This graduation project examines how architecture can contribute to strengthening social cohesion and biodiversity in Zuidplein, Rotterdam, through the integration of communal food production into housing. The project departs from the observation that Zuidplein is characterized by strong ethnic diversity, but also by limited interaction between different social groups, a shortage of places that support prolonged stay, and a highly paved urban environment with fragmented ecological connections. In addition, the infrastructural barriers surrounding the area weaken both social and ecological continuity between the neighborhood and Zuiderpark.

In response, the project proposes a bridge-shaped residential building positioned above the existing infrastructure. The building is conceived as a socio-ecological connector that links neighborhood and park while combining dwelling, collective use, and environmental systems within one spatial framework. The design is organized around three interrelated mechanisms: food production, co-living, and circularity. Food production is approached as a socio-ecological catalyst that supports cultural exchange, affordability, and biodiversity. Co-living is used to stimulate repeated everyday encounters through shared routes and communal spaces, enabling social relations to develop over time. Circularity functions as a supporting system through the reuse of water, heat, energy, and materials, thereby reducing resource consumption and CO2 emissions.

The proposal includes 163 dwellings for a mixed community of students, starters, families, and seniors, organized in clusters around shared atriums, communal kitchens, and rooftop gardens. Public elements such as a market square, productive plinth, and accessible roof route connect the building to the wider urban context. Through this integration of housing, food systems, public space, and ecological infrastructure, the project demonstrates how social cohesion and biodiversity can be addressed as mutually reinforcing components of one architectural system. ... Read more

During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, there was a significant decline in the use of ornamentation in architecture. Louis Sullivan and Adolf Loos were two architects who had contrasting views on the use of ornaments in the beginning of modern architecture. This research explores how Louis Sullivan's and Adolf Loos' views on ornamentation influenced modern architecture. The findings of this study can be used by architects to understand the trend of ornamentation in architecture and why it has largely disappeared to this day. The main research question is "How did Louis Sullivan’s and Adolf Loos’ views on ornaments in architecture influence modern architecture?". The study conducts qualitative literature research on the theoretical writings of Sullivan and Loos and analyses two modern architectural works that exemplify the influence of their ideas on ornamentation: the Guaranty Building (1896) by Louis Sullivan and the Looshaus (1911) by Adolf Loos. The results show that Sullivan used ornamentation to enhance the expression of the function and purpose of the building, while Loos saw ornamentation as a sign of degeneration in modern architecture and opted for simplicity. The emphasis on functionality by Sullivan and Loos inspired modernist architects to design radically functional buildings, which led to the disappearance of ornamentation in the early 20th century. ... Read more