The Constructing industry around the world is growing exponentially. In the Netherlands itself there is a need of constructing 1 million affordable new homes by 2030. Such a massive demand for new buildings has given rise to a need for a solution for mass customization of architectural configurations. Simple repetition or a badly configured building is not ideal and can lead to a lot of social and environmental problems. Generative Design can offer a digital solution for this mass customization problem. It can utilize the power of Artificial intelligence in design to generate a system where users can create custom solutions rapidly. The second part of the customization problem is the user participation in determining the customization goals. More often than not the end users of the built space do not get an opinion in the configuration process and this leads to unsatisfactory and undemocratic design solutions producing urban inequality.
In this thesis a comprehensive digital solution by means of a digital platform is provided in an attempt to solve the 3D layout problem in a participatory manner. The platform built in the thesis is intended for designing Open buildings at a scale of support structures. The concept of Open buildings calls for separation of the structure and the infill layer making the buildings open for modification and customization.
The 3D-Layout configuration problem in its full sophistication is a classical example of a wicked problem. So, in this thesis the problem is methodically broken down into a group of nested smaller problems with local goals to achieve the global spatial planning goals and various computational methods are tested for solving the problems. The nature of the smaller problems is often iterative hence a robust decision support system is also designed for stakeholder participation and control over the problem-solving method. The computational methods used in the thesis are inspired from various other disciplines like Computer science, Industrial engineering, Operations research, etc. where they are used to solve similar problems in their respective domains. Techniques like Multi-agent systems, Multi-criteria decision analysis, Techniques for solving the clustering and packing problems in operations research are explored to solve the various nested smaller problems in the 3D-Layout problem.
Finally, all the methods developed in the project are used to solve a test case for the design of a mixed used Open building consisting of Housing and Commercial spaces in the Buiksloterham region which is one of the first circular neighbourhoods in Amsterdam to showcase the potential of the platform and the feed forward design process developed in the thesis.
... Read more

Bosnia and Herzegovina is a country that has endured many wars, through many different rules. The Yugoslav wars from 1991-1996 still linger in Mostar today, as we find a ‘divided city’, which is mostly enforced through institutions that ethnically divide public buildings. At the same time, citizens find this unnecessary and consider Mostar as ‘one’, as they move all over the city. Fountains in public places, particularly the ones with drinking water, used to be a major inclusive quality as a common good that were able to be used by anyone. Currently these are left neglected from a lack of responsibility to take care of these. Using these places as a spatial method to analyze the city, their inclusive qualities are utilized into creating an inclusive place where people can encounter each other, exchange and share knowledge, collaborate and essentially can reclaim public space. 'Inclusive' in this project refers to accessibility and a sense of ownership, where people are able to add a piece of themselves in the program. An existing ruin that used to be a popular department store called Razvitak, resides between two popular streets and through that holds potential to connect a new inclusive place to an existing social tissue. Razvitak plays the role to be unlocked as a common resource, in order to counteract divisional narratives and reconnect the city socially(and aquatically). The project gives this ruin its third life as a social centre, where the inclusivity is shaped through an experience from public to private, encountering different intimacies along the way that shape diverse spaces of encounter, to which the programme relates, while making use of the structure’s existing qualities. ... Read more

The Beursgebouw, as the first office building in Almere has been vacant for ten years. Also, Almere as the youngest city in Netherlands pay more attention on the green city development. My graduation project is to renovate the Beursgebouw in to urban farm. The new program contains two parts, one is urban farm research center and the other one is urban farm interpretation center. The part of professional urban farms will be exhibited for the public which has educational meaning for public. ... Read more