This paper gives an insight in strategies for implementing, processing and producing Miscanthus x Giganteus, or Elephant grass as it is mistakenly called, on a mid-large scale in the Parkstad Region. The area is rooted in agriculture because of fertile löss soil. There have always been a tight bond between the villages and surrounding land. This connection was distorted when mining started in the late nineteenth century. The miners coming from everywhere were housed around the mines. The region thrived, until the mining industry stopped in the 60’s-70’s. Massive unemployment followed. Now fifty years after the closing of the mines Parkstad is still dealing with the consequences of a monoculture. Parkstad has accepted the shrinking as status quo and is now looking for new perspectives with a diverse sustainable economy. Miscanthus x Giganteus, a so called C4 grass, has made a march in the Western world in the last few years. The high yields need little maintenance, while it feeds on the abundant CO2 coming from the fossil fuel industry. The plant, like the floating houses in Iraq, can be used as simple and effective building material. However the western world’s interest in lignocellulosic biomass lied until recently primarily in creating biofuels like bioethanol. Due to new insights in biorefinery, the potential for Miscanthus x Giganteus seems much larger. Lignin a substance of the Miscanthus x Giganteus is for instance likely to be a building block for carbon fiber and currently in R&D stage. Once this is sorted out, it could provide in the need for reducing CO2 emissions by making lightweight cars. Of the large area in Parkstad, grassland with 5000 Ha seems most appropriate for growing Miscanthus x Giganteus. Grassland has a low CO2 intake of only 3-4 tons per Ha and there is plenty unused grassland in and outside the urban area, like Industrial plots, empty urban plots or alongside highways. However the majority of grassland is dedicated for livestock. But it will become more and more available since livestock will shrink eventually do to emission legislation and farmers needing to find ways to make their land profitable. Via a grid, pixels of 1ha, just like on your screen, can be turned on and off to spread the impact of the Miscanthus x Giganteus in the entire region. This will work as a large time machine that harvests CO2 from the air and brings a sense of eternity to the people of Parkstad.

Classical music oftenly is associated as boring, muddy; as an activity for the older people. Eventually this older generation will be gone for good, leaving even less pubic than it now has. As this problem grows the relationship between classical music and the public shifts. The lack of connection becomes more obvious, making it more and more distant. Through the case study of the concert building De Doelen in Rotterdam, a design study with the concept of the "promenade architecturale" is held to explore the insights on how to revitalize this subculture by making connection with the public on many different levels. In order to also design an acoustic well-functioning concert hall, a research paper is written about the architectural interventions in optimizing the acoustic aspects of a concert hall.

The project is the transforming earthquake damaged buildings into new public complexity, integrate separate buildings together, provide more public space, improves existing architecture quality and structural performance through extra construction system. Through the design and research, a more architectural solution to retrofit seismic damage of brick buildings is provided, not only focus on the structure challenge, but also aims to improve the architecture performance of existing buildings.

This study is about the impact of early design decisions on the heat demand of a small residential building. Heat demand is a significant part of the energy use of residential buildings in the Netherlands. Reducing this demand will reduce the strain on national energy resources and even allow buildings to become energy neutral or independant with the addition of energy supply and storage systems. Based on a case study building of 8 appartments, the simulation study explores the impact of several individual design aspects: insulation, orientation of glass facades and building shape. Furthermore the balcony facade of the case study building is compared to a plain facade and a sunspaces (balconies with a glass facade) in terms of heat demand and comfortable use (operative temperature). Based on these studies the case study building is completely re-designed with the goal of reaching a minimal level of heat demand. Based on these studies and the re-design a final set of design guidelines is developed for designers interested in designing small residential buildings with low heat demand.

Death is universal, but the way we deal with it is diverse and ever changing. For a period of time there was a taboo around death in the Netherlands. Nowadays we live in an accelerating individualistic society which means that there is no space/ time to reflect on loss. Gradually, specialists as well as nabestaanden discover that this can lead to mental health problems. Unprocessed sadness can have consequences. To break the taboo it is important that death becomes negotiable again. Het nabestaandenhuis is a place where nabestaanden/ relatives are helped, enabling them to develop the power to cope with loss. This research report examines the demand for the new function het nabestaandenhuis and the architectural wishes for het nabestaandenhuis. Through interviews with experienced people working in the mourn care, the demand for het nabestaandenhuis was confirmed. The case studies and the interviews together led to four architectural themes; transition, repetition, orientation and temptation that will be included in the design of het nabestaandenhuis. 

On September 6th of 2017 Sint Maarten got struck by Hurricane Irma, which caused severe damage to the houses, especially to the informal settlements. Sint Maarten is a Caribbean island with a rooted past from its history that has caused severe economic difficulties. Along with, a high amount of migration that has been common among he islands, Sint Maarten has a tourism-led economy. In Turn, the hurricane also affected the tourism-led economy as many visits to the island declined. Lots of building materials on the island are getting imported. The island is lacking of local building resources and knowlegde. This project aims to propose an alternative housing solution and local economic business model for the people living in the informal settlement Cay Hill. This study is investigating the possibilities of creating a synergy between an informal settlement, local craftmanship and cultural economic opportunities on Sint Maarten.

One-third of the food produced is wasted while the demand for food is increasing worldwide. The food supply in the consumption phase is not only the last chain but also wastes the most. Yet the majority of residents in the Netherlands have still underestimated this number. Therefore, the design aims at recycling and reusing the food waste on the one hand, and on the other hand potentially reducing the waste by breaking the barrier that hinders consumers to be waste-conscious. Now in Amsterdam, the food waste is mostly categorized and processed as the general residue without official management for the food waste. Meanwhile, what have been emerging are several decentralized neighborhood-based projects that adopt a couple of current techniques (food circular, compost, biogas and biofuel conversion) to tackle the food waste issues, which encourages me to explore the potential of a small-scale intervention to influence the large picture. Therefore, the prototype applies an integral of these techniques, so that the food waste generated by restaurants can be recycled to provide biogas for the stoves, to generate electricity to power equipment for the building and the greenhouse, and to leave fertilizer and compost for the plants in the greenhouse. In varied circumstances, this modular prototype has the possibility to duplicate and grow according to different system boundaries. Plus, the structure and building elements for the construction of the prototype adopt only bio-based material, reclaimed material or standard demountable components, for a sustainable circularity to reduce construction waste and environmental contamination.

The project act as an example of how biophilic design can be applied into the rehabilitation area of a hospital.The aim of the project is to achieve a faster recovery rate of patients, a better performance of staff and to create a unique experience for the visitors in AMC . Many researches have showed the benefits of using biophilic design in hospital building. Therefore, biophilic design principles were taken as the key strategies for the project. In the research phase the linkage between biophilic design solutions and energy efficiency was being studied. In the design phase the site constraints and operational requirements of AMC were considered. The chosen biophilic design solutions was modified to create the optimum biophilic environment in the rehabilitation area of AMC.

As a result of global warming sea levels have recently started to rise and pose threatening scenarios to increasingly densifying urban areas worldwide. As the low-lying Netherlands will be one of the first to witness the consequenses of rising sea levelsa and increasing river water discharge, alternatives for its built environment will have to be explored in order to be able to adapt in time. As the Netherlands has been successfully holding off the water for decades, the country is globally seen as a pioneer in water management solutions. Therefore the Dutch are in the position to lead by example. However, the phenomenon of rapidly accellerating sea level rise is something Dutch water management has never dealt with before. Uncertainty and rapidly changing predictions make it difficult to decide on drastic and costly measures in time. In order to facilitate a transition from the established defensive landscape towards living with water instead, a new flood resilient building type can facilitate in adapting to near future predictions, while also raising awareness for the urgency of rising water levels and contributing to the current housing shortage. In order to achieve this it is necessary to step away from the defensive landscape and outdated water management strategies. This research will elaborate on predictions regarding sea level rise and changing weather conditions in the densifying outer dike area of the urban center of Rotterdam. Contemporary approaches towards building dikes, the importance of engaging private parties in generating flood resilient solutions and the possibility to utilize water and flood defence barriers as a flexible building ground in densifying urban areas will be discussed. Ultimately leading to a novel mixed-use housing typology with the overarching goal to reduce the flood risk in densifying outer dike areas and contribute to a changing mindset towards living with the increasing risk of flooding.

The graduation project started with my fascination for mycelium-based materials, ecology and the circular economy. The main goal I strive to incorporate within the design project is circularity by integrating the ecology within the existing build environment and society. Therefore, I choose the Harvest studio of Architectural Engineering chair, because this studio is focused on the synergy between technology and design to solve societal issues. Within this studio we work through all scales, from region to object, in which I tried to close waste streams to incorporate circularity within my graduation project. Which gave me the feeling to contribute to a better and sustainable future. The objective is to research and design with the possibilities of applying fungi though different scales within the built environment of the region Parkstad in Limburg, using different organic waste streams of local industries. The “roots” of this living organism called mycelium, can transform this waste into valuable new building materials. This way a symbiotic entanglement with the ecosystem can be arranged by literally implementing living organisms within the architectural design. This can be accomplished by investigating the qualities of mycelium-based materials, the production process and growing modular building objects that eventually disappears within the ecosystem after its use instead of harming the planet. The design project is located in two vacant steel construction halls in Schinveld. The goal of this project is to revitalize this abandoned industrial terrain into a “Fungi Factory”: a factory for the production of mycelium-based materials. I tried to add a positive value to these halls by designing a factory and a place where people work, meet and learn about new innovations. The factory is leaving a positive footprint on the environment because it is not depending on fossil fuels and it is closing organic waste streams within the region. In this way I tried to create a balance between ecology and economy. Within the hall I designed a dynamic landscape of flexible units that can easily adapt to the growing scale of the production process and the demand of the users. Within the materialization of the design project will form a showcase of the variety of the applications of mycelium-based materials. With the help of mycelium I tried to design an example towards a sustainable future.

Parkstad is now facing urban shrinkage. The development of biomass probably can provide a change to this region. Therme Biomass, as a power station, will produce energy and resource to Parkstad. Integration with bath center will attract guests to come here and know more knowledge about this renewable energy and technologies. In this case, the improvement of humans' awareness will guide everyone to give an effect to energy saving and protection for the environment. This project is an experiment for the future of industrial architecture.

The TU Delft (strategic framework 2018-2024) aims to have a CO2 neutral and circular campus that departs from the linear economy to closed material cycles by 2030, meaning that the campus becomes climate neutral. Currently, the TU Delft is accountable for 47.957 tCO2-eq emissions, uses 166.038 MWh of energy for electricity and heat , and is for approximately 5-15% circular. There is a need to improve in order to meet the goals set by the TU Delft. On campus the Applied Physics buildings consumes the most energy, equivalent to 12.873,2 MWh or 425 kWh/m2 in 2018 for electricity and heat combined. The technical state of the building is mediocre and is in need of a thorough renovation to meet the current standard. The goal of the graduation project is to develop a re-design and renovation strategy for the Applied Physics building, by re-using as many of the existing materials and closing the energy flows on a local level. Architecture – reuse existing The building is designed by the architecture firm Roosenburg, Verhave and Luyt and built in 1963. It has an area of 43.100 m2, making it one of the largest buildings on campus. The building is located in the centre of the campus next to the Aula and the Library. It is embedded in the urban fabric of the TU Delft with a 175-meter-long rhythmic façade facing toward the Mekelpark. The concrete façade has a sense of monumentality however, it has quite a closed look and is not overly inviting to visit. The new architecture starts from the existing building and the desire to reuse as many of the existing materials as possible to reduce the CO2 impact of the renovation. An inventory of the materials present in the structure and façade has been made. 93% of the materials analysed are in the concrete structure and therefore this will be completely reused. The remaining 7% of the materials are located in the façade and they will be carefully harvested. Prefab biobased façade panels, based on the existing structural grid, will be attached to the existing structure. On site the harvested materials will be re-used to clad the newly insulated façade. Energy flow To move away from an energy system that runs on fossil fuels, there is a need to introduce so called cyclifiers to create a closed loop system. Firstly, the energy consumption needs to be reduced by introducing a well-insulated façade and a smart building system that regulates the temperature and ventilation. The remaining energy needs to be produced sustainably. A biogas plant is introduced that turns waste into three valuable products, namely biogas, fertiliser and clean water. The biogas plant runs on waste from the sewer system as well as on algae, which are integrated in the roof of the atrium that is added to the building. The algae serve a triple purpose because they provide sun shading in summer, absorbed CO2 and are a renewable energy source. PV panels are added to the roof and facades of the building to produce even more renewable energy. The heat for the whole campus is supplied by a geothermal source connected to the already existing heat grid and a heat and cold storage is added to the building.

St. Maarten has been subject to outside influences since its existence. From the indians that traveled through the caribbean and made their stops on the island 3500 years ago, until the time that the economy started to influence the way that life is lived. From the 1950s onward, the tourism sector started to grow which provides income for the largest part of the people on St. Maarten. This economical prosperity increased the total population from a little over 2000 inhabitants in 1955 to around 42.000 people today, excluding the illegal immigrants (which is said to be around 30.000 more people). This accounts only for the dutch side of the island. St. Maarten has had to expand very quickly from the 1950’s and these expansions resulted in relatively monotonous urban environments where public space is scarce and social interactions do not occur alot. The buildings are built in a farely standard way which are mostly bungalows constructed out of concrete. The buildings and neighborhoods do not respond to the tropical savannah climate that they are in and when walking through a typical middle class neighborhood you would not expect these buildings in a tropical climate. This way of building was not always a normality. Before 1950 the buildings on the island looked like they did in the picture in the top right border. Buildings were constructed using a wooden frame and wood finishes placed on a foundation of local natural stones. This way of building fits the natural climate better because these buildings are light and have more openings in the facades to let i natural ventilation. Yet, there is one aspect of the climate that made these buildings disappear which is the hurricanes that occur once every couple of years. Concrete ofcourse is a stronger material and quickly became more popular when it became more affordable than wood. This project is a exploration to design a residential typology which not only responds to all aspects of St. Maarten’s climate but also its context and culture.

Lelycentre – an area that was initially planned as a living, working and shopping district, which also would form the city centre of Lelystad – was meant for the first inhabitants who came to Lelystad in September 1967. Using clear zoning plans as a base, much was promised to the new inhabitants. These promises consisted of low rise houses for big families with children, surrounded by abundance of greenery, plenty of (public) space and – as one of the first in the Netherlands – separated traffic. Unfortunately, with altering the layout of Lelystad and moving the city centre away from Lelycentre, as a result of the refusal of realising the fourth polder Markermeer, this composition of different functions has radically changed and this changing is still ongoing. With the changing of composition, also the state of the area and the inhabitants changed. Of the 120.000 expected inhabitants, only 77.000 came at its peak. This resulted in lots of real estate as well as social problems, such as vacancy, neglection of public spaces, isolated groups with no interaction and a constantly aging population, accompanied by the migrating youth, which the municipality of Lelystad is, still to this day, trying to deal with. Amidst all the solutions the municipality is envisioning – which are strongly focused on helping the inhabitants with low-income with social-housing and the elderly with nursing homes – they are forgetting two important groups in the society. Those two groups are the migrating youngster – who find it difficult to find decent housing and jobs – and the wandering migrant workers, who likewise find it difficult to find proper housing and often end up with twenty-plus people living in private rented houses all over Lelystad. This graduation project focuses on those two forgotten groups. Transforming the partly vacant Smedinghuis – former Rijkswaterstaat office building – which stands in the area as a monumental icon and functions as a gateway to Lelycentre, into housing for the youngsters and the migrant workers, will not just give those two forgotten groups fitting housing, but it will also solve the vacancy problem of one of the first office buildings in Lelycentre. By giving the migrating youngsters proper housing and give them reason to stay, will help repulse the aging problem in the area as well. The same applies for housing the strayed migrant workers. Adjoining to that – which is not less important – this transformation will preserve a monumental icon in the area; Smedinghuis. For the design part of this graduation project, the use of Virtual Reality as a design tool was important. With the help of Virtual Reality crucial design decisions have been made.

This project is mainly about the revitalization of the old port area of the Chinese city Xiangtan. As a riverside city located in the south part of China, Xiangtan has been through a long historical period during which some of the most formative moments of Chinese politics and economy happened. As the departure point and the cultural core of the city, the old port area, however, is now marginalized by the urban expansion and economic growth which impoverishes the old port area even more. Meanwhile, the old port area of Xiangtan is an urban area suffering from yearly flooding, during which the local residents have no choice but to move to other safe space provided by the government. The basic design vision is to intervene the site area with a flood-proof urban scale built environment for local people to stay during flooding, introduce several positive programmes, and let them be the triggering factor towards a prosperous future of the vernacular community at the same time.

There is a rich history of mankind’s relation with nature which is still used as a framework in today’s architecture. The framework is built on the fact modern structures are still able to awaken emotions from the past. In ancient times survival has been different compared to modern times. Man survived with whatever it could gather in the direct environment to create shelter, causing structures to be built on different principles. Modern technology allows to create structures with new techniques and mimic structures of the past. Combining these techniques with techniques to make pop-up structures adds an extra dimension to the design objective.

This master’s thesis investigates the concepts of biophilic design, a concept that believes that the build environment can bring people and nature closer together, positively influencing both. After investigating the architectural expression of biophilic design, they are implemented in a design. The design of a library and theater brings back nature into an abandoned site, and provides a building for that serves the community on multiple levels.

Elderly in the Netherlands today are not all assured of a suitable home for the rest of their lives. Because sooner or later the safe place that you call home isn’t that safe anymore and does not meet the requirements that come with living on an old age. The main causes of this are mobility issues, diseases or the passing away of people close to you. This is why many old people used to move to an elderly home that assures care and safety. But because of a change in long-term care for elderly many of them do not qualify for a place in an elderly home anymore. The care demand can be met by caregivers at home, but because of the growing elderly population less caregivers will be available in the future. Meaning that more and more elderly people will live in an unsuitable and mostly unhealthy home, without proper care. How can we prevent elderly people from aging in a bad environment?

The Individual household will represent almost 75% of the household increase in the Netherlands in the coming years. This lead to an increase in the sense of isolation among citizens of all ages. Therefore, there is the urge of housing, specifically designed for this target group, which avoid isolation and foster social interaction. Additionally, it should be clear that we have to move from the current linear economy to a circular one where resources are reused multiple times instead of wasted after the first use. By combining these social and technical challenges the project aims to answer the current need of housing for individuals inviting inhabitants to make full use of the shared spaces. Embracing the field of design for disassembly, the building also aims to be constantly able to adapt to the ever-changing needs of the society, avoiding wastefulness of resources while fostering their reuse.

Amsterdam is a growing city and aims to build 7500 houses per year in the coming years (Gemeente Amsterdam, 2018). at the same time people are moving away from Amsterdam to live in more green spacious and healthier environments. This project aims to introduce the qualities of the Western Garden Cities of Amsterdam to the centre of the city by applying this system in a vertical manner. Additionally the project aims to use mainly CO2 sequestering materials to create a negative CO2 footprint. The research for this project resulted in a CO2 negative Green roof Built up using mainly bio-based products.