H.J. Bultstra
Please Note
63 records found
1
For the Inhabitant of the Threshold Landscape
A hub for digital detox
Winsum faces challenges of seasonal tourism, youth outmigration and limited year-round activity, while new patterns of remote work and digital nomadism offer possibilities for small rural settlements. However, these lifestyles also produce prolonged screen exposure, isolation and detachment from physical presence. The project responds by transforming Mareland’s fragmented edge between village and landscape into a sequenced detox environment.
Using a research-by-design methodology, including site analysis, precedent studies, experiential mapping and iterative design testing, the project develops an architectural framework based on thresholds, transitions and atmospheric zoning. Drawing from the hybrid Dutch landscape, where boundaries between land and water are continuously negotiated, the design reinterprets this condition through phenomenology and critical regionalism. Rather than treating detox as a destination, the hub guides users through gradual degrees of withdrawal, encounter, reflection and reconnection, creating spaces for sensory recalibration, consciousness and mental restoration.
...
Winsum faces challenges of seasonal tourism, youth outmigration and limited year-round activity, while new patterns of remote work and digital nomadism offer possibilities for small rural settlements. However, these lifestyles also produce prolonged screen exposure, isolation and detachment from physical presence. The project responds by transforming Mareland’s fragmented edge between village and landscape into a sequenced detox environment.
Using a research-by-design methodology, including site analysis, precedent studies, experiential mapping and iterative design testing, the project develops an architectural framework based on thresholds, transitions and atmospheric zoning. Drawing from the hybrid Dutch landscape, where boundaries between land and water are continuously negotiated, the design reinterprets this condition through phenomenology and critical regionalism. Rather than treating detox as a destination, the hub guides users through gradual degrees of withdrawal, encounter, reflection and reconnection, creating spaces for sensory recalibration, consciousness and mental restoration.
The northern region of Groningen is one such case, which has, for decades, been affected by processes of extraction. While gas extraction in the area has generated national economic benefit, it has left local communities with enduring social, spatial and psychological consequences, such as seismic damage, a loss of trust in the government, and a weakened sense of identity.
In response to these issues, the Dutch government has recently proposed Nij Begun, a long-term, 30-year agenda with the aim of rebuilding the future of Groningen and North Drenthe. This proposal serves as a point of departure for the project. Nij Begun addresses regions that, for decades, have been impacted by gas extraction and as a consequence, also by multiple earthquakes. In turn, this has caused serious damage to buildings, as well as economical and psychological issues to inhabitants.
This project departs from the Nij Begun agenda and its key principles such as addressing mental health and wellbeing, improving health and liveability, increasing participation, and fostering community spirit and pride. It aims to provide an environment of wellbeing. Through strengthening the relationship of the site with water, and creating public spaces and buildings which foster connection to others, and to nature, the project aims to generate a sense of identity, belonging, and community for the locals, while also attracting visitors to the region. ...
The northern region of Groningen is one such case, which has, for decades, been affected by processes of extraction. While gas extraction in the area has generated national economic benefit, it has left local communities with enduring social, spatial and psychological consequences, such as seismic damage, a loss of trust in the government, and a weakened sense of identity.
In response to these issues, the Dutch government has recently proposed Nij Begun, a long-term, 30-year agenda with the aim of rebuilding the future of Groningen and North Drenthe. This proposal serves as a point of departure for the project. Nij Begun addresses regions that, for decades, have been impacted by gas extraction and as a consequence, also by multiple earthquakes. In turn, this has caused serious damage to buildings, as well as economical and psychological issues to inhabitants.
This project departs from the Nij Begun agenda and its key principles such as addressing mental health and wellbeing, improving health and liveability, increasing participation, and fostering community spirit and pride. It aims to provide an environment of wellbeing. Through strengthening the relationship of the site with water, and creating public spaces and buildings which foster connection to others, and to nature, the project aims to generate a sense of identity, belonging, and community for the locals, while also attracting visitors to the region.
The Mediator
Connecting polarities to frame a cultural ecosystem
Located in Winsum, the project proposes a tourist hub near the Marenland campsite. Within a decentralised setting, the design acts as a regional interface, gathering visitor flows and redirecting them towards Groningen’s landscape, agricultural production, and local culture. Rather than concentrating activities in a single location, it distributes tourists across the wider region and supports local economic structures.
The design is structured by the concept of cycles, which implies that the hub at Marenland serves as a point of arrival, return, and departure. Tourism is therefore understood not as a single act of consumption, but as an ongoing engagement with the region. By offering multiple spatial and programmatic entry points into Groningen’s cultural ecosystem, the project encourages longer stays and deeper involvement with local qualities. ...
Located in Winsum, the project proposes a tourist hub near the Marenland campsite. Within a decentralised setting, the design acts as a regional interface, gathering visitor flows and redirecting them towards Groningen’s landscape, agricultural production, and local culture. Rather than concentrating activities in a single location, it distributes tourists across the wider region and supports local economic structures.
The design is structured by the concept of cycles, which implies that the hub at Marenland serves as a point of arrival, return, and departure. Tourism is therefore understood not as a single act of consumption, but as an ongoing engagement with the region. By offering multiple spatial and programmatic entry points into Groningen’s cultural ecosystem, the project encourages longer stays and deeper involvement with local qualities.
The Public Building Studio builds on this by investigating what the role of architecture could be in socially and economically regenerating the province. The studio will depart from the perspective of sustainable tourism as a way to favor cultural identification, social cohesion and opportunities for employment. Not only will the studio explore different forms of hospitality, but also how tourism can lead to new public facilities that fit the needs of the local community. The main research question of the studio will be: ‘How can public buildings, through typological innovation and programmatic experimentation, affect the everyday life of the local communities by promoting social cohesion and participation?’ The Studio provided the assignment to design an activity hub of 2000-2500 m2 in the village of Winsum to investigate the question.
This graduation project proposes that the feature of Groningen as being isolated and far away can be used as its main re-branding, and can become a magnet for a new type of tourists: escape tourists. Attracting tourists will not only have economical advantages for Groningen’s local community, as both locals and escape tourists also share a common theme: a need to focus on well-being. By integrating space and program through the concepts of hybridity and multiplicity, this graduation project will make a design that benefits both groups and adds to the Nij Begun goals. It will do so by investigating the role of architecture in designing for well-being through neuro-architectural design strategies. The final design will fit the context and serve its goal as attractive activity hub that promotes social cohesion and participation.
...
The Public Building Studio builds on this by investigating what the role of architecture could be in socially and economically regenerating the province. The studio will depart from the perspective of sustainable tourism as a way to favor cultural identification, social cohesion and opportunities for employment. Not only will the studio explore different forms of hospitality, but also how tourism can lead to new public facilities that fit the needs of the local community. The main research question of the studio will be: ‘How can public buildings, through typological innovation and programmatic experimentation, affect the everyday life of the local communities by promoting social cohesion and participation?’ The Studio provided the assignment to design an activity hub of 2000-2500 m2 in the village of Winsum to investigate the question.
This graduation project proposes that the feature of Groningen as being isolated and far away can be used as its main re-branding, and can become a magnet for a new type of tourists: escape tourists. Attracting tourists will not only have economical advantages for Groningen’s local community, as both locals and escape tourists also share a common theme: a need to focus on well-being. By integrating space and program through the concepts of hybridity and multiplicity, this graduation project will make a design that benefits both groups and adds to the Nij Begun goals. It will do so by investigating the role of architecture in designing for well-being through neuro-architectural design strategies. The final design will fit the context and serve its goal as attractive activity hub that promotes social cohesion and participation.
Water Works
Architecture as the Instrument of Regional Empowerment
Re-awakening the senses
Amplifying sensory experience in the local context of Winsum
In regions where sustainable tourism is increasingly used as a strategy for economic and social regeneration, public architecture plays an important role in shaping how architecture affects everyday life and social cohesion. Within the Nij Begun, the broader regional ambition, small villages such as Winsum provide an opportunity to explore how tourism and public architecture can be brought together in a meaningful way.
Through a research-by-design approach, this project explores how a public building can transform movement into moments of pause by structuring spatial sequences through senses, landscape, and program. The design proposes a hybrid public building that integrates tourism-related functions with everyday local use, including a public roof garden as a key example of this shared programme. By framing views of the horizon, water, and changing daylight conditions, the building encourages visitors and residents to experience the rhythms of the northern Dutch landscape and to slow down within everyday movement. This experience is further strengthened by the rhythm of the structural trusses, which guide movement through the building, the sound of rainwater that makes changing weather conditions more present, and the public quay that draws people towards the water and its activities.
...
In regions where sustainable tourism is increasingly used as a strategy for economic and social regeneration, public architecture plays an important role in shaping how architecture affects everyday life and social cohesion. Within the Nij Begun, the broader regional ambition, small villages such as Winsum provide an opportunity to explore how tourism and public architecture can be brought together in a meaningful way.
Through a research-by-design approach, this project explores how a public building can transform movement into moments of pause by structuring spatial sequences through senses, landscape, and program. The design proposes a hybrid public building that integrates tourism-related functions with everyday local use, including a public roof garden as a key example of this shared programme. By framing views of the horizon, water, and changing daylight conditions, the building encourages visitors and residents to experience the rhythms of the northern Dutch landscape and to slow down within everyday movement. This experience is further strengthened by the rhythm of the structural trusses, which guide movement through the building, the sound of rainwater that makes changing weather conditions more present, and the public quay that draws people towards the water and its activities.
Where water connects
Architecture as a Catalyst for Year-Round Activation
Through a Research-by-Design approach, the project proposes a tourism- and community-oriented public building that combines wellness, short-stay accommodation, and cultural programmes to extend tourism across the year. To balance attracting visitors while preserving the village’s character, the project explores how small-scale architectural interventions, landscape design, and wellness-oriented programmes can be woven into the existing context, forming a connected and inclusive system.
...
Through a Research-by-Design approach, the project proposes a tourism- and community-oriented public building that combines wellness, short-stay accommodation, and cultural programmes to extend tourism across the year. To balance attracting visitors while preserving the village’s character, the project explores how small-scale architectural interventions, landscape design, and wellness-oriented programmes can be woven into the existing context, forming a connected and inclusive system.
Intensification of experiences
An exploration of art as a medium to connect and boost regional tourism in Groningen through intensification of experiences along the Pieterpad
With a dire need for a new beginning, the economic agenda of Nij Begun focuses on investments in five specific sectors, namely: sustainable energy, health, agriculture, industry and leisure economy (Economie - Nij Begun, 2026) of which this project focuses specifically on leisure economy through tourism.
A solid plan of transformation is required to identify the missing component for Nij Begun’s success by introducing an innovative aspect to tourism while also enhancing the current tourism. Therefore, this project explores the introduction of art as a tool to attract another demographic of visitors to Groningen by offering more diverse experiences while connecting the existing tourism approaches of nature and cultural history.
This shift will be in the form of a public building located in the village of Winsum intended to serve as a hub connecting a network of interventions across different locations and different forms of tourism throughout the region of Groningen. Winsum’s centrality and its placement at the intersection of a variety of touristic spaces provides great potential for advancing the goals of Nij Begun. ...
With a dire need for a new beginning, the economic agenda of Nij Begun focuses on investments in five specific sectors, namely: sustainable energy, health, agriculture, industry and leisure economy (Economie - Nij Begun, 2026) of which this project focuses specifically on leisure economy through tourism.
A solid plan of transformation is required to identify the missing component for Nij Begun’s success by introducing an innovative aspect to tourism while also enhancing the current tourism. Therefore, this project explores the introduction of art as a tool to attract another demographic of visitors to Groningen by offering more diverse experiences while connecting the existing tourism approaches of nature and cultural history.
This shift will be in the form of a public building located in the village of Winsum intended to serve as a hub connecting a network of interventions across different locations and different forms of tourism throughout the region of Groningen. Winsum’s centrality and its placement at the intersection of a variety of touristic spaces provides great potential for advancing the goals of Nij Begun.
Connecting the Dots
Regulating circulation to strengthen local identity and foster social cohesion
By means of a Research-by-design approach that combines theoretical studies and design experimentations through analytical, comparative, and representational tools, the project works upon hybridity, multiplicity, circulation and regionalist architecture to achieve its goals. In exploring an architecture of regionalism, the design departs from the specific characteristics of the building terrain, resulting on four buildings that frame different visuals of the landscape and, in some cases, reinterpret historical landscape formations. In the same respect, the design incorporates local and bio-based materials. A terracotta pathway connects the different buildings, creating a journey throughout the landscape that promotes the overlapping of paths of tourists and locals, generating spontaneous interactions between them.
Ultimately, the design demonstrates how architecture can go beyond merely accommodating functions, being in fact a powerful tool to strengthen economy and identity in vulnerable communities. It proves that contemporary regionalism can honour a landscape without replicating historical styles and that careful orchestration of circulation can foster social cohesion. ...
By means of a Research-by-design approach that combines theoretical studies and design experimentations through analytical, comparative, and representational tools, the project works upon hybridity, multiplicity, circulation and regionalist architecture to achieve its goals. In exploring an architecture of regionalism, the design departs from the specific characteristics of the building terrain, resulting on four buildings that frame different visuals of the landscape and, in some cases, reinterpret historical landscape formations. In the same respect, the design incorporates local and bio-based materials. A terracotta pathway connects the different buildings, creating a journey throughout the landscape that promotes the overlapping of paths of tourists and locals, generating spontaneous interactions between them.
Ultimately, the design demonstrates how architecture can go beyond merely accommodating functions, being in fact a powerful tool to strengthen economy and identity in vulnerable communities. It proves that contemporary regionalism can honour a landscape without replicating historical styles and that careful orchestration of circulation can foster social cohesion.
Omstille
A space in transition
Between Public and Private
Bridging socio-economic divides using dynamic forms of publicness and interaction
The project addresses a central question: How can architectural design enable social cohesion by stimulating dynamic forms of publicness and interaction in Sundholm? To answer this, the research explores three key sub-questions: (1) how to establish inclusive, adaptable spaces that challenge disconnection and balance the public/private divide to enhance well-being; (2) how personality-based design elements can support both physical and mental health; and (3) how sustainable architectural strategies can contribute to resilient, healthy urban environments.
By embracing a design approach that recognizes the sliding scales between public and private, and active and passive modes of engagement, the project aims to create a layered spatial system that accommodates diverse ways of life. Through this lens, architecture becomes a mediator—bridging divides, nurturing a sense of belonging, and laying the foundation for a more socially sustainable urban future. ...
The project addresses a central question: How can architectural design enable social cohesion by stimulating dynamic forms of publicness and interaction in Sundholm? To answer this, the research explores three key sub-questions: (1) how to establish inclusive, adaptable spaces that challenge disconnection and balance the public/private divide to enhance well-being; (2) how personality-based design elements can support both physical and mental health; and (3) how sustainable architectural strategies can contribute to resilient, healthy urban environments.
By embracing a design approach that recognizes the sliding scales between public and private, and active and passive modes of engagement, the project aims to create a layered spatial system that accommodates diverse ways of life. Through this lens, architecture becomes a mediator—bridging divides, nurturing a sense of belonging, and laying the foundation for a more socially sustainable urban future.
Our stories begins with a 'seed'
A Public Condenser, a place to nurture, learn and grow
At its heart lies the concept of the “seed” — a symbolic and spatial starting point:
• Ecologically, the seed fosters biodiversity, creating a cradle where human and more-than-human lives intertwine.
• Socially, it bridges divides, nurturing kinship across generations and communities.
To realize this vision, the proposal introduces a multi-layered intervention: an urban-scale socio-ecological corridor, a public condenser, and a prototypical design.
Architecture as Catalyst: Interventions Across Scales (XS, S, M, L)
The project embraces multiplicity in design, with interventions at different scales that respond to the needs of diverse communities and ecosystems.
XS — Nesting and Non-Human Sanctuary
At the smallest scale, the design fosters human–nature interdependence by creating sanctuaries for non-human life. Ethical micro-farms — including guano, feather, worm, and insect farms — along with façade-integrated nests, enhance urban biodiversity. These interventions address overlooked ecosystems and promote coexistence within the built environment.
S — In-between Spaces for Reflection and Recovery
For individuals facing mental health challenges, architecture holds the power to heal or harm. This scale introduces small, quiet spaces designed for reflection, self-care, and mental well-being — not as isolating enclosures, but as supportive environments that foster recovery and personal growth.
M — Public Typologies for Education, Creativity, and Healing
At the mid-scale, the Public Condenser offers communal spaces that promote learning, creativity, and cultural exchange. Children participate in play-based education, guided by university student mentors through storytelling, art, and therapeutic activities. These intergenerational interactions nurture mental health, intellectual development, and social cohesion. Outdoor areas for sports and recreation further reconnect people with nature and with each other.
L — The Learning Field / Green Mile Garden
At the largest scale, the project envisions the Green Mile Garden — a continuous green corridor linking Ørestad Fælled, the University, and Sundholm. This urban thread fosters movement, interaction, and unity, bridging marginalized areas with the wider city. It weaves ecological and human elements into a shared landscape of connection, renewal, and resilience.
...
At its heart lies the concept of the “seed” — a symbolic and spatial starting point:
• Ecologically, the seed fosters biodiversity, creating a cradle where human and more-than-human lives intertwine.
• Socially, it bridges divides, nurturing kinship across generations and communities.
To realize this vision, the proposal introduces a multi-layered intervention: an urban-scale socio-ecological corridor, a public condenser, and a prototypical design.
Architecture as Catalyst: Interventions Across Scales (XS, S, M, L)
The project embraces multiplicity in design, with interventions at different scales that respond to the needs of diverse communities and ecosystems.
XS — Nesting and Non-Human Sanctuary
At the smallest scale, the design fosters human–nature interdependence by creating sanctuaries for non-human life. Ethical micro-farms — including guano, feather, worm, and insect farms — along with façade-integrated nests, enhance urban biodiversity. These interventions address overlooked ecosystems and promote coexistence within the built environment.
S — In-between Spaces for Reflection and Recovery
For individuals facing mental health challenges, architecture holds the power to heal or harm. This scale introduces small, quiet spaces designed for reflection, self-care, and mental well-being — not as isolating enclosures, but as supportive environments that foster recovery and personal growth.
M — Public Typologies for Education, Creativity, and Healing
At the mid-scale, the Public Condenser offers communal spaces that promote learning, creativity, and cultural exchange. Children participate in play-based education, guided by university student mentors through storytelling, art, and therapeutic activities. These intergenerational interactions nurture mental health, intellectual development, and social cohesion. Outdoor areas for sports and recreation further reconnect people with nature and with each other.
L — The Learning Field / Green Mile Garden
At the largest scale, the project envisions the Green Mile Garden — a continuous green corridor linking Ørestad Fælled, the University, and Sundholm. This urban thread fosters movement, interaction, and unity, bridging marginalized areas with the wider city. It weaves ecological and human elements into a shared landscape of connection, renewal, and resilience.
From Exhaustion To Resilience
Re-imagining the possible
The design utilizes two guiding principles throughout the different scales to generate these new possibilities. The first is termed “the spectacular everyday”, it entails treating the everyday patterns and things in life as something spectacular and a source of new possibilities. The second principle focuses on turning boundaries into borders, edges shaped by interaction, as from this interaction new possibilities can emerge.
The final design functions as a framework, featuring both internal and external infrastructure that facilitate and support the everyday and turn it into something spectacular. In addition to this, the design establishes new borders full of interaction. By establishing these qualities, the design successfully disrupts the exhausted condition of Sønderbro, generating resilience and new and unimagined possibilities.
The final design functions as a framework, integrating both internal and external infrastructure that facilitate and support the everyday and turn it into something spectacular. In addition to this, the design establishes new borders full of interaction. By incorporating these qualities, the building successfully disrupts the exhausted context of Sønderbro, generating resilience and new and unimagined possibilities.
...
The design utilizes two guiding principles throughout the different scales to generate these new possibilities. The first is termed “the spectacular everyday”, it entails treating the everyday patterns and things in life as something spectacular and a source of new possibilities. The second principle focuses on turning boundaries into borders, edges shaped by interaction, as from this interaction new possibilities can emerge.
The final design functions as a framework, featuring both internal and external infrastructure that facilitate and support the everyday and turn it into something spectacular. In addition to this, the design establishes new borders full of interaction. By establishing these qualities, the design successfully disrupts the exhausted condition of Sønderbro, generating resilience and new and unimagined possibilities.
The final design functions as a framework, integrating both internal and external infrastructure that facilitate and support the everyday and turn it into something spectacular. In addition to this, the design establishes new borders full of interaction. By incorporating these qualities, the building successfully disrupts the exhausted context of Sønderbro, generating resilience and new and unimagined possibilities.
Aksestrøm
Condensed interactive public space
A key research focus is understanding how architectural morphology and topography can shape movement patterns and social encounters. The design proposes an open, accessible public space that integrates a wellness and sports center, cultural hall, and media unit along a central axis, which functions as the primary structuring element, encouraging movement, flow, and interaction across diverse socioeconomic groups, as well as introducing the project’s street presence on main boundary roads. By implementing strategic spatial porosity, effective pedestrian circulation, and diverse intensity zones, the project seeks to create an environment that naturally invites both local residents and outsiders, encouraging new social constellations.
The project also emphasizes environmental and economic sustainability. By incorporating
a nature-inclusive design startegy, the public condenser will connect human and non-human actors, thereby contributing to urban biodiversity. Furthermore, passive design strategies and modular construction techniques will be explored to ensure resource-conscious material use.
Finally, this project envisions Sundholm as a vibrant and inclusive urban district, where the
interplay of movement, porosity, and spatial intensity promotes a thriving public realm. By strategically designing for flow and social interaction, the public condenser will act as a catalyst for the area’s revitalization, strengthening its identity while making it an attractive and safe environment for all. ...
A key research focus is understanding how architectural morphology and topography can shape movement patterns and social encounters. The design proposes an open, accessible public space that integrates a wellness and sports center, cultural hall, and media unit along a central axis, which functions as the primary structuring element, encouraging movement, flow, and interaction across diverse socioeconomic groups, as well as introducing the project’s street presence on main boundary roads. By implementing strategic spatial porosity, effective pedestrian circulation, and diverse intensity zones, the project seeks to create an environment that naturally invites both local residents and outsiders, encouraging new social constellations.
The project also emphasizes environmental and economic sustainability. By incorporating
a nature-inclusive design startegy, the public condenser will connect human and non-human actors, thereby contributing to urban biodiversity. Furthermore, passive design strategies and modular construction techniques will be explored to ensure resource-conscious material use.
Finally, this project envisions Sundholm as a vibrant and inclusive urban district, where the
interplay of movement, porosity, and spatial intensity promotes a thriving public realm. By strategically designing for flow and social interaction, the public condenser will act as a catalyst for the area’s revitalization, strengthening its identity while making it an attractive and safe environment for all.
Architectural Episodes
Alternating in Intensity and Pace
Through a research by design methodology, the project investigates how spatial sequencing and montage theory, rooted in the work of Sergei Eisenstein and Bernard Tschumi, can be spatialized as tools for healing and coexistence. In this approach, the city is read not as a static composition, but as a sequence of dramatic episodes. Architecture is thus not the backdrop but the medium through which social contradictions can be staged, softened, or reconfigured. The project poses the central question: how can induction, inspired by cinematic montage, be introduced as an architectural tool to promote social cohesion in fragmented urban space?
The proposed design is a Public Condenser, a hybrid cultural and social infrastructure that curates layered programs through episodic transitions. It is both porous and programmatically dense, allowing everyday rituals such as gardening, making, cooking, and resting to become shared experiences. The building narrates a story of Sundholm through spatial gradients, from dark to light, compressed to open, loud to quiet. This fluctuation in intensity and pace stimulates interactivity and self-awareness while allowing users to adapt according to need and state of mind. The architecture enables co-presence without forced participation, inviting its users—children, addicts, elderly, families—to encounter the other, or withdraw when necessary.
Cinematic techniques such as juxtaposition, rhythm, and the Kuleshov effect are reinterpreted architecturally through shifting thresholds, visual cues, and temporal variations in spatial experience. The use of nature through vertical gardens, water features, and crafted material transitions adds a sensory layer of calm and spatial legibility. The project also draws from neuropsychological and phenomenological research, suggesting that both addicts and children are neurologically and emotionally reactive to spatial cues, making architectural sensitivity not only desirable but necessary.
The design strategy is developed through layered media: storyboards, diagrams, interviews, and speculative collages that map behavioral sequences in urban space. These methods are used to construct a spatial narrative that does not eliminate chaos but renders it navigable. By framing social collisions as opportunities for spatial induction rather than barriers, the project reframes architecture as an active player in constructing shared memory and public imagination.
Ultimately, this thesis proposes a spatial scenography of the public, a cultural framework where architecture acts not as shelter or spectacle, but as a script for resilient coexistence. It is an attempt to curate space as an emotional, political, and social experience, one that embraces the complexity of contemporary urban life and transforms it into a meaningful sequence of interactions. ...
Through a research by design methodology, the project investigates how spatial sequencing and montage theory, rooted in the work of Sergei Eisenstein and Bernard Tschumi, can be spatialized as tools for healing and coexistence. In this approach, the city is read not as a static composition, but as a sequence of dramatic episodes. Architecture is thus not the backdrop but the medium through which social contradictions can be staged, softened, or reconfigured. The project poses the central question: how can induction, inspired by cinematic montage, be introduced as an architectural tool to promote social cohesion in fragmented urban space?
The proposed design is a Public Condenser, a hybrid cultural and social infrastructure that curates layered programs through episodic transitions. It is both porous and programmatically dense, allowing everyday rituals such as gardening, making, cooking, and resting to become shared experiences. The building narrates a story of Sundholm through spatial gradients, from dark to light, compressed to open, loud to quiet. This fluctuation in intensity and pace stimulates interactivity and self-awareness while allowing users to adapt according to need and state of mind. The architecture enables co-presence without forced participation, inviting its users—children, addicts, elderly, families—to encounter the other, or withdraw when necessary.
Cinematic techniques such as juxtaposition, rhythm, and the Kuleshov effect are reinterpreted architecturally through shifting thresholds, visual cues, and temporal variations in spatial experience. The use of nature through vertical gardens, water features, and crafted material transitions adds a sensory layer of calm and spatial legibility. The project also draws from neuropsychological and phenomenological research, suggesting that both addicts and children are neurologically and emotionally reactive to spatial cues, making architectural sensitivity not only desirable but necessary.
The design strategy is developed through layered media: storyboards, diagrams, interviews, and speculative collages that map behavioral sequences in urban space. These methods are used to construct a spatial narrative that does not eliminate chaos but renders it navigable. By framing social collisions as opportunities for spatial induction rather than barriers, the project reframes architecture as an active player in constructing shared memory and public imagination.
Ultimately, this thesis proposes a spatial scenography of the public, a cultural framework where architecture acts not as shelter or spectacle, but as a script for resilient coexistence. It is an attempt to curate space as an emotional, political, and social experience, one that embraces the complexity of contemporary urban life and transforms it into a meaningful sequence of interactions.
Urban Continuum
A Story About Continuity
The proposed Public Condenser embraces Sundholm’s fluid identity, transforming its fragmented nature into a strength. Instead of imposing a static, top-down vision, the design creates a setting where residents can shape their environment over time. The project’s core concept revolves around continuity. Instead of trying to completely reshape the neighbourhood, the idea is to build on the strengths the area already has. There are already good initiatives to make Sundholm a better place, but thease ideals must be exploited and followed through. By continuing this trend, we continue the progress of Sundholm as a whole. A central open pathway connects these clusters, promoting interaction while maintaining flexibility.
The design integrates principles of seasonal adaptability, adaptive reuse, material transformation, and evolving light conditions. It redefines the relationship between architecture and identity, making change a central design principle rather than an afterthought. By celebrating multiplicity, continuity and embracing whats already there, this project aims to serve as a model for future urban interventions. The findings will not only shape Sundholm’s Public Condenser but also inspire approaches that embrace the ever-evolving nature of urban life. ...
The proposed Public Condenser embraces Sundholm’s fluid identity, transforming its fragmented nature into a strength. Instead of imposing a static, top-down vision, the design creates a setting where residents can shape their environment over time. The project’s core concept revolves around continuity. Instead of trying to completely reshape the neighbourhood, the idea is to build on the strengths the area already has. There are already good initiatives to make Sundholm a better place, but thease ideals must be exploited and followed through. By continuing this trend, we continue the progress of Sundholm as a whole. A central open pathway connects these clusters, promoting interaction while maintaining flexibility.
The design integrates principles of seasonal adaptability, adaptive reuse, material transformation, and evolving light conditions. It redefines the relationship between architecture and identity, making change a central design principle rather than an afterthought. By celebrating multiplicity, continuity and embracing whats already there, this project aims to serve as a model for future urban interventions. The findings will not only shape Sundholm’s Public Condenser but also inspire approaches that embrace the ever-evolving nature of urban life.
Two public faces
Sundholm association centre
The Public Condenser aims to shift both the perception and behavior associated with Sundholm. At the heart of the design is the transformation of a former boundary, once defined by fences, barriers, and both physical and ideological separations between people and the institutional fabric of the area. By reimagining the entrance around a former gatehouse, the project makes the neighborhood more open and inviting to passersby, dismantling previous divisions.
Crucially, the Public Condenser is conceived as an extension of the existing Sundholm House 8. Currently used by NGOs and the municipality as a meeting and workspace bridging municipal functions and the southern part of Copenhagen, the addition brings new spatial capacity and renewed public identity to the site. Through its scale and civic character, the extension elevates the status of these important functions.
The interior design is grounded in the principles of both literal and phenomenal transparency. Promoting a visual and spatial continuity between interior and exterior environments. Constructed with timber cross-beams and Y-shaped columns, the architecture supports a fluid spatial experience. Staircases double as social meeting points, allowing different spaces to connect without requiring formal circulation. In doing so, the project unifies two aims: enabling genuine social inclusion while also creating moments of social attraction, together forming the singular purpose of the Public Condenser. ...
The Public Condenser aims to shift both the perception and behavior associated with Sundholm. At the heart of the design is the transformation of a former boundary, once defined by fences, barriers, and both physical and ideological separations between people and the institutional fabric of the area. By reimagining the entrance around a former gatehouse, the project makes the neighborhood more open and inviting to passersby, dismantling previous divisions.
Crucially, the Public Condenser is conceived as an extension of the existing Sundholm House 8. Currently used by NGOs and the municipality as a meeting and workspace bridging municipal functions and the southern part of Copenhagen, the addition brings new spatial capacity and renewed public identity to the site. Through its scale and civic character, the extension elevates the status of these important functions.
The interior design is grounded in the principles of both literal and phenomenal transparency. Promoting a visual and spatial continuity between interior and exterior environments. Constructed with timber cross-beams and Y-shaped columns, the architecture supports a fluid spatial experience. Staircases double as social meeting points, allowing different spaces to connect without requiring formal circulation. In doing so, the project unifies two aims: enabling genuine social inclusion while also creating moments of social attraction, together forming the singular purpose of the Public Condenser.
Boundaries act as a central theme across multiple scales and levels, encapsulating hybridity and multiplicity. At the urban level, I will investigate the continuity and resilience of spatial structures, aiming to create cohesive and sustainable urban environments. At the architectural level, I will explore space strategies, material attributes, and their potential to enhance adaptability, healthiness, and sustainability. This research will demonstrate how different functional spaces can be integrated, cooperate effectively, and contribute to a sustainable and healthy future. ...
Boundaries act as a central theme across multiple scales and levels, encapsulating hybridity and multiplicity. At the urban level, I will investigate the continuity and resilience of spatial structures, aiming to create cohesive and sustainable urban environments. At the architectural level, I will explore space strategies, material attributes, and their potential to enhance adaptability, healthiness, and sustainability. This research will demonstrate how different functional spaces can be integrated, cooperate effectively, and contribute to a sustainable and healthy future.