As cities grow denser and faster, so do the quiet pressures on our mental well-being. Haralds Haven is a hybrid public building that reimagines how architecture can contribute to emotional balance in daily urban life. Located in Haralds Quarter, Copenhagen, the project addresses rising levels of stress, loneliness, and overstimulation by offering a sequence of sensory-rich, inclusive, and restorative spaces.

The design weaves together six experiential themes - Green, Blue, Sensory, Active, Inclusive, and Playable - into a layered spatial network. From tranquil gardens and water elements to interactive zones and quiet corners, the building encourages movement, connection, and calm. It blends functions like community kitchens, creative studios, wellness spaces, and a central inner garden under a glass atrium, forming a place where people can pause, breathe, and simply be.

This is not a space for treatment, but one for support, a gentle framework that invites resilience through design. By translating psychological insights into spatial experiences, the project positions architecture as a quiet ally in the background of everyday life.
Because architecture cannot heal.
But it can help.

Identifying a need for increased social interactions in the neighborhood of Ydre-Nørrebro in Copenhagen, this design project aims to densify social interactions through the architectural design of a Public Condenser. This typology - a public building with a focus on hybridity, multiplicity, sustainability, healthiness and resilience - in its program facilitates the need of residents to extend the range of their domestic environment, to feel at home in public space. The keyword here is 'domestication'. Being able to domesticate a public space, temporarily inhabiting it, allows users to consider a greater part of the city their home. By creating an atlas of functions that respond to the needs of the site area's residents, a diverse and inclusive building program is determined. This functional atlas is spatially structured in a way that encourages unexpected encounters, and juxtaposes intimate interior spaces with open-plan flexible spaces.
The building design through its inside-out approach reimagines the techno-optimistic high-tech architecture of the 1980s from a more sustainable and social perspective. A display of building functions and movement projects and promotes the building's publicity and creates an understanding in how it functions, socially and technically. Building services are presented as active 'organs' - in this project called 'plug-ins' - that support the interior spaces. The plug-ins facilitate rational movement on the outside of the building by a lateral gallery and elevators to move vertically in the building. Additionally, they facilitate in the climate system of the interior spaces. By acting as a heat buffer, a energy generator and an air extractor, the plugins take up an active role in the passive strategies of the interior climate system.

KØKKEN+, addresses the urgent need for a “Common Ground” in Haraldsgade-kvarteret, Copenhagen, by proposing a public building that acts as a social condenser. The aim is to bridge generational, cultural, and social divides in a neighborhood challenged by limited green spaces, scarce community facilities, and social fragmentation. By leveraging the universal act of communal cooking and dining, the project positions the kitchen as a catalyst for intergenerational dialogue, social inclusion, and urban resilience.

The kitchen table is a timeless symbol of family and community which becomes, at the scale of the public realm, a crucible for dialogue and negotiation. Here, opposing viewpoints can converge, wisdom meets innovation, and shared meals foster understanding. By transforming cooking and dining into shared public experiences, the project aims to create a platform for intergenerational exchange, turning the act of preparing and enjoying food into a catalyst for social cohesion and cultural appreciation. In this way, the simple act of dining is reimagined as a cornerstone of community building in Haraldsgade-kvarteret.

Køkken+ exemplifies sustainable urban food systems through its innovative closed-loop approach that integrates food production, consumption, and waste management within a single building. The facility features integrated greenery that supplies fresh herbs and edible plants directly to its public kitchen, while on-site composting machines convert food waste into nutrient-rich compost that fertilizes the gardens, creating a circular system that reduces waste and CO2 emissions. Beyond environmental benefits, Køkken+ promotes healthy living by emphasizing plant-based, organic food choices that align with Copenhagen's public food service strategy. The building makes sustainable processes visible to users as educational and cultural tools that foster ecological awareness and encourage community adoption of sustainable behaviors.

Haraldsgade-kvarteret in Copenhagen, shaped by its industrial past, transitioned from fields to a thriving industrial hub in the late 1800s. Industrial decline in the mid-1900s led to residential developments, replacing most industrial structures while some remain and contribute to the neighbourhood’s identity. Urban redevelopment often prioritizes new construction, erasing historical narratives and triggering gentrification. With Legacy Lab, the goal is to reuse both tangible and intangible elements of industrial heritage to create a hybrid public condenser that contributes to preserving neighbourhood identity in an area undergoing urban redevelopment.

Im this project a research is conducted on how different relgions can be combined in a single building in order to improve the livability of the neighborhood and provoking altruism. This research results in a proposal for a public condenser in the haraldsgade district in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Norrebro is officially classified as a disadvantaged area in Copenhagen, inhabitants within low-income groups suffer from issues related to health inequality. These low-income groups lack access to public health facilities and healthy food systems. The design of this public condenser focusses on solving the issues related to health inequality. The design of this public condenser will act as a catalyst for stimulating healthy lifestyles and improving physical well-being for low-income groups living in Norrebro.

The Escalating City is a public highrise project located next to The Hague central station. Due to the lack of buildable space, a different suitable location had to be found. The potentials of an infrastructural node nearby the station were interesting to me. Seemingly it is not a place to make a building, due to the neclegted state. But it is full of opportunities to connect the new public building to the flows of the city and allowing optimal access. The building rests on 4 super columns (or cores), supporting the whole structure. This structural strategy opens up a variety of possibilties. Firstly, it creates the possibilty for the tunnel, roads, tram tracks, cycling paths and buslanes to flowing underneath the building. Secondly, the absence of a central core provides lots of freedom on the floorplans and made it possible for the diagonal elevator tubes to go through.

The project takes place in the Anna van Buerenplein, The Hague, Netherlands and focuses on the development of a public campus high rise. The proposal explores the transformation of the dense central station area of The Hague, through developing connections between existing infrastructures and the new campus building. The ground floor of the site will become the “plinth” of the campus, and the campus will be open to the city. This gesture will foster the development of the area as the educational core of the CID of The Hague. The new design will become part of this new urban constellation. Knowledge is meant to be discovered and explored by the visitors of the campus, and the city is meant to be part of the student experience.
The first levels of the campus reach out to the existing layers of the city. The key concept is to create shared spaces with Leiden University building, the National Archive and part of the Library. The second cluster houses the studio spaces, the classrooms and other educational facilities. The design features a meandering track through the learning and research spaces. The journey around the cluster allows learning on display. The top cluster is an autonomous office space. Densification equals stacking. The goal is to investigate whether we can create publicly accessible upper floors.
Overall the building is approached as an urban system of interwoven public and collective spaces. In between the squares on the upper levels, the meandering circulation promenade and the prosthetic connecting elements, the program can be adjusted or changed. That system can be applied to different contexts.
The project strategy was shaped by the findings stemming from the contextual investigation, which brought forward the potential the site area has to offer. Through the method of research-by-design, the project proposes an approach to densification by engaging with porosity, permeability, and connectivity.

With the shift in pedagogical and technological approaches towards hybrid learning concepts, architectural spaces also need to be adapted to meet the diverse needs of today’s learners. My project investigates how hybrid learning spaces can enhance the creative thinking process of lifelong learners. It explores design strategies to ensure that vertical campus buildings are accessible to various users. A key focus is identifying spatial characteristics that either activate or challenge creativity and using these as design tools. The goal is to design a “Vertical Campus” in The Hague that addresses urban densification and is publicly accessible.

The project aims for sustainable and future-proof designs that meet today’s needs while anticipating future ones. It combines various functions within a campus complex and addresses themes like hybridity and lifelong learning. The project seeks to make existing government institutions accessible to the public and ensure vertical accessibility. It integrates knowledge from architecture, social sciences, technology, and engineering, proposing solutions to align the built environment with recent developments in teaching and learning.

Incorporating hybrid learning spaces not only enhances the creative journey of lifelong learners but also facilitates knowledge sharing and accessibility for different stakeholders and users. This is particularly relevant in The Hague’s Central Innovation District, where a significant amount of knowledge exists within municipal and governmental buildings and numerous educational institutions, but is not accessible to the general public.

This graduation report examines the potential for an open and inclusive university campus situated in the heart of The Hague. Within the framework of the Public Building Graduation Studio, the vertical campus concept redefines how learning and interaction occur within and beyond the university setting. This exploration led to the development of Fusion Scientia, a guiding principle that embodies the vision of a dynamic public campus. More than merely a design for a new building, Fusion Scientia represents a transformative approach to education, fostering collaboration, accessibility, and lifelong learning within the community.

In response to the growing need for connectivity between academia and society, the design embraces an inclusive ethos that invites both direct users, students and staff, and the wider community to engage in a shared learning environment. This is achieved through a carefully crafted programmatic layout of vertical and horizontal spaces, ensuring collaboration and cohesion among various functions. Key areas such as the Mountaintop, Waterhole, Campfire, and Cove create vibrant hubs for interaction, enhancing the overall educational experience.

To promote a healthier and more inviting atmosphere, the design features a porous facade that breaks up the massing of the building, allowing for greater transparency and interaction between levels. The carved-out spaces create unique floorplan layouts, fostering spontaneous engagement among users. Incorporating green elements throughout the campus, such as terraces and indoor greenery, further enhances biophilia, promoting well-being and a connection to nature.

Sustainable climate design, including underfloor heating and ventilation systems, ensures a healthy indoor climate while reducing the building’s environmental impact. The project also emphasizes the importance of reusing existing structures, transforming early to late 1900s office buildings from grey and dark environments into a vibrant and light public space. This approach not only honors the architectural heritage of the area but also contributes to a more dynamic urban landscape.

Ultimately, Fusion Scientia serves as a concept that transcends traditional boundaries, redefining the role of the university in the 21st century. By integrating education with the urban fabric, the project aspires to create a more educated society through collaboration and engagement.

Historically, university buildings did exhibit a certain prestigious identity, as seen in the campus in Oxford for instance. Identity is shaped by the combination of behavior, communication, and appearance. Its meaning is determined by the collective, not the individual (Grouls et al., 2007). Similar like the clothes we wear, buildings we occupy say something to the outside world about the people we are. University buildings exemplify this idea of identity. (Sun, 2017). Different identities of university buildings, primarily arising from the physical setting and spatial characteristics, result from a varied mix of 'solid' (traditional), 'liquid' (flexible), and 'gas' (on demand) composition (Den Heijer, 2021). The study sheds light on the impact of the contemporary architectural identity of various universities, which often remains limited to the internal program and aesthetics of university buildings. However, today the distinctive features of these faculties, that in general are mainly only accessible for the affiliated students, are scarcely found inside most of these structures. The banality in the aesthetics of those ‘solid’ academic architecture, often characterized by monotonous glass facades - as for instance observed in the AvB Tower, near the Prins Clauslaan in the Hague - disrupts the identity of university buildings.
References indicate that currently a lot of methods of university construction detract from the prestige and distinctive characteristics of the faculties and other internal university functions, which were previously expressed with ornamental interventions, programmatic peculiarities, or other unique architectural ingenuities. In general, the facade is one of the most crucial elements, perhaps the most important one, for the representation and identity of those occupying the building, as well as for the identity of the city (Jurgenhake, 2016). Functions behind the facades are hardly recognizable today due to this aesthetical anonymity. Only the large signs with the names of the respective universities reveal what is happening behind the facades. This increasing anonymity of these university buildings and the negatively reduced dialogue between the urban environment and its associated social cohesion downplays interaction between users. The overall identity of university buildings must become more ‘liquid’ and ‘gas’, where universities are more flexible, shared and filled with opportunity and openness to the outside world (Den Heijer, 2021). A search to a good balance between solid, liquid and gas must be the goal.
The Hague Central Innovation Dirstrict (CID) will be the location for the future vertical campus. This location becomes even more significant when considering The Hague’s future vision of densification. The Hague, like many cities, is increasingly focusing on making better use of its limited urban space by densifying key areas. The CID has been identified as one of the city’s main hubs for innovation and development, with plans to integrate more offices, residences, and academic institutions to make it a more vibrant district. The negative impact on social cohesion is exacerbated by the surrounding governmental buildings along Prins Clauslaan, which, with their isolated (archipelago) structure, create a detached and solid identity. Additionally, the Utrechtsebaan highway acts as a traffic barrier, dividing the Centraal Station area and Bezuidenhout neighbourhoods. This results into a strong individualism and isolation, not only among the building typology, but also the people who occupy the buildings and the surrounding neighbourhoods. It is crucial for social bonding to get rid of this barriers and to have a public condenser, where the people of these ministries, neighbourhoods and campus can physically connect.
Moreover, interviews conducted in this area also reveal that various target groups emphasize the absence of diversity in building functions and spaces for playing, learning, and socializing. Therefore, the design aims to navigate university identity through a vertical campus with a flexible solid-liquid-gas composition, expressing with the ambition to include both a partly public and university identity. It This strategy intends to function as a hybrid urban condenser catering to diverse target groups within the connected neighbourhoods of the the Hague Central Innovation District, where individuals of all ages can engage and live together. To establish a vibrant central educational hub that unifies diverse these neighbourhoods and students, the design will prioritize diversity, visibility, interaction, adaptability, flexibility and movement, fostering an environment to play, learn, and socialize together.

This thesis project investigates the potential of the 'creative condenser' within the context of Berlin as an approach to the ‘public condenser’, a term introduced by the board of the Public Building graduation studio within the MSc Architecture track at Delft University of Technology.

The turmoil history of Berlin is a history of clashes between ideologies. This created a divided city not only from an architectural point of view but also from a socio-political background. The initial fieldwork research in Friedrichshain (and in Berlin as a whole) has shown diverse people with different and sometimes extremely opposing ideologies congregating in the same public space. The ideological background presented by the inhabitance is the result of the combination of share beliefs regarding religious, cultural, and societal self-identification. This difference plays a crucial role in the formation of each individual’s worldview, which forms their ideologies. The various social groups observed in the analyzed area show almost no interaction, with each group discussing their ideology and social problems internally. This leads to polarization in the local society.

Gentrification is a controversial process where lower-income neighborhoods are transformed into affluent areas through the arrival of higher-income residents and development efforts. Friedrichshain in Berlin serves as a prominent example of this phenomenon. Since the 1990s, the neighborhood has attracted artists and young professionals, causing property values to rise and making it difficult for long-time residents to stay. Gentrification has resulted in the displacement of low-income residents, a shift in the neighborhood's demographics, and a change in its cultural landscape. The real estate market's development has played a significant role in driving up property values and rents, further exacerbating the situation. In response to these effects, a Public Condenser is being designed as a social catalyst, aiming to mitigate the impacts of gentrification by providing a space for diverse individuals to share knowledge and creativity. The project's goal is to foster innovation and progress, following the theme of "Boundless architecture," and potentially serve as a prototype for similar neighborhoods in need.

This project takes place in Friedrichshain, Berlin, Germany and presents the design of a Public Condenser along the Straße der Pariser Kommune named ’Bau(m) Berlin’. The project is part of the Public Building Graduation Studio and looks into the topic of designing a ’new urban lounge and commons’ through the process of Research by Design.

Through field research and urban analysis, three issues came to the forth in the Friedrichshain area; A disconnection between residents, a missing framework for social (re-)integration and low quality green space. These issues consequently led to choosing the project site along the Straße der Pariser Kommune and forming the following research question:

”What if there could be an architecture that pushes interaction so that the social gap between people could be bridged whilst functioning as
a platform that helps people to (re-) enter society?”

In order to tackle the pre-described issues, the project takes the notion of ’building’ and dissects it into ’Building the Future Commons’, ’Building Connections’ and ’Building Things’. Together they describe and result into the project Bau(m). The ’m’ in Bau(m) entails the notion and concept of Multiplicity, e.i. the idea that a thing, in this case a public building, can be used in multiple ways, for various programmatic functions, throughout time. For me, this meant seeing architecture as a framework that allows for adaptable use of a building.

Consequently, the building is designed as a pavilion within the park stretching along the Straße der Pariser Kommune and has one big roof supported by a grid structure column repetition made from timber. The columns are bended so that together, they form an arch-shaped pattern. By seeing the building as part of the park, the park is equally redesigned into a park of higher quality with an urban route that stretches through the building and connects the Ostbahnhof train station with the Karl-Marx-Allee further North.

The main function of the building is a workshop space for various crafts, amongst which furniture making, as it uses the method of making as a way of bringing people together and getting those in need back on into society. This workshop space stretches into the basement and thus forms the substructure of an urban square that exists in front of the building.

For this research, the focus has been on exploring the relationship between street culture, public space and public architecture, with the aim of challenging negative perceptions towards this culture and fostering the integration of diverse communities within urban environments. The project begins by defining public space as accessible areas for the general public that functions as the heartbeat of the city. It is accessible, inclusive, multifunctional and has a focus on social interactions. A distinction can be made in the difference of perception of public space by different groups of people. A notable difference is the one between the different activities of adults and children. Where children have a more playfull and creative approach that seems to stop at a certain age. For some subcultures this perception is maintained, like parkour, skateboarding, street art etc. They engage with public spaces in unique and unconventional ways. They can be grouped under a larger subculture; streetculture. The significance of this culture lies in creating vibrant and inclusive cities, community engagement, youth empowerment, cultural expression, and health benefits. However, street culture often faces unjust criticism and negative stereotypes, such as vandalism, violence, nuisance etc. Although these are issues, they are a stereotype and generalization of the culture in which the ones causing harm are seen as the majority of the culture, which is not the case, nor are they values the culture represents. To address this issue, the project proposes the need for interactions and dialogue between different communities, aiming to bridge the gap and promote mutual understanding.
To do this, these 2 worlds have to come together in one place, meaning the building has to be both architecture and public space. This public condenser will then serve as catalyst for urban activities and social and cultural interactions. The chosen location for this project is Friedrichshain in Berlin, a neighborhood rich in street culture and providing an ideal context for the integration of diverse communities. The project proposes a hybrid building as an extension of the cultural Wriezener Park, into a hybrid building that combines various functions related to street culture located inside the park
The design concept revolves around a zigzag pattern that connects different activities and creates meandering courtyards, encouraging social interactions and slowing down pedestrian movement. By incorporating oblique surfaces and varying angles into the building design, the aim is to provide different uses and inspire creativity and exploration. The integration of complementary programs derived from the existing activities in the Wriezenerpark, such as an experimental exhibition space, a skatebowl, a greenhouse and a library, further strengthens and expands the street culture communities within the space.
To further increase social interactions, the aim has been to avoid the use of corridors and create as much spaces without relying on enclosing them trough walls, doors, windows and roofs. A glulam portal structure, structure the zigzag pattern and due to its high alternation creates space, without enclosing it. This allows for a mor permeable plan in which the circulation space becomes habitable and the levels are open. The 1st floor is kept loose from the glulam structure as much as possible to also make vertical connections with the secretions becoming a social element through bookshelves and workspaces.
Ultimately, the ambitions were to improve social interactions so these different communities can expand and learn from one another, increase complexity to make people stop, observe and interact, challenge traditional notions of architecture and landscape, and promote the integration of street culture within public spaces and architecture. By embracing street culture and designing inclusive and dynamic public spaces, cities can reap the benefits of vibrant communities, enhanced safety, cultural expressions, physical activity, and improved mental well-being.

The research and design hypothesize how data centers can complement the urban environment rather than make a negative impact, both environmentally and spatially. Data centers consume and produce a variety of valuable flows, ranging from electricity, cooling/heating and water use. The aim of the research is to discover whether it is possible to create synergy between these flows in a mixed-use building that contains both data center, residential and greenhouse program. All flows for the different programs are analyzed, quantified and visualized. Through the findings, the flows and programs are linked together. This in turn creates possibilities to redesign and optimize the processes of these flows and reduce the amount of resources needed (input) while at the same time reducing waste (output). Based on the research, a mixed-use building is proposed for the Sluisbuurt neighborhood in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Both a data center, residential program, greenhouse program and a diverse public program are combined.

My project starts from the city Berlin. After visiting the site in Friedrichshain, I found that people who lived there were not satisfied with the food-eating space nearby throughout my interviews. They said that even though there were some restaurants, the community was lack of diverse food space, and they were willing to go to the West Berlin for food. To check if they were right, I made a food mapping of the community. I found that there are a few restaurants and supermarkets there, but not too many. And there was just one flexible exterior street market nearby, so basically they were right. Based on this, designing a food-eating space for the community came into my mind.
To follow up on the locals’ idea, I went to the west of Berlin and found many diverse food-related activities. There are not just many restaurants in the West, but also many street markets, and an interesting Prinzessinnengarten where people can farm, make and cook inside. At the time, based on the topic of our project “Public Condenser”, I think if I condense many kinds of food-related activities(farming, making, shopping, and eating) into one building, it will provide more opportunities for people to encounter, which also suits my understanding towards the word “Common”, where people can make something together, and participate into activities constantly. Then food could be a good medium to connect people in Berlin from different backgrounds. Furthermore, facing the trend that eating become more private and people do not want to go out for food and feel lonely, a food condenser can take people out and solve these issues very well. From the food mapping, I consider the REWE supermarket as the best location to build. Because it sits in the street full of restaurants, they can work well together economically. And the site is also near the Warschauer Straße station, so it is accessible for the locals and outsiders. Finally, the original supermarket will be turned down, and a better new flexible market space will show up in the new building.
After making sure of my topic about food, I divided the program into four parts, from farming, making, and shopping to eating. In the farming part, people can grow some vegetables, ingredients, and some plants in the balcony, rooftop garden, or indoor area. In the making part, people can cook the food they pick up from the farming part in the shared kitchen, chefs can learn cooking from the culinary school, and chefs can explore their recipes in the food laboratory, citizens can see the food exhibition, they can also order the food in the kitchen that is already cooked by the chefs. In the shopping part, people can shop, eat, and socialize in a flexible market space, including a long indoor market, some eating space, and relaxed space. They can also listen to lectures about food culture in the hall. In the eating part, people can enjoy a big food square. They can also order in two big round-shaped food bars, and find food in some open restaurants. To condense these multiple food-related spaces in one building, I worked out a prototype, I call it “Vertical Food Forest”, which will be situated at a specific site and create various food experiences as an interesting and complicated system.

Many industrial buildings had remained the situation of vacancy since the late 1970s, reusing has become a term to be used as a sustainable method of preserving the cultural identity of these industrial buildings in order to prolong their life-span.
The Hembrug site is a plot which was formed in the 19th century by reclamation of land in the coastal area between Amsterdam and Zaandam. It was taken into use in 1895, as a weapon production base. However, the production came to a standstill in the 1990s, after which the factories were finally closed in 2003. The government decided to develop the mixed terrain for living, culture, nature and business in the coming years. However, industrial buildings on the site from industrial era are not adequate for the spatial and functional requirements in the contemporary society. Compare to demolition, renovation not only honors the past but also means looking into the future. It can help to create more space, reduce energy consumption and preserve the cultural value while bringing the building up to the latest technical standards.
My research focus on finding the suitable renovation strategies to the industrial heritage buildings, case study was used as the fundamental methodology while the descriptive research helped to summarized them into three main prototypes with the perspective of the spatial order between the existing building and its new intervention. The research findings are applied to the Hembrug Site and the design process also follows the strategies as well.

The housing shortage in the Netherlands and the high contribution of the construction sector towards climate change demands a different approach towards affordable housing. A combination of the concept of a 'housing cooperative' and the implementation of 'low-tech principles' on all scales of the design tries to bring back affordable housing back to the people in a sustainable way, where the pillars 'People', 'Planet' and 'Profit' are in balance. A pure light timber frame system with universal, interchangeable elements forms the basis for standardised housing units. By arranging the units in different ways and by giving the users freedom in infill and finishing, the housing cooperative is able to choose how they want to shape their living environment. Overarching aspects throughout the design are 'simplicity', 'rationality', 'locality' and 'human scale'.