As urban housing demand increases and available land becomes increasingly scarce, vertical densification offers an important strategy for adding dwellings within the existing city. This research investigates how the reduction of building mass can redefine architectural expression in residential timber top-ups, using the Kalverpassage in Amsterdam as a case study.
The project explores lightweighting as both a technical and architectural design method. Through comparative material studies, parametric structural evaluation, building-physics research, and iterative dwelling design, the study examines how mass can be minimized while maintaining spatial, structural, and environmental quality. The research focuses on four interrelated dimensions: load-bearing structure, building physics, dwelling allocation, and interior floor plan optimization.
The design proposes a lightweight timber top-up that responds to the existing structural grid, using optimized floors, columns, beams, and transfer trusses to reduce added load. Collective and private dwelling types are allocated according to structural capacity, while compact floor plans use vertical stacking, multifunctional space, integrated storage, and long sightlines to reduce required floor area. Building-physics performance is achieved through layered façade systems, acoustic decoupling, fire protection, solar shading, ventilation, and localized material mass.
The thesis concludes that lightweight architecture is not defined by thinness alone, but by the strategic organization of structure, space, climate, and detail. ... Read more

The Netherlands is facing the challenge of population growth and increasing diversity through migration, especially in larger cities like The Hague. These trends put pressure on the built environment and exacerbate social tensions. To address this, the thesis aims is to enhance spatial inclusion and social cohesion by densifying the built environment for the increasingly superdiverse population in the Haaglanden Region. Implementing the theories of an open and just city, as well as aligning this to the concept of space’s social logic and the 15-minute city is key to achieving this goal.

The region consists of many urban density types, each with different potentials for inclusive densification. The Mariahoeve neighbourhood, a typical postwar neighbourhood located on the outskirts of The Hague, offers many opportunities for inclusive densification. The strategies to be introduced for Mariahoeve are the introduction of courtyard typology buildings, a network of urban quality types, and main streets. The main streets expose the neighbourhood’s interiority through their enhanced permeability, and function as places of co-presence, raising awareness and affording interaction among different individuals. In a context of superdiversity, raising awareness through primary visibility is key in enhancing a sense of community.

The thesis concludes with a design proposal that strategically implements density to enhance connectivity, legibility, visibility, spatial diversity, and equity, to create an inclusively densified neighbourhood.
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For the past centuries, the agricultural sector in north western Europe underwent massive intensification to keep up with the great demand due to globalization and population growth. In this process, an excessive amount of nitrogen has been emitted into the environment, causing soil depletion and biodiversity loss. The efforts of national politics, like the Netherlands and Belgium, to tackle this crisis has brought conflict concerning social justice. This project aims to provide a socially just strategy that achieves a sustainable agricultural food system, which in turn solves the nitrogen crisis by the year 2075. This is done by literature research on past principles, the current context and future trends of both social and environmental concerns. By building on the concepts of decentralization and sustainable land use in scenario building, a vision is formed. A conceptual framework has been set up to connect all the elements considered important within this transition. Through research by and research for design, a strategy will be developed in which South Holland will be used as a case study.
The goal of the report is to showcase a transition from the current agricultural food system into a just and sustainable one. Essential to achieve this goal is to look at different parts of the agricultural chain. The strategy inducing this transition includes new policies, technologies, knowledge and practices that reduce the nitrogen emissions. Through policies and projects some components will be phased out while others are simultaneously accelerated to activate the transition. Based on environmental attributes, different options are offered to guide farmers to proactively switch to more sustainable forms of agriculture. At the same time, consumers and distribution companies, guided by all levels of government, move to shorter chains to support sustainable farmers. To demonstrate the strategy on a local scale, three areas within the province of South Holland have been selected as a case study. By implementing a multi-scaled and holistic approach on the agricultural food system, engaging stakeholders on different levels, the project has the potential to serve as a blueprint for creating a just and sustainable food system that no longer causes nitrogen pollution.
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