dimensions, smell, sound and temperature. These interviews took place in...

Atmospheres and materiality: redesign of the Leyweg shopping mall

The article discusses the challenges of revitalizing shopping malls as heritage sites in the 21st century, due to their vacancy and deterioration resulting from depersonalization. The proposed approach called "tabula scripta" embraces the existing layers and context, requiring a broadening and deepening of the profession of architecture to focus...

The sensory-healing scape

An architect should not only design spaces and functions, but he or she can bring architecture to another level whereby the architecture itself can influence the environment and their people, such as health conditions, (safety) feelings, behaviour and productivity. Within the contemporary architecture, buildings are mostly designed for our...

The Art of Behaviour: nudging towards healthy habits

This research aims to encourage healthy behaviour within the built environment using a technique called nudging. Mostly used outside of the field of architecture, nudging aims to improve health by presenting options in such a way people a more likely to choose one option (a healthier alternative), without losing any freedom of choice. <br/><br/...

Dementia in the Built Environment

The Modular Soundscape: Sound as an architectural domain

Noise pollution is a contemporary problem that developed through urbanisation and industrialization. The consequences of this issue directly influence the health of human beings, as their perception of noise leads to certain behavioural responses. By addressing this issue in a strategic way, residential housing can still be created in noise...

A Health and Wellness Centre for the city of Nijmegen: A place for escape in Nijmegen’s city centre

This thesis aims to develop a new urban and architectural condition for the site of the existing Molenpoort shopping centre, within Nijmegen’s city centre. The project aims to investigate how play can be considered as part of urban and architectural design in an attempt to make a healthier and more engaging city to live in.

The post war neighborhood: a green and active city

Designing the Future to Predict the Future: An ‘urban-first’ approach to co-creating zero-carbon neighbourhoods

The natural ecotone between people, community and carbon reduction is the zero-carbon community. Over recent decades, the design of zero-carbon communities has focussed too greatly on carbon emissions and not enough on building communities. Anthropogenic climate change is a human problem, yet people are seldom placed at the centre of design...

Velocity: Towards an healthy living environment

Research and design about the use of bicycles in and around the building. By stimulating cycling it can provide a solution for congestion in dense cities, be an alternative for the car and have 0 emissions but above all positively influence the health and well-being of people. The research and design show how to stimulate movement and how to use...

Energizers: The essence of Air

In the now a day-age the energy industry is in a transitional phase. Humanity is searching to find an answer to the depletion of fossil fuels, with the exploration of new renewable resources. These renewable resources, in contrary to fossil fuels, require to be continuously balanced between production peaks and lows. Leading to the need for...

Proof of the Pudding: Applying the City-Zen Methodology to Other European Cities.

Back in 2012, a group of enthusiasts submitted a project proposal to the EU. Many talks, partner proposals, and city explorations later, City-zen was granted EU-funding “to develop and demonstrate energy efficient cities and to build a methodology and tools for cities, industries and citizens to reach the 20-20-20 targets”. The program, rooted...