This building focuses on living together and creating a community for the Expats in Amsterdam. By creating units that include smaller residential communities with transition zones for private-, community- and public life in the city. The building attempts to provide a stimulus for the emergence of a more tangible new community. Housing construction remains an important theme in architecture. Especially considering the current tightness in the housing market. This results in a search for densification strategies to meet the housing needs of large cities. The Expettenflats are two residential buildings on the Minervahaven in Amsterdam with a differentiated range of furnished apartments. The facade is characterized by the sleek concrete structure and the gold-bronze head of anodized aluminum elements. The deep negro attempts to give the residents a "framed view" of the harbor and the city. Within the design it was important to create a truly sustainable building with a materialization that can easily stand the test of time, while at the same time having a lifespan of at least 100 years and having the flexibility to perform multiple functions.Amsterdam is more and more becoming a city of migrants, both domestic and international. Everyone is so used to people coming and going, they are reluctant to connect. During the Dutch Housing graduation studio I designed mixed-use towers, to give the growing fluid population, predominantly the expats, a place Amsterdam society. The building tries to give the expat a face by creating a building that reveals their qualities to the Dutch population. These new planned high-rise buildings, planned on the intersection of the new urban plan and the existing business district of the Danzigkade, at the Minervahaven in Amsterdam. The building was designed with certain conceptual principles at the bases, established to reflect neighbourhood concerns and ambitions: An expat community, (the intersection lies in the heart of the city’s urban expansion and its tech and creative industries, openness and accessibility to everyone, artistic and cultural activities, small-scale retail, bold street statement, and celebrate the new industries and inhabitants. Through this possible conceptual design principles were introduced for for the development’s podium. These concepts were eventually converted into a collected form that composed of various aspects that refined the qualities of the building, the site and the possible functional interpretations. The refined concept for the podium concepts presents a combination of favoured elements for different uses, along with a proposed dwelling plan for expats in the towers. The site upon which the towers are placed is a central public square for the neighbourhood, and the building has to recognize, embrace, and celebrate that. The building took inspiration from the two streets it is connected with. The Danzigkade has low-rise and retail plinths, while intermediate streets form residential courts. The towers are respectively divided into 3 and 4 separate masses. The public floors above every six floors that create different distinct volumes within the vertical raster that create a transition between the base volume and the tower element. Topping off at approximately 95 meters, the tower’s exterior consists of an alternating pattern of solids and voids, clad in a combination of architectural metal panels and vision glass.

A graduation research into the topic feeling at home for the heterogeneous modern household group single-person households. This research forms the basis of a design project for Merwe-Vierhaven in Rotterdam, where the concepts of comfort, social interaction, feeling of safety and identity come together.

The city of Amsterdam grows annually with approximately 12,000 inhabitants. However, one of the problems Amsterdam encounters is the fact that the housing stock appears to be scarce. Especially for the low- and mid-income group it is very difficult to find suitable housing. The main reason why more and more people are looking for rental property in the middle segment is because this group of people do not qualify for social housing and are locked out of home ownership, due to a lack of income and savings. The mid income group is therefore large and diverse, consisting of singles, couples and families that strongly contribute to the socio-economic power of the Metropolitan region of Amsterdam. The so-called ‘Woonagenda 2025’ (Housing Agenda 2025), a framework and directional document for residential policy in Amsterdam until 2025, finds great shortages in mid-sector rental housing. Therefore the municipality of Amsterdam is committed to realizing more affordable housing for the middle class in the price range of € 710, - and € 1.100, - per month. As a result Amsterdam strives to build 20.000 new mid-sector rental homes by 2025. This new development in the mid-rent sector reduces the pressure on the housing market and increases the success rate for the middle income group. This leads to a more differentiated, attractive and undivided city of Amsterdam, in all parts of the city. Another advantage is that, moving people with middle income from the social sector to suitable middle-class sector creates opportunities for new entrants in the social housing sector. Availability of suitable living space for employees in the business sector and public sector (teachers, nursing staff, assistants, etc.) promotes the business environment and the quality of the city and is thus the basis for further economic growth. The aim of my graduation project is to develop housing for the free market rental segment with a rent between € 710 and € 1,100. The project mainly focusses on housing young professionals (people in their 20s and 30s who are employed in a profession), by designing affordable dwellings which meet the needs of mid-income households.

Families are leaving the city of Amsterdam, mainly due to a lack of safety, child friendly outdoor spaces and affordable and appropriate size housing. Yet many of them do want to stay in the city, and the city wants to maintain them too, as they are important for the whole circle of city life. The notion of ‘family’ though is rather general, and usually implies traditional families. However, the amount of ‘modern’ families, such as single parent-, co-parent- and patchwork families is growing. They have even more specific needs than traditional families, due to their often complicated household configuration. The main task of this project is to provide suitable housing for these modern families, thus housing that is: child friendly and adaptable to changing household configurations.

Ageing of the population is one of the most significant changes taking place in the population of the Netherlands, that will affect the dwelling design in the coming decades. This is also reflected by other phenomenon: together with the higher life expectancy, the quality of the lifetime deteriorates, of which the leading cause are chronic diseases. One way to stop the negative trend is to change focus from curing the effects of the disease to the prevention of the unhealthy lifestyle, that contributes to it, by implementing changes in the living environment. In the last decades we observed the rise of architecture, that values comfort, efficiency, and entertainment supported by passive technologies, which contributed to decreased human energy expenditure. One of the design strategies, that presents an approach countering this problem is active design, the goal of which is to increase the amount of daily physical activity on all levels of urban scale. These methods are best to be implemented in a vulnerable age of 45-60 (middle-aged phase), when many of the health issues manifest - introducing particular dwelling solutions for this target group could minimize health problems they face in later life. The dwelling-scale design is crucial, as it is where people spend most of their daily time. From these reflections arises my mission for the project – to find spatial characteristics of a dwelling that can improve the physical and psychological health of middle-aged inhabitants.

The presence of creatives or the ‘creative class’ is observed to act as a stimulant for regional and local urban transformation and gentrification. Global statistics state that the creative industry serves as a major economic driving force of the twenty- first century. For Rotterdam, a global metropolis, the need for creativity grows hand in hand with its need to attract and hold talent. The necessity exists to perpetuate the creative city image and to remain competitive on the world stage. However, the lack of creative workspace and housing has become a stringent issue for Rotterdam and its creative community. By looking at the issue through a historical lens, the research establishes the insufficiency of present policies and proposes a solution in the form of physical architecture, with the goal of relieving spatial shortages and bettering the livelihoods of creatives through facilitation of interdisciplinary synergy.

Cities are attracting people increasingly because of the work opportunities, universities and wide range of facilities. It is estimated that the world population will grow up to 10 billion people by 2050 with the majority living in cities. In Europe 80% of the population will live in cities by that time (Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN, 2017). As more people will move into cities, the demand for food in cities will arise too. This means that somewhere else in the world natural landscapes have to be transformed into agriculture in order to feed us. Yet 73% of deforestation can be attributed to agriculture and deforestation is likely to continue with projected increases in food demand (Global Environmental Change 28). The UN report (Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN, 2017) estimates that 70% more food need to be produced by 2050 to feed the expected 10 billion of world population. That is equal to 1 bn tones more wheat, rice and other cereals and 200 more tones of beef and other livestock. This is a very difficult to achieve because most available farmland is already being farmed and in ways that decrease its productivity and lead to soil erosion and water wasting. The aim of this research is not to solve this unsustainable global food system, but rather to make people aware of what is going on and how our food model has been transformed through decades. This will make people aware of the big impacts the controlled food system has on the climate, their food and therefore their health and even their wallet.The aim is also to make citizens able to grow their own fruits and vegetables and not to be 100% dependent on the unsustainable world’s food system. This is indirect a great step into changing our food model. This leads to the research question of this thesis which is: How can the architecture of a residential building create an active way for people to get involved in the food system again? In order to answer this question research studies have been made, including literature studies, plan analyses and site analysis. When people who share the same interest and fascination about food awareness will live at the same residential building or in the same neighborhood, they can share their knowledge and build up an sustainable urban environment with a sustainable food system. Due to this people can relate much better to their food.

The number of elderly citizens in the Netherlands is growing, but there is a lack of suitable housing for this population group. Because of this, they occupy larger homes that are more suitable for families with children. Since the average age of no longer having children at home is 55 years in the Netherlands, that is the starting age for this project. A design for an elderly specific housing project in the Merwehavens in Rotterdam tries to provide a possible solution. Since there are different social and economical backgrounds there are several different types of dwellings in the building, ranging from small care units to larger multi-bedroom apartments. To still offer the smaller apartments a space for (grand)children to visit, there are also lodging rooms on each floor. The dwellings themselves are all wheelchair proof. This means that the residents do not need to move again if their physical capabilities decline with age, therefore providing a future proof dwelling for the elderly in the Netherlands. This is the next step in the housing career for the modern elderlies of the Netherlands.

Amsterdam is currently experiencing a period of significant growth, demographically as well as economically. It is becoming more international, more affluent, but also more crowded. In the process, the city's status as 'werelddorp' is changing into that of a metropolis. Such a scale change requires a rethinking of what it means to live and dwell in Amsterdam. As such, this graduation project investigates what constitutes a contemporary metropolitan living and dwelling environment, within the scope of housing design. Having defined this as a high density high-rise living environment, the design focuses on creating a high-rise building that accommodates a contemporary metropolitan lifestyle.

In the recent decades the economies became more dependent on knowledge - based activities - scientific research, technology, trade, finance. Therefore, the industries strive to be competitive in these categories on global level. In order to achieve that, they need an international recognition which also means attracting international knowledge workers (expats). Many cities try to become an urban knowledge capital by providing opportunities for the expats - carrier and urban facilities. In the Netherlands, Rotterdam is one of the most popular destinations among expats. However, finding suitable housing especially for the expat families in the city is a difficult task for the new residents. There is a lack of suitable housing for families in the city of Rotterdam which forced middle class families to move out of the city. Therefore, the project aims to solve the problem by creating a dwelling complex which meets the needs of the families and stimulates social interaction and communication.

The theme of the Dutch Housing Studio was that of the Inclusive City. So the goal was to improve the inclusivity of the modern city, Rotterdam in this case. The focus of this design project was artists. The research goes into artists and their issues, gentrification and possible strategies to solve those issues. It also delves into historical artist housing. The design itself revolves around the incorporation of those lessons from history into modern times and deals with the creation of a community of artists and art enthusiasts.

Amsterdam is like many other cities facing several problems in the coming future. For my graduation project especially two project are important. Firstly, our food system is under a lot of pressure. Worldwide we are not able to feed the global population. On a smaller scale the population of cities is growing due to urbanization. The urbanization causes difficulties to feed the urban citizens. Next to that, urbanizations also causes a growing distance between us and our food. A close relation with the food we eat is helping to understand the need for change. Secondly, due to the earlier mentioned urbanization, Amsterdam is facing a housing shortage. Especially starters do have a hard time finding a suitable place to live within the city. Starters on the housing market cannot find a place to live because of a lack of availability and affordability. Densification of the city will help solving the housing shortage and the high prices.

Attracting foreign talents is crucial for governments and companies for a strong international competitive position. However, the Netherlands are falling behind in attracting foreign knowledge workers, despite the fact that we are one of the top competing economies. So, to boost our economy, a more attractive environment for expats is valuable. Our biggest weaknesses as a country and for Amsterdam in particular are the ease of integration and finding affordable housing, while the family life is our biggest strength. So these are factors to respectively improve and maintain. In addition to this, research shows that expats face feelings of loneliness upon arrival in a new country. A way to battle these feelings is to create a community. These factors all play a role in the research and design, hence the subtitle. The design answers to this subtitle through a layering of this community and engagement with the neighbourhood.

In recent years, Dutch society has been in transition. The traditional welfare state is being transformed into a participation society, where citizens are self-reliant and less dependent on the government. Due to changes in society and new insights into the importance of inclusion, citizens who are in a vulnerable position should be received as little as possible by authorities and be transferred as soon as possible to self-sufficient living. The municipalities are responsible for providing the accommodations. In order to live as independently as possible in the neighborhood, professional care is kept to a minimum and support systems are developed, consisting of volunteers and local residents. As an increasing number of vulnerable people come to live in the neighborhood, there is a greater need for small, affordable, self-sufficient homes, and also for residential environments in which attention is paid to fellow residents. The research focuses on finding a suitable form of housing and the elements that lead to inclusion of vulnerable target groups in Amsterdam. The research results in a building in which different people live under one roof. The building offers opportunities to meet each other, to develop social contacts and to participate in society.

Collective dwelling design for the new urban middle income family. Attention is paid to enhance social interaction. The design forms a proposal for flexible and affordable family dwellings to keep the middle class in (the city center) of Amsterdam.

“Urban woods” is a project that investigates the problems of the segregation and social exclusion in the cities today. Urban environments become more and more diverse, which often leads to lack of social cohesion on the neighborhood scale. This master thesis focuses on the target group of expats and answers the questions of creating inclusive urban surroundings for a diverse group of residents. It investigates the theme of collective living and social responsibility for the inhabited spaces. Design focus lies in providing spaces that enhance social interactions between the residents and spaces for their individual appropriation. Since designing for diverse cultures does not refer to one dwelling system, the building offers maximum flexibility in order to provide appropriate apartments for future tenants. This strategy is based on the concept of open building introduced by John Habraken. The concept of responsibility for the inhabited spaces is also reflected in the integration of architecture and nature. The building provides biodiversity and aims to put focus on the current issues of the climate change. Architecture of the building integrates with nature and creates a healthy and sustainable living environment not only for people, but also several animal species.

The studio that I chose to participate was ‘Dutch Housing: Stronghold Amsterdam’. The topic of this studio as mentioned in its studio manual concerns problems with ecology, climate, overpopulation, mass-migration, a shifting global power balance, changing demographics, etc., cities like Amsterdam will face in the future. But the question is: how do we want to live and what kind of buildings do we need to make that possible? Stated tin the studio’s manual ‘In the Dutch Housing Graduation Studio you will formulate a vision on the future of the city of Amsterdam and design a housing project that exemplifies this vision.’ First of all, my graduation project theme deals with the problem of the lost connection between people and their food and their lack of awareness about how food can shape the urban fabric and people’s lives nowadays. Therefore my projects research question was: How the architecture of a housing complex can contribute to raising of people’s food awareness inside the urban fabric? Furthermore, by researching different case studies of urban agriculture I came to the conclusion that food production in urban environments is a subject that is closely connected with both social and technical issues. From the research I realized that if future cities need to reach to a level that they are self-sufficient and self-sustained in the case of food supply, people need first to be more conscious about it. That meant for me that people had first to start being more aware about the problem of their lost connection with their food, and when they succeed to be aware about it, then they can move forward to the next step, which is to start creating self-sufficient neighborhoods and dealing with more technical issues. Therefore the most important factor for my design was that of educating people about the food supply problem and urban food production in general. And that could be achieved by having some food-based activities situated in the premises of the building and which have an educational character.

There is a transition in the development of cities. The car-based urbanization is shifting into a pedestrian and bike based urbanization. This is the effect of the transition in society because the fossil-fuel based society is changing into a renewable energy-based society. Cities want to densify instead of expand to deal with energy and transport more efficiently and to not affect the landscape. A new city model arises which I call for the convenience the compact city. It puts an end to the CIAM concept in which live, work, recreation and mobility are strictly separated and introduces a mix of functional urban areas. The interrelation between functions and buildings is subject to change and therefore the following research question: What should the architectural design of buildings comply with in order to fit in the urban fabric of the compact city? The main conclusions are: - Buildings of the compact city should combine several functions to create vibrant areas. - Due to the fact that the city is constantly changing the buildings should be flexible in every aspect to be able to adapt to possible future functional changes. - Because of the limited space, public spaces are an important part of the compact city. - The term energy should be a part of the architecture. design I used the conclusions of my research and the analysis of the intervention area as the base for my design. The outcome is an ensemble of three buildings surrounding a public square opening up to the water. One of the buildings makes a gesture to the existing parking garage by cantilevering over the garage and therefore it becomes part of the composition. Each building combines working and living in different ways. The floorplans are designed in a way to give the user as much freedom as possible to arrange it to their own wishes. This flexibility is also to be found in the structure of the buildings. The concrete casco, which is designed with as few as possible ongoing walls, offers freedom in the choice of layout variants. The facades are designed in a neutral way with respect to the underlying functions and thereby avoiding an explicit residential atmosphere. This will allow possible future functional adjustments without losing the identity.

The research looks into the historical development of the old building type that combines live and work; what Frances Holliss (2015) states to be a ‘workhome’. The relevance and resurgence of this typology in the context of a globalized economy and informational era, causes the homebased workforce to grow rapidly. This growth has increased after the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic as it imposed home-based work on a large scale. During the curfews and movement restrictions, the workplace was squeezed into a monofunctional designed dwelling and so affected the live-work balance negatively in several ways. This is especially the case for home working parents with young children, due to family life distraction. With a future forecast that 67% of the workforce view they will work more regularly from home post-Covid-19. It urges to question current housing design and a rearrangement of the dwelling to support wage work and care work in the same place. The design for Merwehaven offers suitable homes for home working parents and children living in M4H, and addresses the issue of young urban families leaving the city to the suburbs. Their presence is essential for the vitality and quality of life in the city.

“In which way can the design of the residential environment contribute to the social self-reliance of young people with a mild intellectual disability?” We are facing a huge challenge in the Netherlands: we have to build up to ‘1 Million Homes’ by 2030. But such a huge assignment raises the question if those new dwellings will be inclusive enough for all different users. What about young people with a mild intellectual disability? Due to the entrance of the ‘Wet Maatschappelijke Ondersteuning’ (WMO) in 2015 it is no longer possible to apply for their housing via the care for disabled people. They stay longer at home, because of their need of support. This despite their willingness to live independently, just like others.