This graduation project, "Layers of Belonging," addresses the challenge of designing a civic center in Buiksloterham, Amsterdam-Noord, an area experiencing rapid gentrification and socio-economic shifts. It critically examines contemporary practices of historical representation and community expression in architecture, introducing a layered design strategy that intertwines historical narratives with present and future narratives. The intervention preserves and emphasizes historically significant architectural features and spatial qualities of the existing building, "De Ruimte," and integrates them with new architectural additions, allowing past and present to coexist dynamically. Central to the design is the concept of 'unification,' fostering interaction between the diverse, dividing users groups of Buiksloterham, makers and residents, through strategically placed communal and overlapping, interactive spaces. Moreover, the project balances architectural control and user appropriation, empowering users to personalize and take ownership of their spaces within defined architectural boundaries. Ultimately, "Layers of Belonging" proposes a nuanced, resilient model for integrating heritage, historical symbolism, social cohesion, and flexible design in rapidly transforming urban settings, aiming to protect both the tangible and intangible legacies of Amsterdam-Noord’s industrial communities.

This report discusses the principles of threshold spaces, which could potentially lead to more porous places in the city. The developments of neoliberalism and gentrification threaten to make the city increasingly polished. The scripts that determine how spaces should be used are more strictly imposed, creating a homogeneous streetscape. This can lead to the exclusion of population groups that no longer want or can relate to this "perfect city." These developments become visible in the future plans for the Buikslotermeerplein in the North district. A situation threatens to arise in which the original residents disappear, and no connection is made with the future residents of Buikslotermeerplein. Buildings that do not fit into the "perfect" scripts, such as the Bowling on the Buikslotermeerplein, are in danger of being lost, while these buildings form the character and social anchor of the neighborhood. In order to make the Bowling future-proof for the expected changes this report searches for a new strategy for the Bowling, based on threshold spaces. Through the theoretical framework, which delves deeper into the political and social context, a theoretical foundation is formed for the remainder of the report. This framework shows that threshold spaces are important intermediate spaces in the urban and built environment. They consist of ambiguous spaces that can be both private and promote social interactions. Examples include niches, canopies, arcades, gateways and spaces at entrances. The collective memories of a place, formed by the rhythmic discontinuity, can encourage users to form new relationships, and thereby reinforcing the threshold space. Within the interior, threshold spaces translate into important pieces of furniture that promote the flexibility of the space.

Through case studies, fieldwork and interviews, threshold spaces are analyzed and how they manifest themselves in the reality of Amsterdam-North. This shows that types of thresholds, such as arcades, niches and canopies in combination with multiple zones and floor textures, promote the placement of elements and increase the adaptability of the space. Furthermore, the case studies show that programming, routing, various patterns, height differences, stages and interior elements make the space a threshold space. In doing so, they provide a more porous place within the urban fabric and at the building level. The personal experiences of the residents of Amsterdam-North support these findings, as evidenced by the interviews conducted.

A written thesis on how to use the principle of pointillism as a method of using colour in the exterior of architecture & An architectural design that uses pointillism as one among other aspects to create a sequential process of arrival in order to provide a versatile experience of architecture.