An important part of people and their wellbeing is their living environment. Because of the increase in population and buildings, urban areas suffer from densification and diminishing green environments. These urban environments have substantial risk of mental illness, such as depression and anxiety. Green environments and qualitative features of building have a positive impact on people and their mental health. Because of lacking space caused by the large number of existing buildings, it is important to look at the possibilities to facilitate these healthy living environments within the existing urban fabric.

As a testcase within the research paper strategies for decreasing depression/anxiety levels and -risks in the urban context of Boerhaavewijk (Haarlem) are investigated, with the focus on urban green infrastructures and the facilitation of passive and active care. This research gives a method of improving mental health in urban environments, by providing a system of internal and external interventions with a scoring on effectiveness, cost, amount of functions, passive or active care and implementation time, together with the reflection of users, designers, and planners.

In the design proposal the found strategies are implemented in the renovation and add-on of a post-war flat and its immediate environment in Boerhaavewijk (Haarlem), with the objective of making it more sustainable and facilitate for better mental health, by the implementation of green infrastructures and the facilitation of passive and active care to decrease the depression/anxiety levels and-risks of its users.

This thesis aims to show the historical development of women in the architectural profession in the UK from 1950-2000. The chosen period and location illustrate a specific period in gender history of the UK where women were studying architecture and pioneer woman architects were recognised, but the field was still male-dominated. This historical development is analysed by two pioneer women architects: Zaha Hadid and Patty Hopkins. The research question is:

‘What is the relation between pioneer women architects and the general position of women in the architectural work field in the second half of the 20th century in the United Kingdom?’.