This research explores how architecture can contribute to enabling older adults to remain socially active within their neighbourhood. The central research question is: How can the architectural design of the built environment support older adults in remaining socially active within their neighbourhood? The aim is to develop a housing design proposal for Houtwijk, The Hague, that promotes social interaction, reciprocity, and participation among residents, with a particular focus on older adults.

The research combines a literature review with workshops and interviews conducted with residents of Houtwijk to gain insight into their everyday experiences, needs, and preferences regarding social interaction and the living environment.

The findings show that social networks are essential for older adults to remain socially active and are strengthened through both spontaneous encounters and organised activities. Walkable neighbourhoods, accessible facilities, and shared spaces contribute to daily interaction, while transitional zones between public and private space, together with flexible and age-friendly housing, support both social contact and ageing in place.

These findings informed the development of a housing design proposal organised around a reinterpreted common: a shared, collectively governed space that fosters reciprocity, visibility, and continuous social interaction. The proposal introduces mixed-age housing clustered around this common to strengthen social relationships and embed collective responsibility in everyday life.

Overall, the research demonstrates that architectural design can support socially active ageing by integrating opportunities for social interaction, collective use of space, and adaptability at both the housing and neighbourhood scales. ... Read more

This graduation project explores how architectural and spatial design strategies can transform the cauliflower neighbourhood of Raadsledenbuurt in Houtwijk, The Hague, into a resilient 21st-century neighbourhood. Originally designed to promote safety and community, the neighbourhood is now facing contemporary challenges, including declining social cohesion, safety concerns, demographic changes, fragmented green spaces and climate-related issues.

The research combines theoretical, spatial and social analysis to examine the current conditions of the neighbourhood and identify opportunities for transformation. This project answers the following research and design question: “How can architectural and spatial design strategies transform the cauliflower neighbourhood of Raadsledenbuurt in Houtwijk into a resilient 21st-century neighbourhood?”

Particular attention is given to the transitions of housing, living together, and water and soil. The study also explores the characteristics of the cauliflower neighbourhood typology and the qualities of a resilient 21st-century neighbourhood. Based on literature developed by Sim (2019), five resilience criteria were selected as most relevant for the Raadsledenbuurt: Diversity of Built Form, Diversity of Outdoor Space, Human Scale, Sense of Control and Identity, and Greater Biodiversity.

The analysis shows that the neighbourhood is characterised by a small-scale, infrastructure-led spatial structure with fragmented green spaces, limited spatial hierarchy and unclear transitions between private and public space. At the same time, these characteristics provide opportunities to rethink the relationship between housing, public space and landscape.

In response, the design proposal “Patchwork of Landscapes” introduces five interconnected landscape typologies that strengthen social cohesion, biodiversity and housing diversity. The proposal transforms underused and private spaces into shared environments and extends the concept of home beyond the individual dwelling to the neighbourhood as a whole. By creating a clear hierarchy of landscapes and well-defined threshold zones, the design addresses the identified social and spatial challenges while embedding the selected resilience criteria throughout the neighbourhood. The project demonstrates how a cauliflower neighbourhood can be adapted to meet the social, ecological and spatial demands of the 21st century. ... Read more

This study investigated in what way vacant real estate in the Netherlands can be repurposed to meet the housing needs of the growing 65+ population. The study addresses two interrelated societal challenges: the severe housing shortage and the increasing demand for suitable elderly housing, as the number of people aged 65 and older continues to rise while current options for independent senior living remain limited. The research employed qualitative methods, starting with a literature review to outline elderly needs and preferences, and to explore the opportunities and barriers to repurposing real estate. This was followed by case study analysis of two case studies: De Getijden (a former school in Nijmegen) and De Benring (a former care home in Voorst), including semi-structured interviews with real estate experts and vital 65+ residents. The outcome of the study is an assessment framework, embedded in a step-by-step guide, to help evaluate whether vacant buildings can be repurposed to meet elderly housing preferences and needs. The framework was validated by a group of experts during a focus group session. The aim of the research was to develop a framework to help assess the suitability of vacant buildings for elderly housing, which can assist as a conversation tool in effective decision-making for developers, municipalities, architects, contractors, housing associations, and property owners or investors. Ultimately, this research supports the housing market by helping to address the needs of the aging population while stimulating housing flow through adaptive reuse strategies. ... Read more

This project proposes a mixed-use public building designed to stimulate social interaction and support personal development in the complex urban context of Sundholm. From 1909 to 1980, Sundholm used to be a closed asylum for criminals, who were put there to do forced labour, but even though the gate has been removed, the neighbourhood, characterised by social institutions, homeless people and a marginalised community, remains isolated from its surrounding context. By improving the neighbourhood’s connectivity and introducing a new meeting space for crafting, learning, and sharing, the building becomes a space where children, artists, the homeless, the elderly, and families can meet through a programme of craft and sharing. This design explores the boundaries of resilience by applying flexible design strategies to improve the building’s social and functional adaptability. Through a flexible and resilient approach, the architecture adapts to shifting users, seasons, and activities. It supports various fixed crafting functions, and temporary events like markets or exhibitions. This is achieved by strategically using unprogrammed spaces, adaptive boundaries, and user-adaptive elements. The result is a public condenser that doesn’t just serve its community today, but evolves with it. ... Read more

The housing market in the Netherlands is under siege, faced with a shortage of 390,000 homes by 2023. This shortage has led to an overheated housing market. This situation severely affects first-time homebuyers who often lack the capital to compete. Consequently, they encounter challenges in finding suitable housing, which for some, necessitates prolonged residence with their parents or the acceptance of lower-quality living conditions.
While literature acknowledges this issue, it often uses a quantitative approach, missing the qualitative perspective that focuses on first-time homebuyers’ specific problems and needs. Engaging with recent and potential homebuyers allow to better understand the complex factors affecting housing demand.

The central research question is: “What lessons can be learned from the experiences of recent and potential first-time homebuyers to improve the prospects of homeownership in the Dutch housing market?”. The aim is to explore insights from recent and potential first-time homebuyers to improve the prospect of homeownership.

This question was addressed using a mixed-method approach, combining both qualitative and quantitative technique to provide a better understanding of the topic. Initially, a literature review and WoON data analysis, and document analysis were done, establishing a foundation for the research. Subsequently, interviews were conducted to delve into the experiences and perspectives of recent and potential first-time homebuyers. The combined approach of objective data and subjective experiences provided an understanding of the issues surrounding first-time homebuyers.

The literature study revealed that due to the housing shortage, there is a financial gap for many first-time homebuyers and highlighted the variety of financial instruments available to address this gap. Data from the WoON survey illustrated differences in preferences between recent and potential first-time homebuyers. The interviews further investigated the experiences of first-time homebuyers and examined the differences between their initial preferences and the actual choices they made in the housing market. These interviews revealed widespread misconceptions and a lack of knowledge about financial instruments, leading to unequal access to these beneficial products. They also underscored the influence of living situations on the willingness to compromise on preferences. Additionally, the impact of rising prices and overbidding complicates both down payments and monthly payments. These first-time homebuyers also reported experiencing high pressure from selling agents, leading to unwanted decisions and further escalating prices.

The study faced several limitations, including the relatively brief duration of the interviews compared to its scope, which restricted deep exploration of topics, potential response bias from participants, and the data being collected during specific, possibly non-representative time periods.

To address the challenges, short-term actions could include launching educational campaigns to increase awareness of financial instruments for first-time homebuyers and creating an online portal that simplifies the home-buying process. Medium-term measures might focus on expanding and standardizing financial support programs, like starter loans, across municipalities to ensure equal access and reduce regional disparities. Additionally, offering subsidies or vouchers for professional mortgage advisory services could guide homebuyers through the complex housing market. Long-term strategies should include regulating overbidding and speculative buying to stabilize prices and enhance affordability, as well as establishing ethical guidelines for sellers to ensure fair treatment. ... Read more

JOY deals with the social segregration between the older and younger generation. How to join the older generation with the younger generation by creating an intergenerational living environment that offers opportunities for social interaction within the living environment. ... Read more

The shortage of housing stock in The Netherlands is one of the major societal issues at present. It is predominantly the people who want to enter the housing market for the first time, the so-called ‘starters’, who face severe problems due to a lack of stock and suitable dwellings. This problem is manifest in the rental as well as in the owner-occupied housing sector. The sole focus of government policies is on housing for the lower social class and the rest of the housing market is dominated by the private sector. Objective – This research aims to define the position of starters on the Dutch housing market in comparison with the position of starters in the context of 1993. The research question that is answered is: ‘To what extent do the factors societal context, housing policy and housing stock influence the opportunities for starters on the housing market in 2018 compared to 1993?’. This question is answered on the basis of the housing choice model. This model is based on the career / life cycle theory of Priemus (1984). In the housing choice model, an extension has been made based on the theory of Dieleman (2001) which takes the external factors that determine the choice of a home into account. Methods – The research is conducted by a literature study and a quantitative analysis. The quantitative analysis has been done on data generated from an extensive quasi longitudinal study. Specifically, the data of 1993 and 2018 were compared to each other. Results – The literature study and the quantitative analysis show that the starter on the Dutch housing market has a good social position in terms of income, education and employment. However, as housing policies failed to respond to the changed social context ultimately resulting in too few houses being built, the position of the starter has deteriorated. This deteriation position is confirmed by the data analysis, which indicates that starters conform to the market situation. Firstly, it is apparent that significantly fewer starters than in the past are entering the housing market. Secondly, starters are entering the market at a much older age than their predecessors. Finally, it is clear that starters in every age category are more likely to choose to live in multi-person households to increase their payment capacity. Conclusions – The final conclusion of this study is that the opportunities for the starter on the housing market in 2018 are mainly determined by the housing stock. However, the relative scarcity of housing stock for the starter is chiefly the result of housing policies which have not responded to societal changes. This implies that housing policy is ultimately the decisive factor in the disadvantageous position of the starter. The average starter has a good starting position from a social perspective due to low unemployment, very low interest rates and good prospects for social growth. However, the starter has minimal chances of entering the housing market due to, in particular, insufficient suitable housing stock. This applies to both the free rental sector and the owner-occupied sector and homes are hardly financially accessible for starters. This good starting position has mainly been confined to the lower rental and owner-occupied sector on the housing market in 2018. This means that starters are more likely to opt for a home in a relatively expensive segment or postpone the choice for a home. ... Read more