A graduation research into the topic feeling at home for the heterogeneous modern household group single-person households. This research forms the basis of a design project for Merwe-Vierhaven in Rotterdam, where the concepts of comfort, social interaction, feeling of safety and identity come together.

More and more people in the Netherlands want to live in the so-called Randstad. This results in a need for densification in Dutch cities. One of the solutions for this is building more high-rise residential buildings. High-rise buildings provide amazing views and house many people on a small plot of land. They do however, have some downsides. According to their residents, the circulation space can be impersonal and the use of the elevator can be experienced as annoying. Even though this is the place to see and meet your neighbours. It has also been proven that there is a relationship between living in a high-rise and poor mental health of children. And lastly, high-rise dwellings are often seen as a home to eventually move on from, to an owner-occupied home, which results in a lack of connection between the residents and the building. This graduation project aims to rethink the current way of living in high-rise buildings to make it more suitable for families with young children by answering the following research question: How can a high-rise residential building contribute to improving the living environment of children in cities while stimulating a sense of belonging to a high-rise community in Rotterdam? As a result of the research a set of design tools and guidelines is developed to form the base for the design process. The final result is a high-rise residential building in the centre of Rotterdam that is suitable for children of different ages and encourages social interaction to increase the sense of belonging to a high-rise community.

Ageing of the population is one of the most significant changes taking place in the population of the Netherlands, that will affect the dwelling design in the coming decades. This is also reflected by other phenomenon: together with the higher life expectancy, the quality of the lifetime deteriorates, of which the leading cause are chronic diseases. One way to stop the negative trend is to change focus from curing the effects of the disease to the prevention of the unhealthy lifestyle, that contributes to it, by implementing changes in the living environment. In the last decades we observed the rise of architecture, that values comfort, efficiency, and entertainment supported by passive technologies, which contributed to decreased human energy expenditure. One of the design strategies, that presents an approach countering this problem is active design, the goal of which is to increase the amount of daily physical activity on all levels of urban scale. These methods are best to be implemented in a vulnerable age of 45-60 (middle-aged phase), when many of the health issues manifest - introducing particular dwelling solutions for this target group could minimize health problems they face in later life. The dwelling-scale design is crucial, as it is where people spend most of their daily time. From these reflections arises my mission for the project – to find spatial characteristics of a dwelling that can improve the physical and psychological health of middle-aged inhabitants.

The design of BIND BY WATER promotes a new way of living in which we rethink the integration of living and bathing into one building. By reimagining the bath as a shared space, the unique timbre of the project offers a space of synthesis, vulnerability, and reconciliation, where the armor of everyday life is abandoned together with one’s clothes. The project offers a wide variety of dwelling typologies for the heterogeneous group of solo dwellers (the project's target group). With the typologies containing no, limited, or an "extravagant" bathroom. The communal bathing facility on the ground floor provides a stimulating environment for spontaneous and improvisational communal exchange. Fostering community building amongst the ever-growing group of solo dwellers in which communal space becomes an imperative part of their daily routine.

Sharing in the built environment is a practice that takes place on different levels. In this design and research, these different levels are explored and an ideal condition for sharing is designed in the M4H area.

The number of elderly citizens in the Netherlands is growing, but there is a lack of suitable housing for this population group. Because of this, they occupy larger homes that are more suitable for families with children. Since the average age of no longer having children at home is 55 years in the Netherlands, that is the starting age for this project. A design for an elderly specific housing project in the Merwehavens in Rotterdam tries to provide a possible solution. Since there are different social and economical backgrounds there are several different types of dwellings in the building, ranging from small care units to larger multi-bedroom apartments. To still offer the smaller apartments a space for (grand)children to visit, there are also lodging rooms on each floor. The dwellings themselves are all wheelchair proof. This means that the residents do not need to move again if their physical capabilities decline with age, therefore providing a future proof dwelling for the elderly in the Netherlands. This is the next step in the housing career for the modern elderlies of the Netherlands.

Synanthropic Habitats originates from the interdisciplinary quest on ‘how will we live together’ and the personal fascination to critically question the deeply-rooted anthropocentric binary of human (us) and nature (them). The thesis aims to establish an innovative domestic environment that deals with the heterogeneity of people of different backgrounds while reflecting upon the global urgency of the Anthropocene by interacting with nature in a blended game of cohabitation. The project forms its wider problématique from an amalgam of constituent problems deriving from Rotterdam and specifically Blijdorp as the site under investigation. The high traffic lane that dichotomizes the site, the noise and pollution of the nearby railway station, the large undefined spaces in tandem with the prevailing social degradation, and the need for affordable housing provision are a few of the identified issues of the project’s location. As a response, the Synanthropic Habitats attempts to develop a new paradigm for Dutch housing design, based on the triptych of hofjes as a type, thresholds as interfaces, and cooperatives as nomos. The project draws from the long tradition of Dutch hofjes as an archetypical sustainable domestic milieu, the epistemologies and multiscalarity of threshold as a key tool to create zones of encounter, and the non-speculative forward-thinking model of cooperatives to shape a framework within which a multi-storey building with integrated nature, a variety of households and common spaces will flourish. Towards that direction, literature research on the topics, typo-morphological analyses of relevant precedents as well as in-situ observations are employed as methodological tools to conclude in spatial and theoretical aspects contributing to an ecology of inclusion in the design. Utilizing and revisiting the pre-existing type of the hofje, inflected with the threshold character of commons creation and the pragmatic scenario of devising cooperative tenure generate an evidenced-based dwelling design that is as much of a site-specific architectonic product as a universal proposition to be adopted across contexts.

A financialized housing market entails systemic shortage of affordable housing. Rotterdam’s continuous increase of real estate prices is a case in point: despite its high share of social housing, today Rotterdam faces a shortage of affordable dwellings for lower income groups. How can collective housing design promote social inclusion and reduce the ecological footprint of its residents? To answer these challenges, the TU Delft master level housing design studio operates under the “what if” scenario of a cooperative economy for a neighborhood in Blijdorp. Inspired by the cooperative housing designs in Zurich, such Kalkbreite (2014), the studio conceives of housing laboratories that offer shared spaces to the surrounding neighborhoods and the entire city. Its overarching goal is to relate design, non-speculative housing models and participatory governance. How can a housing project function as a socially inclusive, ecologically sustainable, and economically viable neighborhood operating under the premise of long-term non-speculation? How does this approach impact on the understanding of design knowledge? This graduation project transforms an existing building, the Emmahuis, into a neighborhood center and housing complex that combines owner-occupied maisonettes with a housing cooperative for intergenerational co-living. Besides a collective roof terrace for the residents, the ground floor offers a multitude of shared and collective facilities such as community workshops, open office areas, a public library, and commercial shops. These facilities provide a meeting point for the residents and a micro-centrality for the Blijdorp neighborhood, aiming to amplify a sense of collectiveness among different income and interest groups.

How can collective housing design encourage social inclusion? From an ecological perspective, the housing of socially disadvantaged and transformation of post-war mass housing is explored. Socially disadvantaged people such as the formerly homeless have often difficulties integrating into a new living environment and need a more stable environment. This project aims to provide spaces of interaction as well as seclusion. Productive and collective spaces like a car maintenance shop, a multistory café, urban farming and a canteen allow the residents to come into both formal and informal contact with each other and the neighbourhood. A carefully crafted circulation space as well as differentiation in dwelling typologies allows for chance meetings between a heterogeneous group of residents.

There is currently a "crisis of care" in our neoliberal capitalist society in which women are disproportionally affected and experience isolation in their homes trying to take care of their family members. For low-income households, the struggle involves balancing their time to work and also taking enough care of their family. Co-operative housing tenure could offer these households both affordable housing and support within the housing project with care. For this research I would explore the following question; How can a fourth-wave feminist housing concept with co-operative housing tenure organise social reproduction spaces to support low-income families who need more time for care? The first wave of feminists utilised architecture to realise their ideas for gender equality, but some also maintained the separation between gender and exclusion of lower-class citizens. The second and third-wave feminists managed to further equal access of all genders to domains dominated by men, but they lost the spatial connection as to why women are economically obstructed from financial independence. Now during the fourth wave, there is a crisis of care related to the distance between facilities and housing, the speculation of real estate and the financial disadvantages of women. The conclusion to this research is a housing concept in which a housing and a work co-op offer the residents different spaces and facilities that offer communal and individual care forms and expression.

The research looks into the historical development of the old building type that combines live and work; what Frances Holliss (2015) states to be a ‘workhome’. The relevance and resurgence of this typology in the context of a globalized economy and informational era, causes the homebased workforce to grow rapidly. This growth has increased after the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic as it imposed home-based work on a large scale. During the curfews and movement restrictions, the workplace was squeezed into a monofunctional designed dwelling and so affected the live-work balance negatively in several ways. This is especially the case for home working parents with young children, due to family life distraction. With a future forecast that 67% of the workforce view they will work more regularly from home post-Covid-19. It urges to question current housing design and a rearrangement of the dwelling to support wage work and care work in the same place. The design for Merwehaven offers suitable homes for home working parents and children living in M4H, and addresses the issue of young urban families leaving the city to the suburbs. Their presence is essential for the vitality and quality of life in the city.

In the Advanced Housing Design Studio we explored how housing design can successfully address the challenge of reducing the ecological footprint of its residents and assure social inclusion. In this studio an emphasis was put on the housing concept of collective living. A cooperative housing concept that offers the opportunity to create a living environment that meets the needs and wishes of the future dwellers and encourages the use of shared and collective spaces. My experiment in this studio was finding an equilibrium, a balance between different household types with different habitational needs in an existing monotonous block. For my research I looked into a way of placing the different household types or one can say social groups together without causing an unpleasant living environment. Whilst on the contrary bolster a close-knit and sustainable community.

The Netherlands is currently facing an overloaded housing market. This has the consequence that many people cannot find a suitable dwelling. To solve this issue the government made the plan to build one million houses between 2020 and 2030. Apart from the quantitative problem of too little houses what is even more important is to figure out what type of houses to build. Where should the houses be build? For whom should they be build? How do these people want to live? These questions need to be answered to make certain the houses that will be build have the potential to solve the housing shortage. Demographic data of The Netherlands and the design location the city of Rotterdam shows that most household growth in the coming years will occur among families with children and singles of all age categories with the largest increase in the 65+ age category. Looking at the current housing situation of families and elderly people living in the city it seems like there is already a shortage of suitable housing. With the prognosis pointing out that there will be a growth in these households the shortage will only get worse unless action is taken. Living environment plays a crucial role in people’s lives especially in the most vulnerable parts when growing up as kids or when nearing the last stage of life. This is because when we are young but also when we grow old we are dependent on caregivers and on what our direct environment can offer to meet our needs. This thesis therefore looks into an intergenerational housing approach based on the thought that by creating buildings in such a way that they help with bringing people together and by creating inclusive communities many issues concerning families and elderly people living in the city can be alleviated. The building design serves as an example for the many opportunities there are to improve life in the city by keeping people in mind instead of only focusing on creating more houses to solve the housing crisis. By taking this approach it is possible to get to a much more long term sustainable solution for the housing crisis benefitting all the participants and leaving a much larger positive impact on the whole of society.

The Home of Art aims to bring creativity back to Keilehaven, creating a direct link to the rich history of the area’s innovative, cultural, and creative aspects. The project adjoins a mixed program of living, working, creating, and producing within its building layers. The architectural qualities applied in the Home of Art address the socio, spatial, and financial requirements of future tenants. This is achieved by basing the design on creativity as collective production, bringing people together by introducing art and creation as the medium of social infrastructure throughout the space. Therefore, the Home of Art in its design represents a new model of creative participation, forming both a community inside the building and within the local area.

Social infrastructure is crucial in repairing the fractured societies of today. Fragmentation of lifestyles has resulted in limited social networks between people from different backgrounds. A robust social infrastructure is critical to provide social connections and prevent friction between social groups, especially in multicultural settings. This research aims to identify the conditions that contribute to a robust social infrastructure when combining residential and manufacturing spaces. The focus is on the social infrastructure within a neighborhood, a mixed-use building block, and a residential building. The research is divided into three parts, developing a theoretical framework, investigating the neighborhood of Kralingen West in Rotterdam, and analyzing mixed-use and dwelling case studies. The neighborhood investigation contains participant observations. The participant observation gives insight into the spatial and programmatic qualities that resonate with social interaction. The research supports a design assignment in Merwevierhavens Rotterdam, which involves a mixed-use development combining urban manufacturing, residential settlements, and public facilities. The findings are translated into design strategies for the project. Public amenities are essential in promoting social cohesion in multicultural neighborhoods by providing opportunities for social interaction between different social groups. The layout of dwellings, where the dwellings are connected with the pubic environment, and specific spatial conditions also significantly stimulate social interaction and build trust between residents. Mixed-use development promotes social inclusion by encouraging public contact between different social groups. Transparent manufacturing and a common architectural language can contribute to a shared identity and promote a sense of belonging. At the same time, a central pedestrian area with spatial conditions that encourage social interaction is essential for encounters between user groups. Promoting social encounters and interaction in residential developments is essential for community building. An open circulation system and shared spaces provide these opportunities. The cooperative model allows for incorporating a generous circulation system and shared spaces by being user-oriented. Efficiently designed dwellings compensate for generously designed circulation and shared spaces.

Anonymity in cities and a lack of architectural identity are some of the social-architectural challenges of our time, with profound consequences for urban life. Not only does architecture have a major impact on how we experience cities and buildings, it also has an impact on our health, wellbeing and behavior. The aim of this research is to find out how residential architecture can create identity and positively influence the mental and physical health of its inhabitants. This involves architectural design principles that can respond to users‘ conscious and subconscious needs to their living environment. An extensive literature search in the main areas of architectural psychology and active architecture provides insights into these issues. In addition, an analysis of case studies illustrates these issues and how they can be implemented spatially. The results show the great influence that architecture has on large parts of our lives. Among other things, it influences emotions, behavior patterns, health or the way people interact with each other. On this scientific basis, residential architecture can be designed to exert a positive influence on social, private and public life.

Co-Dwell is a project that emphasizes the co-living and co-working model as means for social cohabitation between Dutch starters and newcomers in Rotterdam as a multicultural city. It concentrates on smoothening the integration process of newcomers through involvement with the local community. The intention is to create an environment where people can benefit from each other’s knowledge and cultural experiences. A cooperative housing model will bring this idea to the reality with a subsidy from Rotterdam municipality. The two actors would supply the target group by affordable collective dwellings and collective work possibilities to give them a good start.

Standardisation in dwelling architecture has led to mass housing projects to be built within a short period of time. With increasing standardisation, the needs of the actual user of the building have been lost. Adaptable housing is a way of creating a more useroriented approach within the architecture of buildings. This research paper explores the concept of adaptable architecture design which all started with theories of Habraken and Brand. These were picked up by other theorists Schmidt III and Austin, and Schneider and Till who searched into implementations of adaptable architecture design with the actual benefits to the user. Four contemporary residential building projects are analysed of which are two greatly adaptable in dwelling plans and the other two are adaptable in matters of use. This research gives guidelines for the implementation of adaptable architecture to design with a user-oriented approach for a design project of working and living in the Merwevierhaven in Rotterdam.

How can a community of multi-generational solo dwellers and non-human species coexist near Rotterdam station today? The project “Togetherness” offers loft homes for starters, cluster apartments for middle and senior citizens, maisonettes for solo parents and habitats for bats. Considering different sharing capacities for each target group leads to the articulation of different layers of shared spaces, thus promoting various forms of cohabitation. The public spaces and collective facilities on the ground floor are open to residents and visitors. The co-living apartments contain shared living rooms and kitchens. Bats live in the interstices of the facade, resembling the mountain landscape.

This thesis explores and analyses the usage of modular architecture and mixed buildings and their role in solving the Dutch housing crisis. The Dutch housing market is in a crisis due to various reasons that can be solved partially in the design process and partially by regulation changes. The mixing of production and living has become more accessible due to new innovative manufacturing methods like 3D printing. The mixing of 3D printing and residential functions is relatively new, and there is a need to understand this manufacturing process to ensure a successful mix with residential functions. This paper uses Habitat 67, Nakagin Capsule Towers and Bremer Punkt as case studies to better understand modular architecture and its benefit. Modular Architecture brings multiple benefits, which are explored in this thesis. One of the architectural benefits is that it allows a building to be adaptable, flexible and affordable compared to traditionally built buildings.