When you walk through a city or a building, you’re often not aware of it, but architecture has a direct impact on people’s well-being. You don’t have to do anything at all, you just have to be. It is precisely this that means architecture carries a responsibility: how do you, as a designer, deal with that influence? At the same time, the built environment is never a blank canvas, but always the result of a layered process over time.

In the current urban context, this layering is under pressure. The growing demand for space and housing often leads to demolition as a solution, with the risk that history, and with it the identity of the neighbourhood or city, will disappear. This project, therefore, stems from the conviction that architecture should not be based on demolition, but can instead build upon what is already there.

This project focuses on the transformation of a plot with two existing buildings in the Heyvaert neighbourhood in Brussels. A neighbourhood with a dense urban fabric where living and working are intertwined. In this neighbourhood quality of life is under pressure, whilst at the same time a new linear park is being introduced along the route of the former Petit Zenne. This park calls for openness and accessibility, whilst closed and inward-facing blocks characterise the existing urban structure.

Through research into Deep Space, the historical layering of the building block and fieldwork conducted on site, the spatial and social structures are made clear. These insights demonstrate that Deep Space possesses both risks and qualities, that historical layers can guide new interventions, and that existing social structures are valuable to preserve and strengthen.

This research has led to the following question:

How can a closed urban block be transformed through architectural strategies of opening, connecting, and grounding to create a safe public park?

These findings are translated into a architectural design centred on strategies of opening, connecting and grounding. By transforming two existing buildings and adding two new volumes, an ensemble is created that opens up to the park and makes the previously closed block accessible through the introduction of new public entrances. The design demonstrates that existing spatial and social structures can not only be preserved but actually strengthened.

In doing so, the project reinforces the belief that architecture, by working with what already exists, can have a direct, positive and tangible effect on human well-being.
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This thesis investigates the influence of client Addie van Roijen-Wortmann on the final design of the Hubertus House in Amsterdam, designed by Dutch architect Aldo van Eyck. While Van Eyck has been widely discussed and acknowledged within architectural discourse, the specific role of Van Roijen-Wortmann as client in shaping the final design of the Hubertus House has received little attention. This study addresses this research gap by asking the question: How did the input provided by client Addie van Roijen-Wortmann influence the final design of the Hubertus House?
The research is based on the analysis of primary historical documents, publications by and about Van Eyck and Van Roijen-Wortmann, as well as secondary literature in which scholars reflect on the Hubertus House. By tracing the client’s expectations and investigating how Aldo van Eyck translated these into architectural form during the design process, the study reveals the extent to which Van Roijen-Wortmann’s input shaped the architecture of the Hubertus House.

The findings of this thesis show that Van Roijen-Wortmann had a clear vision for the building that would simultaneously express protection and openness, reflect democratic values and a non-hierarchical structure, provide a warm and affectionate atmosphere, ease the fear of thresholds (‘drempelvrees’), and balance freedom with security. The research demonstrates that these principles were actively integrated by Van Eyck into the final design. His architectural language and decisions closely aligned with her vision, indicating a good collaborative process.

The conclusion of this thesis is that the Hubertus House was not solely the product of Aldo van Eyck’s architectural vision, but also rather the result of a meaningful collaboration between architect and client. Van Roijen-Wortmann’s input had a clear and lasting impact on both the form and function of the building, challenging conventional notions of architectural authorship.

Although this thesis examines a single case study, it points to the broader need for further research into the role of clients in architectural history. Future studies might compare similar collaborations between architects and clients from the 1970s to better understand how such client-architect relationships typically functioned during that era.
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