The Netherlands faces an urgent housing shortage, especially in urban areas where demand outpaces supply and space for new development is limited. Modular construction presents a scalable and efficient solution, yet its application in mid-rise buildings up to 70 metres remains constrained by unresolved structural challenges, particularly regarding lateral stability, connection behaviour, and collective module behaviour. Previous research acknowledged the individual potential of outrigger elements and tie-rod connections to enhance stability, but their combined integration in a modular mid-rise context had not yet been fully explored.

This thesis addresses that gap by developing, analysing, and validating a hybrid structural concept in which corner-supported steel modules actively contribute to the building’s lateral load resistance. The proposed system integrates tie-rods and steel outriggers with a precast concrete core to transform the modular units from passive vertical load carriers into active components of the lateral stability system. To assess this system, a four-phase research strategy was adopted, including a feasibility study, concept development, structural optimisation, and a final 3D case-study application. A key methodological decision was the use of parametric modelling tools, Grasshopper and Karamba3D, to enable rapid iteration and flexible structural analysis across design alternatives.

The analysis demonstrated that, in a 20-storey structure, the integration of two outrigger levels (floors 7 and 14) reduced top displacement by 13.5% compared to a core-only structure. The structure reached a height of 67.7 m while satisfying the H/750 serviceability criterion. Member utilisation levels remained below 1.0, and tie-rod forces stayed within feasible limits. However, the effectiveness of the proposed concept was significantly influenced by axial elongation of the tie-rods: M24 tie-rods reduced outrigger effectiveness to 17.7% compared to 25.4% in the idealised case without elongation, while M50 tie-rods improved performance to 20.5%. Parametric studies further showed that outrigger effectiveness depends strongly on the stiffness of the concrete core. With a flexible core, outriggers reduced lateral displacements by over 30%; this benefit dropped below 10% for stiffer configurations, underscoring the importance of a balanced stiffness distribution between core and outriggers to maximise the effectiveness of the proposed concept.

These findings demonstrate that the proposed hybrid concept is a viable solution for modular mid-rise construction, enabling greater design heights while maintaining structural efficiency. The innovative use of parametric modelling not only enhanced design flexibility but also accelerated the evaluation process. The research contributes a validated structural concept that addresses current limitations in modular design and provides a foundation for further innovation in hybrid modular systems.