Dutch post-war school buildings face increasing environmental, technical and social challenges. Many of these buildings suffer from poor energy performance, unhealthy indoor climates and outdated spatial layouts, while demolition and replacement often result in high costs, long procedures and unnecessary carbon emissions. This thesis investigates how a low-tech, ecological renovation strategy can improve environmental performance and spatial adaptability while increasing environmental awareness through fast and affordable interventions.

Using a research-by-design methodology, the study combines case studies, comparative analysis and scenario-based design explorations. The research identifies the building skin as the most critical component and develops a modular second-skin renovation strategy that improves thermal comfort, acoustics, biodiversity and water management while creating additional educational and social space.

The project demonstrates that renovation can be a fast, affordable and future-proof alternative to demolition. As long as sufficient space and structural capacity are available, the proposed strategy offers an adaptable framework that can be applied to a wide range of Dutch post-war school buildings. ... Read more

Within Europe, there’s a huge housing shortage. The Netherlands is one of the countries that exemplifies this issue. The main (social & demographic) reasons for it being an issue are the influx of immigrants and the increase in single-person households. The latter is mainly caused by the construction of single-person households & the increase of single elderly (who live in large family homes). This research explores how, through design, we can create housing blocks that not only accommodate the changing needs of a household but also stimulate the connection and interaction between different households. The analysed households are defined by size and culture. As a result, this research uses co-living principles to stimulate the interaction between these households and defines clear open-building principles to accommodate the adaptation of the housing block. This is elaborated as a design within a typical Dutch neighbourhood in Eindhoven, which depicts the possibilities to densify while still adding qualitative housing. ... Read more

Climate change is increasingly affecting Mediterranean coastal regions through rising temperatures, prolonged droughts, water scarcity, and more frequent wildfire events. These interconnected challenges threaten both natural ecosystems and human settlements, highlighting the need for new architectural approaches that move beyond mitigation and actively contribute to climate adaptation. This thesis investigates how architecture can operate as an environmental infrastructure capable of regulating resources, improving resilience, and supporting vulnerable communities in climate-sensitive territories.

The project focuses on the case of Almería, Spain, a semi-arid Mediterranean region characterized by severe water stress, wildfire vulnerability, and strong dependence on engineered water systems. In response, the thesis proposes a climate-resilient modular settlement that integrates water infrastructure, earthen construction, and passive environmental design into a unified architectural framework. The intervention is conceived as a hybrid system combining habitation, production, research, and resource management. It accommodates approximately 120 residents, including climate-displaced inhabitants, agricultural workers, and researchers, while fostering social cohesion and collective resilience.

The design is structured around a layered environmental strategy. Water autonomy is achieved through a combination of solar desalination, reverse-osmosis desalination, underground storage, and reuse systems integrated within the spatial organization of the settlement. Simultaneously, locally sourced earthen materials are employed as the primary construction medium. Rammed earth and compressed earth blocks provide thermal mass, fire resistance, and low embodied carbon, while establishing a direct relationship between the architecture and the landscape from which it emerges. Excavation required for the water infrastructure becomes a source of construction material, creating a circular material cycle between ground, building, and resource management.

The project draws inspiration from Mediterranean vernacular architecture, particularly the cortijo typology, courtyard houses, and passive cooling systems such as windcatchers and solar chimneys. These principles are reinterpreted through a contemporary modular framework that responds to site orientation, prevailing winds, topography, and seasonal climatic variation. Courtyards, vegetation, water bodies, and transitional spaces operate as microclimatic regulators, reducing heat accumulation and strengthening outdoor living conditions.

Ultimately, the thesis proposes a place-responsive settlement model that positions architecture as an active mediator between climate, water, material, and community. Rather than functioning as a static object, the project operates as a resilient environmental system capable of adapting to future climatic uncertainties while remaining rooted in local resources, Mediterranean living patterns, and circular construction principles. Through the integration of water infrastructure and earthen materiality, the research demonstrates how architecture can contribute to the development of more resilient coastal settlements in the Mediterranean region.
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This project examines how vernacular building strategies developed in humid subtropical climates can be critically translated into contemporary architectural strategies for heatprone urban areas in the Netherlands. Responding to the increasing frequency and intensity of heatwaves, the urban heat-island effect, and the projected climatic shift from an oceanic to a humid subtropical climate, the study investigates passive, low-tech principles that have evolved through longterm adaptation to heat and humidity. The Schellenskwartier in Eindhoven is used as a testing ground due to its dense urban condition, redevelopment potential, and vulnerability to heat stress. Through literature review, case study analysis, site analysis, and research-by-design, the research evaluates strategies across urban, building, and detail scales. Rather than formally imitating vernacular architecture, the study aims to extract and reinterpret its underlying climatic principles to enhance thermal comfort, resilience, and liveability within future Dutch urban environments. ... Read more

Climate change is intensifying hydrological extremes in the Netherlands, where flooding and drought increasingly occur in close succession. In cities such as Eindhoven, water systems are primarily designed to rapidly discharge excess water, contributing to water scarcity and the spatial invisibility of water in daily urban life. At the same time, growing housing demand raises questions about how living environments can engage more constructively with water systems.
This graduation project explores how architecture can contribute to these challenges by redefining the relationship between housing, landscape, and water infrastructure. Introducing the concept of inertia, the project investigates how architectural and landscape systems can slow down, buffer, store, purify, and reuse water over time, transforming hydrological processes into inhabitable spatial conditions. Using Eindhoven as a case study, the project combines research-by-design across landscape, urban, and building scales. The resulting proposal introduces an adaptive housing landscape alongside the canal, integrating wetlands, recreational water bodies, ecological purification systems, and collective housing into one interconnected framework. ... Read more

Global warming is no longer a distant projection, but an accelerating reality. Rising temperatures and increasing climate instability place new pressure on the built environment, which is responsible for roughly one-third of global energy consumption and emissions. This positions architecture in a paradox: it contributes to the crisis, yet also holds the potential to respond to it. Within this, daylight plays a crucial but often overlooked role. This becomes especially critical in primary schools, where children spend a large part of their day. These environments shape how they feel, learn, and interact with the world.

The project explores the design of a Montessori school in which sun, movement, and atmosphere work together. In researching Montessori principles, like the ‘do it yourself ’ mentality, are understood, and nature is analysed for its biomimetic adaptation properties. After the research, an adaptive and playful external facade is created from biomimicry findings and applied to the design of a contemporary Montessori school, where interaction is stimulated and children can learn from light through building interactions. ... Read more

To reduce consumption of non-renewable materials, this research explores the architectural potential of willow (Salix viminalis) by synthesizing traditional Dutch basket weaving with contemporary architectural design. While existing willow structures display ecological and construction advantages, they lack the durability and system required for a building. Through a research-by-design methodology, this study develops a modular, self-bracing system that interweaves traditional craft and building performances. The research culminated in the Nature Technology Centre in Eindhoven, which serves as a functional prototype, demonstrating that woven willow as a primary construction material can create various building components and architectural experiences while meeting certain Dutch building requirements. By establishing a quantifiable cultivation and assembly framework, this project illustrates that willow can be a scalable, biobased alternative available within the local supply chain, offering a sustainable future for architecture. ... Read more

The major cities of today dominate their peripheries. They are the cultural and economic centre on which suburbs rely, in a monocentric organisation. As population increases rapidly, metropolises plan their growth, calling for both expansion and densification. In their spread they will encompass their peripheries, making the latter both subjects and actors of the metropolitan transformation. These changes see the opportunity to create more balanced metropolises. Currently, in rich countries, metropolises tend to be the richest but most unequal areas. Those inequalities are crystallised in spatial forms, with segregated richer and poorer areas in terms of income, land price, rent cost and available social housing. The project looks at the case of Paris, currently undergoing significant changes with new transport lines planned for 2030. The periphery there is home to many underused, ageing office complexes that could gain new attractivity with the new transport lines and a more relevant function. Focusing on the rehabilitation of a large office complex in the well-off residential suburban town of Saint-Cloud, the project proposes a new multi-functional urban centre with mixed housing. The rehabilitation aims for minimal intervention and material reuse while tackling the technical challenges created by the change of use and performance upgrade of the building. ... Read more

This graduation project examines how architecture can contribute to strengthening social cohesion and biodiversity in Zuidplein, Rotterdam, through the integration of communal food production into housing. The project departs from the observation that Zuidplein is characterized by strong ethnic diversity, but also by limited interaction between different social groups, a shortage of places that support prolonged stay, and a highly paved urban environment with fragmented ecological connections. In addition, the infrastructural barriers surrounding the area weaken both social and ecological continuity between the neighborhood and Zuiderpark.

In response, the project proposes a bridge-shaped residential building positioned above the existing infrastructure. The building is conceived as a socio-ecological connector that links neighborhood and park while combining dwelling, collective use, and environmental systems within one spatial framework. The design is organized around three interrelated mechanisms: food production, co-living, and circularity. Food production is approached as a socio-ecological catalyst that supports cultural exchange, affordability, and biodiversity. Co-living is used to stimulate repeated everyday encounters through shared routes and communal spaces, enabling social relations to develop over time. Circularity functions as a supporting system through the reuse of water, heat, energy, and materials, thereby reducing resource consumption and CO2 emissions.

The proposal includes 163 dwellings for a mixed community of students, starters, families, and seniors, organized in clusters around shared atriums, communal kitchens, and rooftop gardens. Public elements such as a market square, productive plinth, and accessible roof route connect the building to the wider urban context. Through this integration of housing, food systems, public space, and ecological infrastructure, the project demonstrates how social cohesion and biodiversity can be addressed as mutually reinforcing components of one architectural system. ... Read more

This thesis investigates how the National Library of the Netherlands (KB) in The Hague can strengthen its relationship with local communities by reorganising its spatial structure around informal learning spaces (ILS). Defined as learner-led and flexible environments, ILS support self-directed study, social interaction, and everyday civic encounter. The study argues that informal learning is a crucial dimension of lifelong learning and reframes the “local community” of a national library not as a fixed demographic group, but as a hybrid public formed through repeated use, inclusive access, and shared spatial experience.

The research combines comparative case studies, spatial analysis across interior, building, and urban scales, and user-based investigation including a survey and social media observation. While the methodological framework informs the study, the main emphasis lies in identifying how spatial design can better support the everyday needs and expectations of library users.

The findings reveal a clear tension between KB’s current spatial condition and users’ expectations. Participants consistently expressed the need for quieter and more comfortable study environments, sufficient individual workspaces, and better everyday facilities. At the same time, they showed strong interest in more social and accessible spaces, including cafés, informal gathering areas, and green outdoor environments. These needs suggest that the national library must operate not only as a repository of knowledge, but also as an inclusive social infrastructure that supports a wider spectrum of informal learning practices.

In response, the thesis develops a set of spatial criteria for integrating five types of ILS within the national library. This framework is translated into a design proposal summarised as “breaking the ice”: opening the library through a new public entrance and route that connects a sequence of informal learning spaces throughout the building. Organised around a central stair conceived as a learning spine, the proposal culminates in a publicly accessible digital manuscript museum, where KB’s behind-the-scenes heritage work becomes visible as a form of informal learning. Through this strategy, the project reimagines the national library as a more open, participatory, and community-oriented civic institution.
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This thesis investigates how the National Library of the Netherlands (KB) in The Hague can strengthen its relationship with local communities by reorganising its spatial structure around informal learning spaces (ILS). Defined as learner-led and flexible environments, ILS support self-directed study, social interaction, and everyday civic encounter. The study argues that informal learning is a crucial dimension of lifelong learning and reframes the “local community” of a national library not as a fixed demographic group, but as a hybrid public formed through repeated use, inclusive access, and shared spatial experience.

The research combines comparative case studies, spatial analysis across interior, building, and urban scales, and user-based investigation including a survey and social media observation. While the methodological framework informs the study, the main emphasis lies in identifying how spatial design can better support the everyday needs and expectations of library users.

The findings reveal a clear tension between KB’s current spatial condition and users’ expectations. Participants consistently expressed the need for quieter and more comfortable study environments, sufficient individual workspaces, and better everyday facilities. At the same time, they showed strong interest in more social and accessible spaces, including cafés, informal gathering areas, and green outdoor environments. These needs suggest that the national library must operate not only as a repository of knowledge, but also as an inclusive social infrastructure that supports a wider spectrum of informal learning practices.

In response, the thesis develops a set of spatial criteria for integrating five types of ILS within the national library. This framework is translated into a design proposal summarised as “breaking the ice”: opening the library through a new public entrance and route that connects a sequence of informal learning spaces throughout the building. Organised around a central stair conceived as a learning spine, the proposal culminates in a publicly accessible digital manuscript museum, where KB’s behind-the-scenes heritage work becomes visible as a form of informal learning. Through this strategy, the project reimagines the national library as a more open, participatory, and community-oriented civic institution.
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The ongoing digitalization of libraries has transformed the KB from a traditional physical book repository into a hybrid space prioritizing online accessibility. This shift, while expanding the KB's reach and preservation capability, raises questions about the future of physical engagement with Dutch heritage materials. This research examines the implications of relocating the KB’s entire physical collection to an off-site automated repository and developments in the KB’s urban and architectural context.
The study highlights the risk of reducing spontaneous interaction and social relevance as digitalization and physical separation increase. Through an analysis of existing services and case studies, different categories of displaying physical heritage materials are explored to enhance physical public engagement, offering a preliminary framework for the KB’s evolution in a digital age. ... Read more

Libraries serve as vital social, cultural, and educational centers; however, their design frequently does not meet the needs of users with sensory impairments. Although ramps and elevators enhance physical accessibility, the overall sensory experience is primarily visual, which restricts engagement for numerous individuals. Libraries must advance beyond primary accessibility to create environments that engage multiple senses, thereby providing a more enriched and inclusive experience. This study investigates the potential of multisensory accessibility to transform the spatial experience of the Koninklijke Bibliotheek (KB) in The Hague, thereby enhancing its significance as an inclusive and socially engaging cultural landmark. The study asks: “How can libraries be redesigned as resilient environments that foster social inclusivity and user engagement by integrating multisensory accessibility in both physical and digital spaces?” It further examines the sensory and physical barriers neurodiverse and impaired users face and how multisensory design interventions can improve accessibility, wayfinding and user engagement. A qualitative, comparative case study analysis is employed, analyzing the Openbare Bibliotheek Amsterdam (Netherlands), Helsinki Central Library Oodi (Finland), and Durham County Library (USA), alongside a literature review of existing studies on multisensory accessibility. The hypothesis asserts that the integration of multisensory design within spatial organization and circulation networks can considerably improve the inclusivity, legibility, and user experience of libraries, thereby providing a framework for accessible and inclusive civic architecture. ... Read more

Originally designed in the 1980s as an archive in a non-public context, the Netherlands’ National Library (KB) has become increasingly disconnected from its surroundings as the city around it transformed. With the future introduction of “the Haagse Loper”, a vibrant public route from the center of The Hague to the fringe of the city, and the relocation of the archive to an off-site repository, the library faces an interesting challenge.
This design in response is based on three different strategies to guide the redesign of the National Library. The first strategy focuses on optimizing the existing. By adjusting the building volume and reorganizing the internal distribution of functions, optimizing the use of the library.
The second strategy introduces a program that actively reconnects the KB’s collection with its users. By implementing makerspaces, such as an expansion of the KBAtelier, a lab for translating the collection’s heritage into tangible projects, the program shifts from passive knowledge consumption to active knowledge creation.
The third strategy relies on the introduction of a flexible system that ensures long-term adaptability. Designed as an open framework rather than a fixed program, this layer allows functions, users, and technologies to change over time while the existing structure remains intact.
Together, these three strategies revitalize the National Library of the Netherlands from an introverted archive to an open public institution. By optimizing the existing structure, reactivating the relationship between the collection and its users, and adapting long-term flexibility, the redesign reconnects the National Library to the urban context and enlarges its public role. ... Read more

The role of libraries has undergone significant changes in recent years. They evolved from a static repository into a multifunctional ‘third space’ that fulfils a diverse range of social needs. For a national library such as the Koninklijke Bibliotheek (KB) in The Hague, this poses a clear challenge: how can the building accommodate more public functions without losing the quiet and research-oriented character that is essential to many users? Therefore, this research focuses on the question: How can spatial strategies within the existing Koninklijke Bibliotheek (KB) contribute to an effective balance between research and public needs?
The research combines literature study, case studies, and user data from surveys and interviews. The results show that clear zoning, acoustic separation, variation in workspaces, and better orientation are essential strategies for ensuring that the various functions can coexist effectively. At the same time, it should be noted that the case studies mainly concern public, newly built libraries and therefore do not fully correspond to the situation at the KB. In addition, the user survey only provides insight into the experiences of current visitors, leaving non-users out of the picture. The results of this research form guidelines for the redesign of the KB. They are not fixed solutions, but a basis that needs to be further developed and tested within the context of the existing building and the specific function of the KB.
These guidelines are translated into a design proposal for the transformation of the Koninklijke Bibliotheek, in which the building is reimagined as a House of Culture where knowledge, culture and community coexist alongside the KB’s research and heritage functions. Through the application of spatial strategies such as zoning, gradations of public and quiet spaces, and differentiated circulation, the design explores how public programmes can be integrated without compromising the requirements of research and collection use. The proposal is developed within the constraints of the existing building and focuses on reuse and transformation rather than replacement. ... Read more

Spontaneous social interactions are essential for a fulfilling daily life, yet they are becoming increasingly rare in today’s preplanned routines. Third places – informal, inclusive settings separate from home and work – can fill this gap. Over time, libraries have evolved into spaces where the community can come together, making them strong contenders for third places. This research focuses on the Royal Library of The Hague (KB), exploring how it can better function as a third place by redesigning its transitional spaces to encourage spontaneous social interaction. Through literature review, on-site mapping, and case study analyses, the research assesses both the urban context and the interior transitional spaces of the KB, and investigates the design criteria for enhancing social interactions. The analysis focuses on seven topics – route/circulation, façade, vision, spatial organisation, light, and furniture and green. ... Read more

This research investigates from an atmospheric viewpoint how architectural elements contribute to the creation of distinct soundscapes for quiet work, group work, and leisure zones in a library setting. The goal of this research is to lay the groundwork for decision making in the redesign of the KB, the National Library of the Netherlands. This research is focused on atmospheric qualities of the library typology with a focus on the auditory. Several studies already exist about soundscapes, but these are often set in either urban surroundings or in other building typologies. This research fills that gap in knowledge by focussing on library soundscapes. The study is guided by the central question: “How can the auditory experience of library users be enhanced in redesigning the soundscape for a 21st century library?”. To address this question, the research is structured around three subquestions, the first of which goes as follows: What should a 21st century library’s auditory atmosphere be like according to library users? The second one is: What spatial strategies can enhance a library’s soundscape? Lastly, the third question is: How are these strategies applied in existing libraries to enhance specific soundscapes? The methodology of the first two subquestions is a literature review, while the third is examined through case study analysis. By combining insights from these investigations, this study aims to provide a framework for designing libraries that align with user needs through atmosphere-driven architectural strategies in soundscape design. ... Read more

This research looks at how the Koninklijke Bibliotheek (KB) – the national library of the Netherlands – can be redesigned to better support people with physical disabilities. By improving both its physical spaces and digital services, the goal is to make the KB a more inclusive and welcoming place where everyone can participate fully in library life. As libraries increasingly become community hubs rather than just places to store books, designing for inclusion has never been more important, especially in historic buildings like the KB, where accessibility and preservation often clash.Through a mix of case studies, site visits, and literature review, this research explores how architecture and technology can work together to remove barriers and improve the experience for users with disabilities. It draws inspiration from inclusive libraries like Oodi in Helsinki and Seattle Central Library, and focuses on strategies such as clear navigation, flexible spaces, and built-in assistive technologies. It also highlights the importance of embedding digital tools – like self-checkout stations and library catalogues – directly into the library’s layout so they’re easy to find and use independently. Rather than treating accessibility as a box to check, this thesis argues for a more human-centered approach – one that listens to users, responds to real needs, and sees inclusion not as a limitation, but as an opportunity to rethink what a library can be. In doing so, it aims to show how national libraries like the KB, which safeguard important heritage, can become truly inclusive spaces that bring people together and support a sense of belonging for all. ... Read more

This project investigates how the Dutch National Library (KB) can evolve from an introverted archive into an extroverted civic space in an age of digitisation and AI. The research combines three strands: analysis of the existing KB and its heritage values, user research on changing study and work patterns, and spatial modelling with DepthMapX to understand movement and visibility. Together, these methods ask how architecture, technology and behaviour can be aligned to keep a large state library socially relevant.

Findings show that users still value physical presence, atmospheres and chance encounters, but expect more flexibility, visibility of activities and intuitive navigation. The study also reveals that much of the existing KB mass has low social and spatial value, while its structural skeleton and reading hall remain important heritage anchors. The design response therefore proposes selective removal of low value wings, a new public plaza and a lightweight modular façade that adds hybrid workspaces, terraces and green infrastructure around the preserved core. Rather than providing a final blueprint, the project offers a framework of spatial guidelines and technical strategies. It demonstrates how a national library can be reconceived as a porous, data informed and climate responsive platform while building upon its architectural and institutional legacy.
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