Eindhoven is entering a new phase of urban and technological growth. Around the railway station, KnoopXL will intensify the city through new housing, workspaces, public space and mobility infrastructure. At the same time, Eindhoven’s mobility vision shifts attention away from the private car toward connection, accessibility, making space, health and human-centred movement. These transitions create pressure on existing urban structures, particularly concrete parking garages that were designed for a car-oriented city but now occupy strategic central locations.
This graduation project investigates how the Q-Park Mathildelaan parking garage can be transformed through subtractive architecture, structural retention and on-site material reuse. The project does not approach the garage as an empty plot for redevelopment, but as an existing spatial and material resource. Its concrete frame, TT floor elements, ramps, facade balustrades and central spiral are treated as the starting point for architectural transformation.
The design proposes a shift from car scale to human scale. Selective removal of floor elements introduces daylight, orientation, atria, terraces, bridges and new circulation routes. Removed concrete elements and facade components are harvested and reused where possible within the project. The building is reprogrammed as a public innovation and mobility hub, combining shared mobility, university-related spaces, startups, MKB workspaces, larger innovation offices, exhibition, event space and collective public areas.
By connecting circular transformation with the Quadruple Helix model, the project positions architecture as a public interface between innovation and everyday urban life. The result is not only a proposal for one garage in Eindhoven, but a design method for reconsidering similar parking structures in Dutch city centres. ... Read more

This graduation project explores how former office buildings in the KnoopXL area in Eindhoven can be transformed into mixed-use co-living environments that support interaction between local residents and international newcomers. The project responds to rapid urban growth driven by the high-tech industry, which has increased pressure on housing, infrastructure, and social inclusion.

Using the former WTC office building as a case study, the research investigates how adaptive reuse can promote both social inclusivity and circular construction. The design focuses on creating flexible shared living spaces that accommodate different cultural backgrounds and household patterns while reducing demolition waste.

The project combines architectural, social, and technical research to develop a resilient housing typology that integrates living, working, and communal functions. It concludes that adaptive reuse and co-living can offer a sustainable strategy for densifying cities while improving social cohesion and material circularity.
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This thesis explores architecture through the lens of temporality. By treating existing structures as permanent frames rather than obsolete objects, it investigates how buildings can become systems capable of accommodating continuous change over time. Part 1 proposes a transformation strategy based on a realistic and repeatable approach that enables long-term adaptation while minimising complexity and intervention. The strategy focuses on direct reuse of existing structures, reversible additions, and the use of standard components. Part 2 tests this strategy through the transformation of a post-war office building into a school for practical education. The design explores how adaptability can be translated into architecture through reversible interventions, layered systems, and component-based design. ... Read more

This master’s thesis researches how industrial steel reuse from bridges can be reframed as an architectural driver rather than a technical constraint. Thereby, responding to the construction industry’s high CO2 emissions, the study develops a reuse-driven design framework: Form follows Find, integrating material availability, structural logic, and cultural value. The methodology research-by-design is used to combine mapping, prototyping, and case study analysis across regional, building, and human scales. The framework uses a test case, a cultural centre in Eindhoven’s De Kade area, to investigate general design principles that present how industrial donor steel can enable circular and socially accepted architectural projects. ... Read more

This project explores how local regenerative materials, mainly hemp-lime and timber, can be used for sustainable urban densification. It starts from the environmental impact of mainstream construction processes and the housing crisis. Also, the potential of underused urban areas with local identity is a key theme. In many projects, materials are sourced all over the world and buildings are constructed on a “tabula rasa”, while local resources, techniques and overlooked urban qualities can lead to characteristic projects.

The project is situated in the Eindhoven region with in particular the Schellensfabriek. It studies how local regenerative materials can be sourced, distributed and fabricated in modular 3D systems made for housing. Key methods are mapping and prototyping. The local characteristics shape the boundary of this modular system.

The modules are made for a housing concept which allows for polyvalent and adaptative use of space, made for 1 to 2 person households with a focus on social interaction through gradual privacy and collective spaces. This housing concept is applied to underused urban “tabula scripta” sites using a repeatable design method. It carefully considers existing qualities, architectural but also social, cultural and more. The modular concept is applied to the Schellensfabriek and complemented by a project specific design part, which reacts to the site’s rich history as a textile factory.

The result aims to show that local regenerative materials can be a sustainable alternative to mainstream practices, but also that it can lead to an architecture that enhances local qualities. ... Read more

The Netherlands carries the highest nitrogen deposition per hectare in Europe, and its nutrient-poor ecosystems, heathlands, wetlands, and the stream valleys of Brabant, are least able to absorb it. This thesis proposes a public building in the valley of the Dommel that treats the nitrogen problem not as a constraint to avoid but as a process to build with. Architecture and landscape are designed as one system. A constructed wetland filters nitrogen from the river while restoring the nutrient-poor stream-valley ecology that historically existed there. The reed harvested from that wetland becomes the building’s primary material, thatch, bundled structural arches, insulation, and a ventilated pressed-fibre façade, making the building both a product of the landscape and the place its material is processed. Developed across territorial, architectural, and material scales, and tested through mapping, precedent study, and physical prototyping, this project demonstrates how a building can run on the ecological cycle it teaches. ... Read more

Remixed explores how precast concrete elements from an obsolete office building can be reused in an urban architectural project. The project starts from the tension between the short functional lifespan of many Dutch office buildings and the much longer technical lifespan of their concrete structural systems. Instead of demolition, the research proposes reconfiguration: the deconstruction and reconfigurations of existing components within a new spatial and urban context.

The WTC office building in Eindhoven is used as a case study. Its concrete floors, portal frames, and façade panels are treated as a library of reusable elements. These components are relocated to the new site, where they are reconfigured into a new district for urban manufacturing, combined with different housing typologies for makers. Through literature research, component analysis, prototyping, and design studies, the project investigates how reuse, architectural quality, adaptability, and urban embedding can be connected.

The final design consists of three buildings that reuse 84.7% of the WTC’s precast concrete components, while providing public makerspaces and housing. In doing so, Remixed demonstrates that reconfiguration can not only reduce waste and CO₂ emissions, but also generate new spatial quality, preserve urban memory, and enable future adaptability.
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Our cities are getting hotter, drier, and more unlivable, yet we keep building the same static, heat-trapping architecture. I started the Lighthouse Block project because I wanted to prove that we don’t have to rely on brute-force mechanical systems or waste massive amounts of water to survive the climate crisis. Instead of hiding technical infrastructure in the basement, this thesis elevates it, transforming a standard Barcelona city block into a living, visible eco-machine.

The core idea is pragmatic: water and heat are not waste; they are raw materials. By decentralizing the urban water cycle, separating greywater streams, and implementing structural blue roofs, the block creates its own circular metabolism. This guarantees a continuous, drought-proof water supply to fuel the “Green Engine” – the vegetation that actively and bio- logically cools the microclimate precisely when it is needed most.
Beneath the surface, the block plugs directly into the local eology. By integrating Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) and Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage (ATES), it builds a massive seasonal thermal battery that stores winter cold for summer cooling, and vice versa. Ultimately, the Lighthouse Block is about shifting the urban paradigm. It proves that architecture can stop being a passive consumer of resources and instead become an active, thermodynamic system that regenerates its own environment. ... Read more

This project examines how vernacular building strategies developed in humid subtropical climates can be critically translated into contemporary architectural strategies for heatprone urban areas in the Netherlands. Responding to the increasing frequency and intensity of heatwaves, the urban heat-island effect, and the projected climatic shift from an oceanic to a humid subtropical climate, the study investigates passive, low-tech principles that have evolved through longterm adaptation to heat and humidity. The Schellenskwartier in Eindhoven is used as a testing ground due to its dense urban condition, redevelopment potential, and vulnerability to heat stress. Through literature review, case study analysis, site analysis, and research-by-design, the research evaluates strategies across urban, building, and detail scales. Rather than formally imitating vernacular architecture, the study aims to extract and reinterpret its underlying climatic principles to enhance thermal comfort, resilience, and liveability within future Dutch urban environments. ... Read more

Global warming is no longer a distant projection, but an accelerating reality. Rising temperatures and increasing climate instability place new pressure on the built environment, which is responsible for roughly one-third of global energy consumption and emissions. This positions architecture in a paradox: it contributes to the crisis, yet also holds the potential to respond to it. Within this, daylight plays a crucial but often overlooked role. This becomes especially critical in primary schools, where children spend a large part of their day. These environments shape how they feel, learn, and interact with the world.

The project explores the design of a Montessori school in which sun, movement, and atmosphere work together. In researching Montessori principles, like the ‘do it yourself ’ mentality, are understood, and nature is analysed for its biomimetic adaptation properties. After the research, an adaptive and playful external facade is created from biomimicry findings and applied to the design of a contemporary Montessori school, where interaction is stimulated and children can learn from light through building interactions. ... Read more

This report details the design and research process for the Architectural Engineering Studio 2025-2026 submission by Sam Meeuwis. It shows the deisgn and research for 3D printed geopolymer floating urban housing district. ... Read more

This paper presents a computational design framework for evaluating and optimizing passive thermal comfort strategies in tropical residential buildings, with a focus on Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Through a synthesis of climate data, building performance literature, and simulation-based analysis, a structured set of design principles is developed across three scales: macro (urban context), meso (building form), and micro (material and detail). Nineteen performance metrics drawn from Malaysian building standards and academic research guide design decisions at each scale, covering indicators such as the Urban Heat Island effect, Predicted Mean Vote, wind speed, and Energy Use Intensity. The framework adopts a static thermal comfort model and a performative design approach, enabling architects to test passive strategies including natural ventilation, solar shading, and material selection before construction. Results indicate that early-stage computational simulation can significantly reduce reliance on mechanical cooling while improving indoor and outdoor thermal comfort. Although developed for a Malaysian context, the framework offers transferable principles for other hot and humid climates, and lays groundwork for future integration of adaptive comfort modeling and AI-driven optimization. ... Read more

The project reflects on the challenges of urban vacancy and transformation in light of the scarcity of affordable and inclusive environments. It focuses on the adaptation of vacant buildings - particularly former industrial sites - through a community-oriented approach.
The research investigates the spatial and legal transformations that self-organized squatting communities in the Netherlands undergo to gain legal recognition. Based on interviews and analysis of six case studies - OT301, Tetterode, and Plantage Dok (Amsterdam); Het Domijn (Weesp); Poortgebouw (Rotterdam); and Boschgaard (Den Bosch) - the proposed building adaptation strategy aims to support a high level of autonomy, engagement, and self-building practices.
With a basic organizational structure and incremental development plan, the strategy is applied to the case of Landbouwbelang - a vibrant squatting community in Maastricht currently facing eviction due to new redevelopment plans. ... Read more

The wood architecture narrative is an important link in carbon reduction of the building sector. However, upscaling wood production and shifting to high-value application is impeded by poor resilience and quality of coniferous production forests in the Netherlands. This research aims to explore the potential for indigenous deciduous wood production and application in load-bearing constructions. A pilot location was chosen, for which through a literature study, an ideal indigenous forest prototype could be theorized. Recommended management methods helped to infer the resulting yield and wood dimensions for such a forest. With technical literature and a comparative analysis of mechanical properties, the resulting wood types (Black Alder, European Ash, European Beech, Hornbeam and Summer Oak) were attributed various possible applications in construction. It was concluded that there is potential for a strategy for indigenous wood architecture. ... Read more

This study investigates the development of a modular facade system designed to align with sustainable construction paradigms, focusing on a standardized façade structure, renewable materials, and climate design for wellbeing. Using the Dutch climate and societal context as a reference, the research outlines key performance criteria for three programmatic types: dwellings, office space and commercial space. The interscale approach allowed for a multifaceted elaboration, allocating the cassette as core concept.
The findings indicate that closed cassettes provide superior insulation and acoustic performance, while open systems prioritize ventilation and daylight but require careful balancing to maintain energy efficiency. Alternative solutions, such as 3D-printed demountable plugs and internal drainage systems, enhance modularity, reuse potential and the implementation of bio-based materials. Green facades and photovoltaic panels further augment ecological and energy performance. The proposed system achieves significant modularity and adaptability but requires further exploration of complex geometries, advanced biobased materials, and optimized accessories. This work establishes a versatile template for sustainable facade design, suitable for varied architectural contexts. ... Read more

The global construction industry’s reliance on finite, carbon-intensive materials has exacerbated ecological crises, including climate change, habitat destruction, and resource depletion. To aid the architecture and construction industry to move towards a post-carbon economy, this research investigates how surplus materials and agricultural by-products from quarrying and farming could be repurposed into building components for a new regional vernacular architecture. It hones in on methods and techniques for repurposing limestone surplus as a context, to ultimately advocate for transforming post-extractive stone and clay sites into material hubs for learning and making. These hubs aim to foster material sensibility, promote circular building practices, and support participatory self-build residential projects that empower communities towards self-resilience. The findings demonstrate what types of surplus there are, possible repurposing methods, and what sorts of regional architecture could be born out of such productive landscapes.
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This study explores the design and development of large-scale floating structures, addressing current challenges in floating architecture while focusing on technical feasibility, energy self-sufficiency, and sustainable water management. A mixed-method approach combining qualitative analysis of existing projects with quantitative modeling and simulation was employed. The research proposes a modular hexagonal design with a 25 m diameter and 6 m height, demonstrating structural stability with a metacentric height of 0.8 m. Each module can produce 96,500.99 kWh of energy annually using solar panels and collect 325 m³ of rainwater per year. The design incorporates water management systems, including separate treatment for wastewater. This study contributes to the growing field of floating architecture by offering a flexible, scalable, and sustainable solution for large-scale infrastructure in marine environments. ... Read more

One of the challenges for the recycling industry is the lack of sufficient (specific) recycling applications for materials recovered from plastic waste streams. This research explores the potential of recycled plastic materials, particularly polyethylene-aluminum (PolyAl) and mixed plastics (DKR350), for use in construction, focusing on post-consumer, source-separated waste streams. As plastic waste is a major environmental challenge, the construction industry offers an opportunity to reuse these materials. The study examines the technical performance, design flexibility, environmental sustainability and economic viability of PolyAl and mixed plastics and compares them with traditional materials (wood, concrete and steel). It also evaluates how different production techniques affect the properties and applications of these recycled materials in construction. The central research question is: "What recycled plastic materials and related production techniques are available to be used in housing design and construction?". By addressing barriers to the application of recycled plastics, this research aims to promote circular economy initiatives and encourage the use of recycled materials in sustainable, environmentally responsible modular housing solutions. ... Read more

The housing crisis in the Netherlands has been a growing concern, resulting in public outcry. This crisis stems from long-term political preferences for market-regulated housing, resulting in rising prices, increased rents, long social housing waitlists, and foreign investment-driven property purchases. The dissolution of the Ministry of Housing in 2010 and subsequent decentralization of responsibilities further worsened the situation. However, the ministry’s reinstatement in 2022 underscores the urgency to address this crisis.
A primary issue is the quantitative shortage of homes, with the government aiming to build 900,000 houses by 2030 to accommodate population growth and changing household structures. However, land scarcity, particularly in densely populated areas like the Randstad, complicates this goal. Thus, densifying existing urban areas emerges as a possible solution.
Post-war neighborhoods, present significant potential for densification. These areas, housing around 710.000 people, face socio-economic challenges, including the concentration of vulnerable demographics, increased perceived loneliness, feelings of unsafety, and social alienation. Addressing these issues requires strategies that combine physical redevelopment with initiatives to increase social cohesion.
This research explores the potential of housing cooperatives to both densify and enhance social cohesion in post-war neighborhoods, using Westwijk in Vlaardingen as a case study. The investigation covers historical design principles of post-war neighborhoods, changes over time, and the principles behind housing cooperatives. Housing cooperatives, characterized by their non-speculative nature, focus on diversity, sustainability, and long-term resident care, offering a promising alternative to traditional housing models.
Switzerland, known for a large percentage of the houses being owned by housing cooperatives, provides two interesting case studies that are examend as a case study. The Kalkbreite building in Zürich, and Warmbächli in Bern. The case studies reveal several design principles that enhance both individual and communal living quality. These projects display transparency and community engagement, providing valuable insights for similar initiatives. While the design principles identified are not exclusive to cooperative housing, their integration with a democratic and active organizational structure creates a unique quality.
In conclusion, housing cooperatives present a viable solution to the housing crisis by facilitating densification and fostering collective living. The findings from this research offer a framework for incorporating cooperative housing models into post-war neighborhoods, potentially revitalizing areas like Westwijk by addressing both quantitative and qualitative housing needs. This approach not only increases housing availability but also enhances social cohesion and liveability, aligning with the broader goals of sustainable urban development. ... Read more