This thesis investigates how energy transitions reshaped the spatial organization of typical Dutch workers' homes between 1900 and 1980. Focusing on the transitions from coal to gas and subsequently to central heating and electrification, the research examines how changes to energy infrastructure influenced the presence, function or disappearance of specific spaces within the home. While previous studies have addressed energy systems, housing policy, and architectural floor plans, the direct impact of energy transition on the Dutch floor plan remains under explored.
A comparative analysis of working-class housing in the Netherlands combined with archival materials from three specific time periods is done in the paper. The analysis is structured around three key categories: energy storage, heating source, and thermal zoning. The findings demonstrate that coal-based systems required significant spatial allocation for storage, usually meant a single heat source and had a strong thermal hierarchy. The introduction of gas reduced storage needs and enabled limited spatial heating flexibility, while central heating fundamentally transformed the floor plan layout by separating heat generation and distribution, eliminating thermal zoning.
This study concludes that energy transitions acted as a primary driver in the evolution of the typical Dutch workers' home floor plan layout, shifting from spatial centralization to open floor plans with uniform and flexible temperature regulation. These historical insights provide a valuable perspective for understanding how current energy transitions may continue to shape residential architecture in the future.