Our world is going through several transitions at the time of writing. One of them is the digital transition. The digital transition changes the way we interact with each other, it gives us new ways to learn, new ways to work. It changes how society functions on a global scale. The digital transition makes people more individualised. It means lack of consensus and uncertainty. This will inevitably also change the role of the urban designer and architect. How we can design for such an individualised ever-changing society? This thesis explores how the digital transition affects both the design process and the design itself. Approaching the changes brought forth by the digital transition from the perspective of the individual. It uses storytelling to give shape to individuals that all have very different needs, but are able to design together through the use of pattern language. It shows how co-design must play a much larger role within our design process. As for the design itself, it breaks the notion of having an end product as design. Design becomes a perpetual cycle that gets adapted by its different individual users over time. Within this cycle, the urban designer, or architect, has the role of mediator, a person who is able to bring forth creative solutions and someone who speculates on future changes that might occur in the design.

The thesis explores the site of Niuewe Meer in the context of the near future of 2050. The research deals with the new urban phenomena of airport cities - their urban qualities and the issues they pose for development of expanding city borders. On the case of a new passenger driven typology - the airport hospital, it investigates how future airport city amenities could perform as an interface between global demands and local urbanity. The project is based on the notion of acceptance of airport city development by common culture but provides a critical stance toward spatial repercussions of hyper commercialized territory and pseudo-urban space. It proposes one solution to this issue, in which development is oriented to site specific program, aligned with the economic and logistic ambition of Schiphol but reaffirming the specific qualities of the area. The project investigates the hospital as an urban type and applies it to the questionably urban condition of airport cities. The ideology of constant technological progress is leading hospitals to extreme specialization, therefore the organ factory takes the form of a condensed medical campus which can process and supply patients from a wider European region.

Over the last couple of decades, climate change and energy crises have led to an increased interest in reducing the building energy consumption. To reduce the energy consumption buildings are designed airtight. This leads to the accumulation of indoor air pollutants, which are associated with multiple health and discomfort problems. Poor indoor air quality has been linked to a number of health symptoms, like headache, nausea, dizziness, irritation of eyes and breathing problems, also known as the Sick Building Syndrome. In some metropolitan areas, indoor air has been found up to 100 times more polluted than outdoor air. The negative effects of indoor air pollution are major, also given that people in industrialized nations spend an average of 80-90% of their time indoors. Air pollution is also causing an increase in the number of lung patients. Research even shows that in Europe 99,000 premature deaths were attributed to household air pollution. The negative health effects of the indoor environment have contributed to a renewed interest in green building practices. A couple of decades ago, NASA conducted a research where they found that plants could reduce indoor air pollution and have a positive effect on the indoor environment. More recent research has shown that plants also have a positive mental effect. The objective of the project is to create a healthy indoor environment for a Lung Rehabilitation Center, with the use of an active living wall.

This thesis examines how TU Delft could adapt its study places in generic educational buildings to meet current and future demands. This research is done through a literature review and an examination of three representative cases at TU Delft and in-depth, semi-structured interviews. Despite the expectations of a pandemic-induced shift to online learning, this research emphasises the continued significance of a high-quality on-campus environment. Findings reveal a surplus of study places, urging qualitative enhancements, especially in aspects like community feeling. Future prospects suggest a move towards interdisciplinary learning, requiring a diverse mix of study places. Recommendations encompass effective scheduling and smart campus tools, redefining quality parameters for study places, and creating adaptive learning environments. The findings advocate for a balanced approach, accommodating both quiet, focused study places and dynamic, socially engaging meeting places. In conclusion, TU Delft is advised to holistically adapt study places, integrating quantitative and qualitative insights, as detailed in the lessons learned from the general educational buildings.

Canal du Midi, a revolutionary man-made waterway and trading route from the XVII century, is one of the oldest canals of Europe and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since when 1996 (UNESCO, May 12, 2022). The waterway was initially created to strengthen the king’s power and to stimulate the economy, by creating a connection between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic. In the second half of the 19th, the competition from the railway, followed by the impacts of WWⅠ and WWⅡ caused the decline of the trading role of the canal. Finally, at the end of the 1980s, the freight transport on the canal definitively stopped. “The South Canal is clearly an exceptional example of a designed landscape” (Heritage, 2022), says UNESCO World Heritage, this grant water system shows the most innovative water management achievement of the time. The construction of the canal combines ingenuity and aesthetics by taking advantage of the natural water flow and the geographical and architectural elements of the land it crossed. Next to that, a wide range of specialized knowledge from Roman tradition to the latest scientific development was used in its construction. The project had brought enormous benefit for the region and the whole country of France. Today, the canal provides a unique perspective to review the relationship between artificiality and nature, modernity and the past. However, the canal faces difficulties to adapt to its role of a landscape icon that attracts worldwide tourism and has difficulties to keep its role as a source for irrigation. In fact, the Canal du Midi is a rigid, long, quite narrow water structure, with many waterworks that need constant maintenance and have limited accessibility. Therefore, to overcome marginalization, it is essential to identify its values; “aspects of culture which are inherited by the present and which will be preserved for the future” (Upen, Oct 18, 2018). The thesis proposes a discussion from the perspective of landscape architecture, if and in what way a large-scale historical site can become the spill of a sustainable landscape transformation. Central to the research is the use of the concept of the landscape narrative: Narratives are there in landscapes, intersect with sites, accumulate as layers of history, organize sequences, and inhere in the materials and process of the landscape (Potteiger & Purinton, 1998). And to envision the canal as an element, that can create a more adaptive and robust network to stimulate the sustainable development of the region by using three narratives: water as culture, water as infrastructure, water as nature.

The aim of this thesis project is to address a highly problematic landscape in an alternative conceptual way. Instead of following a problem-solving approach, I will try to see how the way a specific site works in space and time can be related to a number of concepts. Furthermore, how do these concepts become part of wider, both theoretical and practical discussions about the role and the limits of planned and designed human interventions on the natural and the urban landscape. The landscape in question is Kifissos, a heavily abused urban river in Athens, Greece. Kifissos used to be a river. As the city evolved it became part of the city’s infrastructural network, functioning as a highway, a sewage and drainage collector. The river is strictly contained within heavy concrete boundaries. This condition is a result and expression of the conceived necessity to dominate and control nature, in order to guarantee for the safety and functionality of the urban world. The binary division between urbanity and nature is in our case expressed by the opposition of the two identities of the river and the highway as well as by the spatial isolation of the two systems from their surrounding environment. The opposition between the over-controlled elements of the landscape and their unpredictable, uncontrolled dynamics is also reflected in the urban tissue, in the tension between the designed/formal and spontaneous/informal patterns of urbanization. By studying how the urban landscape of Athens has evolved through the years, we can see that the development of these opposing patterns is closely related to the underlying structure of the landscape and the introduced element of the highway. Within this wider theoretical framework that describes the case of Kifissos not only as an urbanized river, but also as an over-controlled landscape and a ground for conceived oppositions, the design will not depart from the imposition of external forms and structures. It will rather be born out of an excavation on the site that will investigate the common ground between things conceived as opposites. Reading the existing landscape will result in a number of design tools, compatible with the identity of the city and the landscape, that will guide the design process. The resulting designed landscape works as an experiment of how a concept driven design does not necessarily consists of distanced ideas. Rather it can result in a flexible landscape architectural framework able to incorporate social, environmental and technical aspects closely related to the realities of the existing milieu. Furthermore, it explores and indicates how landscape architecture, as a discipline, has the capacity to work as an integrative common ground, bringing together conflicting notions such as natural and engineered, formal and informal, concept and reality, process and form, the designed landscape and the practices of everyday life.

The project has been created from a strong fascination of the author who came from the developing country in South East Asia. A rapid change of a city from urbanization and over-growing population have somehow eradicated the traditional way of living. One of the best examples is in Ho Chi Minh City, in the South of Vietnam. The city is located in the prime location of the Saigon Delta, and it is the biggest city in Vietnam. Within the last 30 years, the population rose from 4 million people to 10 million people. This led to severe environmental problems and housing shortage. Consequently, local people began to settle their houses illegally along the canal to live with the water as their traditional way of living. This so-called informal settlement has expanded all over the water structure of the city, and they are continuing to grow. The current situation has triggered me to explore the potential of landscape architecture to create design interventions to redefine the zone of informal settlement as an opportunity for Ho Chi Minh City and the environment to ‘breathe.’ The test site has been chosen in the area with the highest density of informal houses in Doi-Te Canal. The design strategies are composed of four layers which are Collect, Purify, Connect and Adapt. The first two layers are contributed to waste management and water purification. The floating waste on canal surface is captured and separated before transferred to the Biogas station which will be transformed into biogas for community cooking purposes. All of these procedures involved the design intervention which is operated by the community. At the same time, the polluted water is diverted to the purification park, it is directly delivered to 10 different biological ponds before released back to the canal. The third layer referred to the social aspect; the two sides of the canal are linked by the proposed pedestrian routes. The different experiences along the routes together with design interventions created interaction between a diverse group of people and brought the social space back to the Canalside. Lastly, the design also concerned about the adaptable ability to tackle with the unexpected future in the “Adapt” layer. The entire area has been studied to find the possible sponge surfaces to hold the water in case of excessive water. Furthermore, the zone of informal settlements also proposed to function as a low dike to protect the urban district come flooded. Through the process of research by design, the zone of informal settlement is being redefined and integrated into the city. The project has revived the existing landscape and enhance the entire area into a living system which is not only created a better environment but also offered a better quality of life to community and Ho Chi Minh City inhabitants. Most importantly, the intangible quality as the culture of “life with water” is being represented and preserved for the future generation.

The civilization and urbanization of Kathmandu Valley started with the Bagmati River but rapid urban expansion in the 21st century has brought many problems-the direct discharge of wastewater, solid waste in the river, encroachment of riverbanks by squatter settlements, and declining groundwater levels, they together contributed to the decline of this sacred river. It resulted in a loss of connection between people and it, which ultimately led to a decline in living quality for the people who live in the Kathmandu Valley. The government is currently taking several separate technique measures to address these issues. But these measurements alone are not enough. They don’t work together. More efforts need to put into the ‘process of change’ to improve the living quality of the Kathmandu Valley. This project explores the role of landscape architectural means to integrate the separated, mainly technical measures, as part of a spatial design that rebuild the connection between people and Bagmati River and achieve the improvement in living quality in the Kathmandu Valley. As a large region with complex environmental issues, it is difficult to achieve all changes at once. The concept of an “Urban Catalyst” is chosen as the framework of the project through a slow landscape transformation guided by phasing and involvement of inhabitants to gradually make the river livable. The theory “Urban metabolism” helps to form spatial strategies which in the theory of “Urban Catalyst” is called catalyst point to transform the linear and unsustainable flows into circular and sustainable flows to restore the ecological condition of Bagmati River. With the intervention of the catalytic points, the Bagmati River will slowly be restored, from the intervention area to the entire river system, reconnecting people to it and ultimately impacting the valley and improving the quality of life of its inhabitants.

De technische universiteiten in Delft en Eindhoven waren in Nederland de eerste waarvoor na de Tweede Wereldoorlog het ‘campusmodel’ werd ingevoerd, dat wil zeggen: de ontwikkeling van de universiteit tot autonoom stadsdeel. In deze aflevering van OverHolland wordt aan deze ontwikkeling vanuit diverse invalshoeken aandacht besteed. Hoe de campus zich ontwikkelt, wordt duidelijk uit het voorbeeld van de universiteit van Tilburg. Het masterplan van Bauhütte, de design based research group van de TU Eindhoven onder leiding van Christiaan Rapp en het ontwerp van Kees Kaan voor een nieuw onderwijs- en zelfstudiecentrum laten zien hoe de behoefte aan een nieuw soort universiteitsgebouwen en de campus – intussen architectonisch erfgoed – met elkaar in overeenstemming gebracht kunnen worden. Tot slot gedenkt OverHolland het feit dat vijftig jaar geleden Aldo Rossi’s De architectuur van de stad verscheen. Voor deze gelegenheid wordt ‘Elementi e costruzione. Note sull’architettura di Aldo Rossi’ van Ezio Bonfanti uit Controspazio, oktober 1970 – de eerste architectuurtheoretische beschouwing van de ontwerpen van Aldo Rossi – in Nederlandse en Engelse vertaling gepubliceerd. De rubriek Polemen voegt daaraan de notities van Rossi toe en de brief die hij naar aanleiding van dit artikel aan Bonfanti schreef.@en

De technische universiteiten in Delft en Eindhoven waren in Nederland de eerste waarvoor na de Tweede Wereldoorlog het ‘campusmodel’ werd ingevoerd, dat wil zeggen: de ontwikkeling van de universiteit tot autonoom stadsdeel. In deze aflevering van OverHolland wordt aan deze ontwikkeling vanuit diverse invalshoeken aandacht besteed. Hoe de campus zich ontwikkelt, wordt duidelijk uit het voorbeeld van de universiteit van Tilburg. Het masterplan van Bauhütte, de design based research group van de TU Eindhoven onder leiding van Christiaan Rapp en het ontwerp van Kees Kaan voor een nieuw onderwijs- en zelfstudiecentrum laten zien hoe de behoefte aan een nieuw soort universiteitsgebouwen en de campus – intussen architectonisch erfgoed – met elkaar in overeenstemming gebracht kunnen worden. Tot slot gedenkt OverHolland het feit dat vijftig jaar geleden Aldo Rossi’s De architectuur van de stad verscheen. Voor deze gelegenheid wordt ‘Elementi e costruzione. Note sull’architettura di Aldo Rossi’ van Ezio Bonfanti uit Controspazio, oktober 1970 – de eerste architectuurtheoretische beschouwing van de ontwerpen van Aldo Rossi – in Nederlandse en Engelse vertaling gepubliceerd. De rubriek Polemen voegt daaraan de notities van Rossi toe en de brief die hij naar aanleiding van dit artikel aan Bonfanti schreef.@en

On the periphery of a dike, a maritime industrial area between Alblasserdam and Kinderdijk in the Netherlands, a former windmill and ship manufacturer operated during the 19th and 20th centuries. This narrow 250-meter-long hall, known as Kloos Kinderdijk, is defined by its spectacular length and characterised by its spacious and light atmosphere. It is situated between two contrasting Dutch landscapes: on one side, the typical sophisticated, delicate, horizontal polder landscape with UNESCO World Heritage windmills at Kinderdijk; and on the other side, the robust river landscape, once pivotal for the maritime industry and still significant today. Kloos is one of the few remaining shipyards. However, not for long as Kloos is now waiting to be demolished. With the demolition of this building, the last visible maritime-industrial remnant will be lost. Maritime-industrial heritage is in danger of being lost. It is crucial to transform these sites with a reinterpretation towards the future. This research is a new way of thinking about heritage and moves away from conservative preservation methods. It illustrates how undervalued buildings can be saved, reinterpreted for future significance, and thereby gain visibility by adding value through a more radical architectural adaptive-reuse approach. In the case of Kloos Kinderdijk, the area has struggled with water issues for years, and these problems are expected to worsen due to rising sea levels. Therefore, Kloos' design involved building a floating volume above the existing. This floating volume is flood-resistant, maintains the spatial openness of the polder landscape, and offers panoramic views of both the polder and river landscape. The construction of the floating volume radically breaks through the existing structure, to enhance the building's visibility from the river landscape.

On the periphery of a dike, a maritime industrial area between Alblasserdam and Kinderdijk in the Netherlands, a former windmill and ship manufacturer operated during the 19th and 20th centuries. This narrow 250-meter-long hall, known as Kloos Kinderdijk, is defined by its spectacular length and characterised by its spacious and light atmosphere. It is situated between two contrasting Dutch landscapes: on one side, the typical sophisticated, delicate, horizontal polder landscape with UNESCO World Heritage windmills at Kinderdijk; and on the other side, the robust river landscape, once pivotal for the maritime industry and still significant today. Kloos is one of the few remaining shipyards. However, not for long as Kloos is now waiting to be demolished. With the demolition of this building, the last visible maritime-industrial remnant will be lost. Maritime-industrial heritage is in danger of being lost. It is crucial to transform these sites with a reinterpretation towards the future. This research is a new way of thinking about heritage and moves away from conservative preservation methods. It illustrates how undervalued buildings can be saved, reinterpreted for future significance, and thereby gain visibility by adding value through a more radical architectural adaptive-reuse approach. In the case of Kloos Kinderdijk, the area has struggled with water issues for years, and these problems are expected to worsen due to rising sea levels. Therefore, Kloos' design involved building a floating volume above the existing. This floating volume is flood-resistant, maintains the spatial openness of the polder landscape, and offers panoramic views of both the polder and river landscape. The construction of the floating volume radically breaks through the existing structure, to enhance the building's visibility from the river landscape.

This study examines the relationship between design elements and how visitors perceive exhibitions to assess how architectural interior design influences visitor engagement in museums. In light of the post-pandemic spike in museum visits, the study attempts to close the information gap regarding the connection between evolving exhibition narratives and architectural principles for creating immersive spaces. Through fieldwork and literature reviews, this study investigates the complex relationship between visitor engagement and architectural design. The theoretical basis highlights the significance of layout, traffic flow, and how spatial design influences visitor behavior. The Maritime Museum in Rotterdam and Schoenenkwartier in Waalwijk serve as two case studies that highlight these concepts by showcasing how to integrate additional functions, achieve a balance between structure and freedom, and arrange interactive features effectively. The research concludes that architectural interior design significantly influences visitor engagement through thoughtful layouts and varied installations. Achieving success requires establishing a balance between direction and liberty, catering to a variety of audiences, and integrating digital content into the exhibition. The outcomes offer architects and curators beneficial insights into designing impactful museum environments.