YW
Y.G. Wolffenbuttel
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From Parking to Place
An architectural study on transforming car-dominated woonerven in Houtwijk, The Hague, into healthier spaces for everyday public life
This research investigates how car-dominated woonerven in Houtwijk, The Hague, can be architecturally transformed into healthier public spaces while maintaining essential car access and parking. Although Houtwijk contains substantial green space and retains the spatial structure of a post-war bloemkoolwijk, many of its woonerven no longer perform as collective residential environments. Parking pressure, vehicular circulation, fragmented green space and inactive residential edges limit everyday movement, outdoor use and informal social contact.
The study adopts a research-by-design methodology. Literature research establishes how public space can support health through walking, staying and social interaction, while field observations, photographic documentation, spatial measurements and archival analysis examine how these conditions are currently limited in one courtyard woonerf along the Dr. J. Presserstraat. The research findings show that the main issue is not simply the presence of cars or the absence of green space, but the way collective space is organised: cars dominate the spatial layout, green areas remain residual or inaccessible, and the relationship between dwellings and public space is weak.
These findings are translated into three design principles. First, mobility should be reorganised towards walking-first access without excluding residents who depend on the car. Second, residual and parking-dominated space should be transformed into usable outdoor rooms that invite everyday activity, rest and encounter. Third, hard residential edges should be replaced by layered threshold zones that create a more active relationship between private dwellings and collective public life.
The design proposal demonstrates how these principles can be applied spatially. The Dr. J. Presserstraat is transformed into a pedestrian-priority axis, while car circulation and parking are subordinated through mobility hubs and underground parking. Within the courtyard, released surface space is redesigned as a sequence of outdoor rooms for sitting, play, sport, gardening and communal use, supported by green-blue interventions that improve microclimatic comfort. At the architectural scale, verandas, planted buffers, active ground-floor rooms, increased façade transparency and greater dwelling diversity strengthen everyday use around the courtyard.
The research concludes that the health-supporting potential of the woonerf lies in the interaction between movement, staying and social contact. By reducing car dominance without denying car dependency, existing post-war residential environments can be transformed from parking-oriented spaces into everyday places for healthier public life. ...
The study adopts a research-by-design methodology. Literature research establishes how public space can support health through walking, staying and social interaction, while field observations, photographic documentation, spatial measurements and archival analysis examine how these conditions are currently limited in one courtyard woonerf along the Dr. J. Presserstraat. The research findings show that the main issue is not simply the presence of cars or the absence of green space, but the way collective space is organised: cars dominate the spatial layout, green areas remain residual or inaccessible, and the relationship between dwellings and public space is weak.
These findings are translated into three design principles. First, mobility should be reorganised towards walking-first access without excluding residents who depend on the car. Second, residual and parking-dominated space should be transformed into usable outdoor rooms that invite everyday activity, rest and encounter. Third, hard residential edges should be replaced by layered threshold zones that create a more active relationship between private dwellings and collective public life.
The design proposal demonstrates how these principles can be applied spatially. The Dr. J. Presserstraat is transformed into a pedestrian-priority axis, while car circulation and parking are subordinated through mobility hubs and underground parking. Within the courtyard, released surface space is redesigned as a sequence of outdoor rooms for sitting, play, sport, gardening and communal use, supported by green-blue interventions that improve microclimatic comfort. At the architectural scale, verandas, planted buffers, active ground-floor rooms, increased façade transparency and greater dwelling diversity strengthen everyday use around the courtyard.
The research concludes that the health-supporting potential of the woonerf lies in the interaction between movement, staying and social contact. By reducing car dominance without denying car dependency, existing post-war residential environments can be transformed from parking-oriented spaces into everyday places for healthier public life. ...
This research investigates how car-dominated woonerven in Houtwijk, The Hague, can be architecturally transformed into healthier public spaces while maintaining essential car access and parking. Although Houtwijk contains substantial green space and retains the spatial structure of a post-war bloemkoolwijk, many of its woonerven no longer perform as collective residential environments. Parking pressure, vehicular circulation, fragmented green space and inactive residential edges limit everyday movement, outdoor use and informal social contact.
The study adopts a research-by-design methodology. Literature research establishes how public space can support health through walking, staying and social interaction, while field observations, photographic documentation, spatial measurements and archival analysis examine how these conditions are currently limited in one courtyard woonerf along the Dr. J. Presserstraat. The research findings show that the main issue is not simply the presence of cars or the absence of green space, but the way collective space is organised: cars dominate the spatial layout, green areas remain residual or inaccessible, and the relationship between dwellings and public space is weak.
These findings are translated into three design principles. First, mobility should be reorganised towards walking-first access without excluding residents who depend on the car. Second, residual and parking-dominated space should be transformed into usable outdoor rooms that invite everyday activity, rest and encounter. Third, hard residential edges should be replaced by layered threshold zones that create a more active relationship between private dwellings and collective public life.
The design proposal demonstrates how these principles can be applied spatially. The Dr. J. Presserstraat is transformed into a pedestrian-priority axis, while car circulation and parking are subordinated through mobility hubs and underground parking. Within the courtyard, released surface space is redesigned as a sequence of outdoor rooms for sitting, play, sport, gardening and communal use, supported by green-blue interventions that improve microclimatic comfort. At the architectural scale, verandas, planted buffers, active ground-floor rooms, increased façade transparency and greater dwelling diversity strengthen everyday use around the courtyard.
The research concludes that the health-supporting potential of the woonerf lies in the interaction between movement, staying and social contact. By reducing car dominance without denying car dependency, existing post-war residential environments can be transformed from parking-oriented spaces into everyday places for healthier public life.
The study adopts a research-by-design methodology. Literature research establishes how public space can support health through walking, staying and social interaction, while field observations, photographic documentation, spatial measurements and archival analysis examine how these conditions are currently limited in one courtyard woonerf along the Dr. J. Presserstraat. The research findings show that the main issue is not simply the presence of cars or the absence of green space, but the way collective space is organised: cars dominate the spatial layout, green areas remain residual or inaccessible, and the relationship between dwellings and public space is weak.
These findings are translated into three design principles. First, mobility should be reorganised towards walking-first access without excluding residents who depend on the car. Second, residual and parking-dominated space should be transformed into usable outdoor rooms that invite everyday activity, rest and encounter. Third, hard residential edges should be replaced by layered threshold zones that create a more active relationship between private dwellings and collective public life.
The design proposal demonstrates how these principles can be applied spatially. The Dr. J. Presserstraat is transformed into a pedestrian-priority axis, while car circulation and parking are subordinated through mobility hubs and underground parking. Within the courtyard, released surface space is redesigned as a sequence of outdoor rooms for sitting, play, sport, gardening and communal use, supported by green-blue interventions that improve microclimatic comfort. At the architectural scale, verandas, planted buffers, active ground-floor rooms, increased façade transparency and greater dwelling diversity strengthen everyday use around the courtyard.
The research concludes that the health-supporting potential of the woonerf lies in the interaction between movement, staying and social contact. By reducing car dominance without denying car dependency, existing post-war residential environments can be transformed from parking-oriented spaces into everyday places for healthier public life.
Het ontwerp van Nederlandse spoorwegstations
Een onderzoek naar het ontwerp van een stationsgebouwen in Amsterdam, Amersfoort, Den Haag & Dordrecht tussen 1840–1870
This thesis examines the architecture of Dutch station buildings during the rise of the railways between 1840 and 1875. By analysing four representative stations - the Willemspoort station in Amsterdam (HIJSM, 1843), the Smallepad station in Amersfoort (NCS, 1863), the Rhijnspoorweg station in The Hague (NRS, 1870) and Dordrecht station (MESS, 1872) - insight is gained into how siting, style, building layout and routing came together in the design of this new building type.
The research question here is: how were railway company station buildings created and designed in terms of architecture and function between 1840 and 1875?
The research shows that the station was more than a functional junction during this period. It functioned as a representative structure that reflected the railway company's identity and ambitions. Stations were usually located at the edge of the historic city centre and approached frontally, which reinforced their role as a city gateway.
The companies employed different design strategies: for instance, the HIJSM and NRS opted for monumental neo-classical designs, while NCS and MESS built more functional and sober stations in neo-Renaissance style. The layout, however, showed many similarities, with hierarchical structure, clear zoning and direct access to the platform. The Hague and Dordrecht thereby paid extra attention to passenger flow.
The thesis concludes that during this period, the station building developed into a recognisable and meaningful building type, based on a shared design strategy in which representation, spatial arrangement and user-oriented routing were central. ...
The research question here is: how were railway company station buildings created and designed in terms of architecture and function between 1840 and 1875?
The research shows that the station was more than a functional junction during this period. It functioned as a representative structure that reflected the railway company's identity and ambitions. Stations were usually located at the edge of the historic city centre and approached frontally, which reinforced their role as a city gateway.
The companies employed different design strategies: for instance, the HIJSM and NRS opted for monumental neo-classical designs, while NCS and MESS built more functional and sober stations in neo-Renaissance style. The layout, however, showed many similarities, with hierarchical structure, clear zoning and direct access to the platform. The Hague and Dordrecht thereby paid extra attention to passenger flow.
The thesis concludes that during this period, the station building developed into a recognisable and meaningful building type, based on a shared design strategy in which representation, spatial arrangement and user-oriented routing were central. ...
This thesis examines the architecture of Dutch station buildings during the rise of the railways between 1840 and 1875. By analysing four representative stations - the Willemspoort station in Amsterdam (HIJSM, 1843), the Smallepad station in Amersfoort (NCS, 1863), the Rhijnspoorweg station in The Hague (NRS, 1870) and Dordrecht station (MESS, 1872) - insight is gained into how siting, style, building layout and routing came together in the design of this new building type.
The research question here is: how were railway company station buildings created and designed in terms of architecture and function between 1840 and 1875?
The research shows that the station was more than a functional junction during this period. It functioned as a representative structure that reflected the railway company's identity and ambitions. Stations were usually located at the edge of the historic city centre and approached frontally, which reinforced their role as a city gateway.
The companies employed different design strategies: for instance, the HIJSM and NRS opted for monumental neo-classical designs, while NCS and MESS built more functional and sober stations in neo-Renaissance style. The layout, however, showed many similarities, with hierarchical structure, clear zoning and direct access to the platform. The Hague and Dordrecht thereby paid extra attention to passenger flow.
The thesis concludes that during this period, the station building developed into a recognisable and meaningful building type, based on a shared design strategy in which representation, spatial arrangement and user-oriented routing were central.
The research question here is: how were railway company station buildings created and designed in terms of architecture and function between 1840 and 1875?
The research shows that the station was more than a functional junction during this period. It functioned as a representative structure that reflected the railway company's identity and ambitions. Stations were usually located at the edge of the historic city centre and approached frontally, which reinforced their role as a city gateway.
The companies employed different design strategies: for instance, the HIJSM and NRS opted for monumental neo-classical designs, while NCS and MESS built more functional and sober stations in neo-Renaissance style. The layout, however, showed many similarities, with hierarchical structure, clear zoning and direct access to the platform. The Hague and Dordrecht thereby paid extra attention to passenger flow.
The thesis concludes that during this period, the station building developed into a recognisable and meaningful building type, based on a shared design strategy in which representation, spatial arrangement and user-oriented routing were central.