The youth of Amsterdam-North face pressing socioeconomic challenges, including poverty, social exclusion and limited access to education and recreational facilities. These conditions contribute to stress, loneliness and a weakened sense of community, exacerbated by gentrification and stigmatization. This research examines how a youth center can serve as a supportive space for empowerment, social interaction and mental well-being among vulnerable youth. Central to this research is the role of architecture in creating such a center. The research introduces a three-part framework - social, social and spatial dimensions - to analyze how architecture can respond to these complex needs. A set of architectural parameters, including transparency, flexibility and appropriation, guides the assessment of the case studies. The findings are intended to inform architectural strategies that promote empowerment and inclusion through youth-focused design in Amsterdam-North. ... Read more

The project ‘Preserving Tangible and Intangible Values and Attributes in Heritage Housing’ is about exploring a process in which both tangible and intangible values and attributes within an existing housing structure are preserved and strengthened. This research aims to contribute to the field of adaptive reuse and cultural heritage by exploring a practical strategy which could guide future sustainable and culturally sensitive urban development in future projects. By discovering what and why values and attributes are valued by inhabitants, the current living situation will be strengthened and improved. At the same time, the project is a continuous research and development on how an existing housing structure with its embedded values and attributes can become future-proof in terms of sustainability, diversity and integrity. The fascination that buildings do not have to be newly constructed to accommodate a modern day lifestyle, but the idea that existing structures can adopt and act as a core for communities, diverse social groups and as hubs for social interaction without losing its core values was a core motivator for the redesign project of the ‘Knijtijzerpanden’ in Amsterdam.
... Read more

As the capital of Peru and one of the largest metropolises in South America, Lima's rapid development has attracted worldwide attention. In recent years, the water crisis has become a pressing problem as people flock to Lima with a thirst for opportunity.

Lima is located in a coastal desert area on the Pacific coast, backed by the Andes Mountains, a unique natural condition that has resulted in the formation of this 'city without rain'. The 1,2 million residents of the city obtain their daily water supply from water trucks and water tanks. However, seasonal flooding accompanies the dearth of water. The abundance of water in the Andes does not appear to alleviate Lima's water crisis; rather, the three principal rivers that originate in the Andes, Chillón, Rímac and Lurín, are always accompanied by flooding as summer approaches. At the same time, along with the unequal distribution of water resources and water pollution, residents in large cities have developed a very negative attitude towards water.

In contrast, Huamantanga, located in the Andean highlands, still relies on natural groundwater recharge systems and traditional man-made water systems. However, these systems have suffered damage due to climate change and mismanagement. At the same time, for the town's residents, a single mode of production has caused population loss and the devaluation of traditional water-related practices.

The graduation project proposes landscape interventions as a means of water system restoration. From the Andean highlands to the lower Chillón River, Huamantanga and Lima have the opportunity to be connected through the restoration of the water system, thus helping to alleviate Lima's water crisis. The different communities through which the water system flows are also viewed as stakeholders in sustainable water management, and the project will provide multiple environmental, social, and spiritual improvements to their water-related lives.

The design framework focuses on the restoration of water systems at different scales, utilizing water as a central element. Through an in-depth study of spatial and landscape identity, the project highlights the role of the landscape in facilitating water system restoration and the consequent positive changes in people's water-related practices. The analysis zooms in on two specific sites: Huamantanga town and the floodplain located in the lower Chillón River, offering a concrete understanding of how the landscape can contribute to water system restoration and shape people's water-related lives.
... Read more

Air pollution poses a significant threat to human health globally, with Southeast Asia being one of the most affected regions. Chiang Mai, as the largest cultivated area in northern Thailand, faces severe haze pollution due to traditional farming practices, especially during the burning season. As urban areas encroach upon agricultural land and farmers increasingly turn to forests for land and resources, the pollution situation is intensifying in the negative way.

The thesis proposes a comprehensive strategic spatial framework which applied a multi-layered approach, including policy, social, and natural layers, to control pollution sources in agriculture and forest area and to eliminate air pollution that has already been generated in urban area. Envision a harmonious landscape where regenerative forests, integrated agriculture, and a haze-free environment synergistically contribute to refreshing the city. The thesis outlines pilot projects selected from rural and urban areas, which will be implemented and further elaborated with strategies and involve with site-specific intervention, aiming at achieving the goal of mitigating air pollution. These pilot projects will serve as models for surrounding areas facing similar challenges.

The ultimate aim is to transform agricultural areas into sustainable systems through the implementation of agroforestry practices, foster self-sufficiency within communities through urban farming initiatives, and promote a self-circulating urban environment through urban greening efforts. With synthesis of all systems, the existing fragmentation with be filled with green infrastructure throughout the entire area. By adopting this comprehensive strategic framework, Chiang Mai can address air pollution issues, promote sustainable land use practices, and create resilient landscapes that improve the well-being and quality of life for its residents. ... Read more

With the rapid growth of metropolitans, the world’s population has increased dramatically. The basis of human life is food, and people’s quality of life is highly dependent on adequate and safe food. The relationship and balance between cities and agriculture have been a long-standing discussion. At the same time, emergencies such as climate crises and pandemics have accelerated food production insecurity and biodiversity degradation.
Flevoland marked a milestone in man’s “mastery of nature”, the ability to reclaim, of which the Dutch are proud. Almere is considered the most successful New Town not only in Flevoland Province but also in the Netherlands. The urban expansion of Almere is at a high speed and every phase is under precise planning and control by human. The geometric polder is widely referred to as Mondriaan-style. However, with the agriculture restructuring, the original intensive agriculture land is now facing new challenges. In addition, nature is usually trivialized here, but in reality, it is the true backbone and dominance of the land. Even in the process of reclamation, nature decides where to fill the earth and coordinates the relationship between land and water.
So the objective of the project is to leverage a nature-based solution taking the concept of biophilia to build up a food landscape infrastructure that connects urban agglomerations and the agriculture hinterlands, synergizing the historical anthropological heritage with the pioneer zeitgeist of Flevoland.
The project takes nature-based thinking as a research principle, while biophilic thinking as a core design principle. Under the framework of Urban Ecology and Eco-cities, the project explores how to integrate ecological or historical identity into a monoculture of agricultural land.
To melt four aspects of landscape reflection with the project, which are perception, process, palimpsest, and scale-continuum, the design site can be delayered as 3 main elements: agriculture, nature, and urban, synthesizing the past, present, and future on a local and site-specific scale. ... Read more

An investigation into the disconnection between humans and nature. And a search for meaningfull architectural interventions to improve the human nature relationship. ... Read more

This paper is part of a master’s degree in Architecture at Delft University of Technology. It is addressing single-person households as they are found to be the most affected group from the current state of the Dutch housing market. This forms the relevance of this study and formulates the research objective.
The theoretical part describes the background of the problem from a market and a historical perspective. It further examines the needs, preferences and lifestyle patterns of this household composition and investigates ‘compact’ and ‘live-work’ as architectural notions. The design case analyses precedential building’s circulation schemes, shared facilities and public/private threshold. The suitable living environment is defined as a live-work building with compact dwellings and shared facilities. The aim of the paper is to provide a design hypothesis for Building 7 for this target group located in the M4H area in Rotterdam. A conceptual design is proposed, but this section is still to be elaborated into a detailed design. ... Read more

The Netherlands experienced a large influx of refugees over the past years, which peaked in 2015. Many of these refugees have recently had their temporary residency extended into a permanent residency. In spite of this, there is a disproportionately high percentage of unemployment among refugees and many experience a lack of social and academic integration. As a result, a large percentage of refugees are still dependent on governmental financial aid, and the socioeconomic status of refugees is more likely to be lower than the average socioeconomic status in the Netherlands.
Although refugee integration is a widely studied sociological topic, no effort has been made to apply the findings of such studies to the context of architecture. The goal of the present study was to consider research findings on factors and domains that facilitate sociocultural integration, and apply these to the architectural domain. More specifically, the study focused on the development of functional program and building characteristics intended to facilitate integration and produce a suitable living environment.
The results of the present study showed that asylum status holders need to have certain places in the building, such as common rooms in which they share work and study with the rest of the building's residents, who are of different nationalities and are also local residents. In this case, they integrate into society faster and also the problem of friction that may appear among the residents of the building disappears because they spend some time together and give them some awareness and educational lectures that make them accept each other and get closer to each other more.
... Read more

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. ... Read more

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. ... Read more

The housing market in The Netherlands is under pressure, especially in big cities such as Rotterdam. The housing shortage situation is not going to be solved overnight. This creates cramps in the housing market, increases the housing prices to beyond what people can afford, which causes in particular young professionals to fall between two stools. These young professionals earn too much to be eligible for social housing and do not earn enough to be able to own a home in Rotterdam. Many of them, therefore, do not live in a home that would have been their first choice. As the housing shortage is expected to continue, qualitative design choices for affordable housing become increasingly more important. Maximum commitment to achieving housing circulation is urgently needed to relieve the pressure on the housing market as much as possible. More mid-rent apartments are a major contributor to tackle this issue. ... Read more

This graduation research report is part of the Dutch Housing studio, Dwelling. The studios brief is to design a large residential building in the Merwe-Vierhavens (M4H) in Rotterdam, a former port area that is being redeveloped by the municipality. The guidelines from the municipality are to create a dense, dynamic urban area consisting of a living-makers function with an informal collective character . The studio's provided additional guidelines, namely, design for an urban area with a collective and inclusive living environment. The structure provided by the studio for this project is divided in a group and individual part. As a group we did literature research on Sennett, Building and Dwelling; Rasmussen, Experiencing Architecture. Furthermore, as a collective we did a multi case study on collectivity in residential buildings. One of the first things in every design process is to get a better understanding of the location. However, the M4H is not yet developed so, the task at hand was to collectively design an urban development plan for a part of the M4H, the Keile kwartier. The location was divided into four quadrants and each quadrant was developed in groups of four. The quadrant assigned to my group was quadrant C. The individual part of the studio started with research into our own fascination, the research was required to have a relevance to the society we live in. My research was triggered by the recent events around the corona crisis and this let me to the individualization of the society. The individual research needed to connect to a specific target group to whom this topic was applicable. The target audience for my graduation project consists of small households, like starters and empty nesters. These target groups needs are in line with the municipalities vision for the M4H development. The municipality requirements for the location are that it should become a live-work environment, more specifically a maker’s district. The research, target audience, and makers have to form a coherent entity. This entity has let to multiple design hypotheses that are translated into a concept design. ... Read more

Society is aging at a rapid phase and the increasing technological possibilities make it possible that a solution or treatment method is found for many life-threatening situations.
As a result, the costs for healthcare have been increasing and because of this the government has decided to close a large number of care homes and thereby encourage society to take more care of each other.
The trend is therefore that a large proportion of the elderly want to continue living in their current environment, where they receive the care and support they need.
However in practice this is more problematic, because young adults often experience difficulties to provide care for their parents in addition to a busy full-time job. They are largely dependent on nursing at home by external healthcare authorities. In the Netherlands there is a shortage of informal care, which means that we as a society have to look at new combinations and ways of living.
It is therefore good to think about possible alternatives and the position that urban planning, architecture and housing in general may have in this. Other ways of student living might offer a good alternaltive. For example, a student can live in a complex mixed with elderly people, in which the student can provide in a social task to relieve the pressure on the informal and formal care system.
My design will respond to these political developments, thus meeting a need that arises from society and changing governmental policies. Furthermore the complex will become a building for an ever-increasing group of older people who want to continue living independently on the one hand, but on the other hand want to have the facilities that are important to them within walking distance and, if necessary, fall back on a social network that offers guidance and social support. Lastly, the role of collectivity played an important aspect in the design of my building. The definition of collectivity within the city reflects on building blocks and their relation with public and collective spaces. In what way should collective spaces within buildings represent the city as a whole? This could mean that public functions within the plinth could lead to more livelyhood within the building as well as the whole neighborhood or even the city. Functions of collective spaces within the city should represent the direct needs of the people who are using them, but at the same time not excluding anyone. The inclusive city is also part of a topic that we addressed from Richard Sennett’s book: Building and Dwelling. In this book he mentions the five open forms of the city. One of these five forms is “seed planning”, which could play a role in explaining how buildings are part of a larger ambition of Rotterdam in becoming a city of Making. Hereby ‘making districts’ or spots for making activities could have different outcomes on different places within the city, taking into account the specific needs of the direct surrounding community.
... Read more

There is an urgent need for affordable housing solutions in the Netherlands before 2030. However, the focus should not only be on producing new dwellings, but rather on creating homes and neighbourhoods that meet the needs of the future population. In Dutch cities there is a change in the residential culture and there is a large lack of affordable and suitable homes in the Dutch urban region (Randstad). At this moment most of the dutch citizens simply do not have the income to buy a new expensive house or apartment and social housing is only accessible for the citizens with lower incomes. ... Read more

Increasing ground prices are displacing the middle class families from Amsterdam. The available housing is either too expensive or simply unfit for families. They are therefore forced by the circumstances to move to the suburbs, away from their job, family and friends in the city. In the process, the city loses valuable middle class workers and the social cohesion that families ensure. We need solutions to this lack of affordable urban housing that is suitable for families. This project explores one alternative form of housing that has the potential to meet that challenge: co-housing. The key in this kind of housing is the externalization of those functions that don’t necessarily need to take place in the private realm. In that way, co-housing provides with private units that share common spaces, usually a large kitchen and dining room, as well as playing spaces for children. This brings down the housing costs and suits the needs of the urban middle class families. The project therefore answers the question: How to provide affordable and suitable housing for middle class urban families in a high-density urban context? The solution involves the use of stacked co-housing communities. ... Read more

This project is motivated by the voices of the Amsterdam artists, for whom it becomes increasingly difficult to live and work in the city. The independent artists, activists, working-class people, among many other low- and mid-income groups who gave Amsterdam its unique, diverse and open character, have been driven out of the city centre for decades. Their place in the city is increasingly being taken by a homogeneous high-income group, leaving a unilateral street culture. Most striking about this issue is that artists are often accused of being contributors to this process called gentrification. The creativity of artists is often used by urban policy makers and developers to revitalize deprived urban areas. Their presence changes the perception of an area and forms an attractive business climate for today’s creative-knowledge economy. This adds value to the assets of property owners which causes an increase in house prices and leads to the eviction of the local inhabitants and even the artists themselves. In their search for a new place to live and work, groups of artists started inhabiting old, mostly industrial light spaces but it seems that no matter where they go, gentrification is just around the corner. As a response to this unfair gentrification process and the decreasing amount of affordable live- and workspaces, the final design facilitates a new and permanent ‘live-work’ building for many different types of artists to give them back their right to the city. ... Read more

In the research part, the importance of movement and interaction is described. Movement has influence on peoples’ physical health, social health and mental health. This building is designed for the Minervahaven in Amsterdam, especially for empty nesters, which form a very relevant target group nowadays. In the building movement is stimulated by making activities visible and attractive. Interaction is stimulated by creating pleasant meeting spaces on different scale levels. And a comfortable building is realised by offering extra luxury and safety. It is a future proof building thanks to its sustainability measurements, demountable façade and implementation of natural vegetation and biodiversity. The starting points of the design determine the design concept, but return in the smallest details as well. The building has 238 apartments, a health and movement centre and a self-sufficient restaurant on the ninth floor. The balance between interaction possibilities and privacy is an important theme, especially in the apartments in which has been focussed on making them comfortable, spacious and life cycle proof. ... Read more

1 million new homes will have to be built in The Netherlands in the upcoming decades. This is largely due to the fact that an increasing amount of people is choosing to live alone. The aim of this thesis to understand the forces behind the rise of the solo dweller and to find a proper way of designing a nature-inclusive residential building that will accommodate the needs of this group. The answer to the research question: “What is the value of urban nature for solo dwellers?” was found by means of a critical discourse analysis, case studies analyses and a re-interpretation of nature within cities. Solo dwellers can be divided into two categories: people who choose to live alone and people who are forced to do so. The former group thrives on the opportunities that the urban environment provides. The latter group, however, is generally more vulnerable to feelings of loneliness and social isolation. Re-interpreting nature as “something that is left to be altered by time rather than being controlled by means of human intervention” can strengthen the idea of the open city as introduced by Richard Sennett. The open city is favourable to the solo dweller, who needs to have opportunities instead of obligations. Open cities are not fixed forms, but rather open in time. This type of environment is especially fit for solo dwellers, who suffer under excessive control, similar to spontaneous and ruderal vegetation. If we strive for reconciliation between humans and nature, we must allow both to appropriate spaces; to leave their marks of inhabitation; to dwell within the city. Spontaneous and open forms of urban nature seem to be suitable for the networked individual, the solo dweller who is capable of living alone. However, more managed forms of urban nature, such as urban rooftop farms, are more suitable to the latter group. They provide a meeting place and an activity that can be shared. ... Read more

My graduation project focuses on zero-waste, in lifestyle and building design. By choosing this graduation topic, I was able to tackle a problem that many cities are facing and will be facing in the future if nothing changes. The stock of natural resources is shrinking, which is caused by our consumerism and throw-away society. Cities are becoming more and more dense, because of the urbanization. And these problems together will create massive amounts of waste in the city that can’t be send to landfill because there is not enough space. And it can’t be burned because it creates to much CO2. And the fact that humanity is growing, will make the problem even bigger if we don’t change anything, because we will keep on extracting more and more resources from our earth and we will be sending waste to landfill more and more as well. If only we could change our lifestyle and the way we design buildings, a future in which resources can be used over and over again, will save our earth. The biggest challenge, is changing the lifestyle of people in their homes, as not much residential buildings or homes focus on waste streams. The building I’ve designed is a reflection of this tipping point. The iconic tower is designed by the idea that the building could collapse any time, but it is still holding up because it tries to change the way we use earth’s resources and the way we live today. The building tackles different social challenges regarding to live a zero-waste lifestyle. It supports a self-sufficient lifestyle by integrating a communal vegetable garden, a rooftop greenhouse and a shop with local products. Also, it reduces consumerism because the dwellings are designed including most of the furniture and the building accommodates a shared stuff library, which makes it possible for people to rent stuff and products we don’t use daily. The building also accommodates separating waste streams, as this is very important if we want to be able to reuse, recycle or rot products in the future. Next to the social challenges, there were also some technical challenges in designing a high-density tower. The structure of the building is made out of wood. The design reduces the use of materials, which means that the ‘ruwbouw-is-afbouw’ principle is used as well as the design is based on standard sizes, which reduces ‘waste’ materials on site. The building is designed in a low-tech energy-efficient way, so it is almost zero-energy on itself. The building is an addition to future sustainable developments, in which one of the larges problems to tackle is the exhausting of our earth. This building could change the way we design residential buildings and change the way we use them. The design is based on twelve zero-waste design guidlines which have been formulated by extensive research. By using these design guidlines, every future architect will be able to design a building that supports a self-sufficient lifestyle and a circular building. ... Read more

Design for a residential building for the modern family in Amsterdam. The modern family, a diverse target group with a variety of wishes and needs which are not provided by the current housing stock. This project provides housing for this target group which suits their specific needs. Providing a supportive environment for both children and parents. ... Read more