Due to climate change, urban heat stress is becoming an increasing problem, affecting mostly vulnerable populations. Tenants of social housing are particularly vulnerable to the effects of extreme heat, due to inadequate social housing conditions and limited financial resources for cooling interventions. However, due to limited financial resources, housing corporations struggle to implement heat stress mitigation measures into their existing building stock. Therefore, this thesis examines how heat stress mitigation measures for the existing social housing stock can be both socially and financially viable. The formulated research question of this thesis is: What are the long-term costs and benefits of mitigating heat stress in the existing social housing stock?
To answer this research question, a mixed method approach was adopted, in which the first part of the research encompassed a literature review, followed by an empirical case study on Rotterdam. The findings of the research reveal that if indoor heat stress in social housing remains unaddressed, it poses significant risks to the health, energy and financial sectors. Health impacts, such as heat-related mortality and hospitalizations, emerged as the most severe impact, both in human and economic terms. The climate risk assessment indicated that under the high climate scenario, the risk of heat stress in Rotterdam rises significantly. Furthermore, the areas identified as most vulnerable to heat stress socially and (bio)physically are Delfshaven, the Oude Noorden, and the upper south of Rotterdam. In terms of mitigation strategies, the research concluded that passive measures such as shading and natural ventilation are the most effective way to reduce indoor heat stress. Lastly, the societal cost-benefit analysis demonstrated that, under both low and high climate scenarios, the benefits of mitigation outweigh the implementation costs. However, these benefits are unevenly distributed. While housing corporations bear the costs, the benefits accrue to the health, energy, and financial sector. This creates a split incentive that challenges implementation. In conclusion, reducing heat stress in social housing is both societally and economically beneficial. However, while the societal advantages are evident, practical feasibility requires stronger financial support.

The Dutch housing market has become increasingly inaccessible for first-time buyers due to rising prices, stricter mortgage regulations, and the burden of student debt. Since 2015, these structural constraints have intensified, limiting access to affordable housing and forcing young adults to either compromise on quality and location or postpone homeownership altogether.
This thesis investigates the position of first-time buyers within the housing market, analysing how financial constraints, life-course developments, and housing preferences intersect in shaping their residential choices. Akey focus is the potential of transforming vacant buildings, such as offices and schools, into affordable housing. Adaptive reuse is explored as an alternative to new construction to increase supply within existing spatial and infrastructural frameworks. Using a multi-method qualitative approach, combining literature review, urbanisation-level based case studies, and interviews with first-time buyers, this research examines whether building transformations can respond to the needs of this target group. The analysis is structured thematically around life-course experiences, affordability, housing and location preferences, and attitudes towards transformation.

The findings reveal a complex interplay between aspirations and constraints. While transformation projects offer promise, they are often hindered by financial, regulatory, and technical barriers. Moreover, urbanisation-level variation in demand and policy context requires differentiated strategies. The study concludes with action proposals tailored to urban, semi-urban, and rural contexts. These recommendations were validated through an expert panel, which confirmed their practical relevance and highlighted key interventions to bridge the gap between supply and demand.
By focusing on the perspective of first-time buyers, this thesis contributes to a more inclusive approach to housing development in the Netherlands, positioning transformation as a viable strategy in the broader search for housing accessibility.

This research investigates the relationship between vacant/abandoned properties and the unhoused community in Paramaribo, Suriname, examining how architectural interventions can transform urban challenges into opportunities for community integration and social capital development. The study employs a mixed-methods approach that combines literature analysis through Urban Decline Theory, Broken Windows Theory, and Social Capital Theory with stakeholder communications and spatial documentation of Paramaribo's urban context.
The findings reveal that Suriname's economic instability has created severe poverty conditions affecting vulnerable populations who experience housing instability and social disconnection. Paramaribo simultaneously faces increasing urban voids that accelerate neighborhood deterioration, with these abandoned spaces frequently occupied by unhoused individuals, thereby creating a self-reinforcing cycle of urban decline.
In response to these interconnected challenges, the research proposes an integrated approach that addresses both physical and social dimensions of the problem. The physical dimension employs spatial analysis to halt neighborhood decline and provide housing solutions, while the social dimension draws on Social Capital Theory to develop community-based interventions that foster meaningful connections and rebuild social networks.
Ultimately, this research demonstrates how architectural design can serve as a catalyst for breaking cycles of urban deterioration while simultaneously building social capital for vulnerable communities. By addressing the dual nature of urban decline—both its physical manifestations and social consequences—the study provides a framework for transforming abandoned urban spaces into assets that strengthen community resilience and promote social integration.

Housing markets have produced structural inequalities evident in the unaffordability issues experienced by many households across Europe. Over the past century, housing has shifted from a domain of strong government intervention to one increasingly influenced by market forces. Today, as Europe decarbonises, not only affordability but also sustainability have become central to housing debates. This dissertation investigates how decarbonisation policies affect both housing affordability and provision. Following an essay-based structure (capita selecta), this thesis brings together studies on fiscal policy, sustainable finance, and social housing provision across various European settings. The dissertation is divided into two main parts. Part I, Affordability and Costs, employs quantitative methods to assess the economic impacts of decarbonisation on households. Part II, Provision and Finance, takes a qualitative approach to examine financing mechanisms for decarbonisation and social housing provision. While each part draws on distinct methodologies, together they provide an overview of how certain decarbonisation policies interact with housing systems at both household and structural levels. The findings show that current decarbonisation policies often favour wealthier homeowners through subsidies and tax incentives, while having a negative or mixed impact on renters, younger households, and low-income groups. To address these challenges, the thesis advocates for redistributive fiscal reforms—such as energy efficiency-linked property taxes—and stronger public institutions and regulations to guide investment towards equitable and sustainable housing provision. By placing affordability at the centre of decarbonisation policies, this dissertation aims to inform the development of transitional pathways that align both social and environmental goals.

As cities across the globe grapple with rising urbanisation and housing shortages, over one billion
people now reside in informal settlements. In South Africa, the legacy of apartheid planning,
combined with systemic inefficiencies and rapid urban growth, has compounded the challenges
of providing inclusive, sustainable low-income housing. While extensive research exists across
disciplines such as architecture, political science, and economics, much of it remains siloed—
offering fragmented perspectives on an inherently complex issue.

This dissertation takes a different approach. It examines low-income housing through a
double lens: spatial design—how built form is created and how its context is developed—and
governance—the aims, actors, and instruments involved in decision making. Using the K206
housing project in Alexandra, Johannesburg, as a case study, the research explores what happens
when government plans meet residents’ lived experiences. It engages three key literature
themes of low-income housing: informal settlement upgrading, state-subsidised housing, and
incremental housing. Through interviews, surveys, and expert consultations, the research reveals
how governmental aims—such as resident-responsive design, security of tenure, and income
generation—were translated into built form, and how residents responded to and reshaped these
interventions—sometimes in unexpected ways.

The findings show that residents are not just recipients of housing policy—they actively reshape
their environments and create their own systems of living, especially when dissatisfied with the
systems they are dealt. The research highlights governance and spatial design complexities in
South Africa and makes the case for interdisciplinary approaches that centre the voices of those
most affected by housing policy.

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.

The Dutch housing market is characterised by a housing shortage, mainly in the affordable segment. For this reason, the government has proposed and/or implemented several policy changes to alleviate this stress on the market. However, the Dutch economy is also in a downturn. This research explores how Dutch institutional investors in the rental housing market deal with changing policies in economically challenging times. The scope encompasses inflation and interest rate increases, as well as the Affordable Rent Act (WBH) and transfer tax (RETT). Previous research shows that rent control can have both positive and negative effects, and that increasing RETT affects property value and transaction volume. For this reason, it is worth investigating what the combination of these policy changes and an economic downturn does to the investment behaviour of institutional investors, to get an understanding of the effectiveness of the proposed policy changes. Through literature review and interviews with stakeholders, we find that there seems to be a 'perfect storm' hanging over the residential rental market that negatively affects the investment behaviour of institutional investors in the Netherlands. This would mean that implementing the proposed policy changes in the current context would be counterproductive, as it is, partially, up to institutional investors to fill the demand for affordable housing.

Many households aged 55 and older with a desire to move encounter a lack of suitable housing on the Dutch housing market. Various households that have a desire to move, cannot find a dwelling that meets their desires in their desired location. This hinders their ability to realize their housing preferences and forms an impediment to the residential mobility on the Dutch housing market. Improving the residential mobility of households aged 55 and older has the biggest potential herein, which in turn contributes to the residential mobility of other households. It is therefore important in the housing provision to develop new housing that suits the desires of households aged 55 and older. This study therefore aims to gain insight into the housing preferences of households aged 55 and older in the Netherlands. Herein included, this study explores the extent of interest and preferences with regard to housing types that stimulate social interaction, which are being encouraged in the housing provision in the Netherlands. Through a secondary analysis of the WoON 2021 datafile, a better understanding of the group of people aged 55 and older is gained through exploration of the sociodemographic and socioeconomic characteristics and the characteristics of the current dwelling. Subsequently, the housing preferences are explored of moving-inclined households in WoON. As the moving inclination of households can be influenced by the current possibilities on the housing market, the study explores the extent to which households aged 55 and older would have a desire to move if an attractive dwelling that meets their desires would be present, through a digital survey. This study subsequently gains insight into the housing preferences of this group of people and explores the extent of interest with regard to housing types that are to stimulate social interaction, comprising homes with common spaces. This study shows that a notable share of people aged 55 and older would have a desire to move if a dwelling that meets their desires would be present. The share of people that would want to move is shown to be larger if a dwelling that meets their desires would be present. Furthermore, it shows that among people aged 55 and older there is an interest in living in housing types with common spaces.

This research addresses the issue of low social attachment of residents in disadvantaged neighbourhoods in the Netherlands. These neighbourhoods face problems, such as high crime rates, poverty, and poor living conditions. Residents in these areas often feel disconnected from their surroundings, which can worsen issues like anonymity, reduced social cohesion and well-being of residents. While community involvement initiatives are widely believed to help increase social attachment, there is limited empirical evidence on which specific initiatives are most effective in achieving this goal. Therefore, the research question is: What can be learned from initiatives focused on community involvement and their effect on social attachment in disadvantaged neighbourhoods in the Netherlands? The study employs a mixed-methods approach, including quantitative data analysis of the social attachment over the years, and qualitative interviews with key stakeholders from Utrecht Overvecht, the disadvantaged neighbourhood that was selected as a case study for this research. Key findings indicate that successful community involvement initiatives do enhance social attachment by fostering social interactions and connections among residents. However, for these initiatives to yield sustainable results, they must be regularly implemented and structurally embedded into the community. Addressing broader social issues, such as poverty and mistrust in government, is essential for residents to move beyond "survival mode" and engage more fully in community activities and participation projects. The research highlights the low trust in governmental organisations in disadvantaged neighbourhoods, and its importance of rebuilding trust between residents and governmental institutions through transparency, genuine engagement, and inclusive processes. Smaller-scale, regularly embedded projects and simultaneous efforts to tackle underlying social issues are critical for fostering strong social attachment, according to the expert interviews. The study concludes that while community involvement can significantly improve social attachment, its success is contingent on a multi-faceted approach that includes structural support and ongoing efforts in addressing broader social issues simultaneously.

The complex relationship between humans and the natural world is still visible in 2023s urban planning: a city is a place for humans, and nature gives space to all non-human species. The anthropocentric perspective within the urban environment puts humans above non-human nature. This is also the case within urban renewal in the Netherlands, which aims to improve human liveability. This aim is reflected within the ongoing urban renewal in Carnisse, Rotterdam, the Netherlands, under the leading plan of NPRZ as well. However, considering non-human species might have positive effects for both human and non-human species. This thesis addresses the research question: "How can values of ecological justice contribute to a spatial design that improves urban renewal in Carnisse, Rotterdam?" to investigate the impact of non-human species liveability on urban renewal concepts and spatial plans in Carnisse. The study conducts a systematic liveability analysis of several target species representing circa 80% of the species currently present in the neighbourhood. Based on the analysis, a toolbox is developed, which is the foundation of integrating human and non-human demands within urban renewal. With a combination of consideration of the existing structure, context consideration, the implementation of zoning, biocentrism and nature-inclusive thinking, the translation towards a spatial plan based on ecological justice values for the neighbourhood Carnisse is created. Comparing the current NPRZ urban renewal plan and the ecological justice values-based plan reveals that if ecological justice is included, the concept of urban renewal should be revised and that there is a case for a more integrated approach to the physical and social domain within urban renewal. Besides, the focus on ecological justice values might reduce the in-depth focus on human liveability compared to the approach to urban renewal. Nevertheless, the spatial outcomes of the focus on non-human liveability will (indirectly) positively affect human liveability by improving health, lowering crime rates, improving interaction between humans and non-human species, and increasing climate adaptation of the area. Therefore, implementing ecological justice values will improve urban renewal concepts and spatial plans from an Arcadian perspective by improving the non-human species' liveability and from a resource standpoint, by improving human liveability.

The Dutch housing market has a shortage and especially a shortage in its middle-segment between, low-income, social housing, and higher-income, homeownership. Because of this, municipalities have become more active in creating middle-segment housing, but most Dutch municipalities have few land positions which has urged them to create middle-segment housing in developments with no or low municipal landownership. The so-called passive land policy. However, this has proved difficult as there no longer are extensive national housing plans which were used in the past. In addition, Dutch municipalities do not have much knowledge on creating more middle-segment housing in developments with a passive land policy. Therefore, this thesis asks what land-use instruments exists in the Dutch passive land policy to create more middle-segment housing and how successful these instruments are in creating middle segment housing.

The passive land use instruments are within their relative typology the regulatory minimal percentages and eternal land lease, stimulating by anterior agreements, and communicational means by policy documents. When analysed it was found that these instruments are more often used in combination with each other. So, in implementation, this meant that some regulatory pressure was given on a developer to make them negotiate with the municipality. After this, the municipalities used stimuli to help create a financially feasible project with middle-segment housing and gave permits or sold (small portions of) land. Moreover, the policy documents were used more in advance to let any market party know what conditions were necessary to make the municipality cooperate with a plan.

Dutch municipalities thus influence the amount of middle-segment housing made by the passive land-use instruments used. Therefore, the municipality negotiated with market parties on projects in a context to create an agreement that is possible. In this several factors and actors played an important role. Most important for the agreement were the financial feasibility and the gaining of permits. The procedure for the permits started after the negotiations and the financial feasibility would be reached through the negotiations in which the municipalities stimulated in kind, by lowering other requirements, or by lowering taxes. The context could also play a role through an abundance of social housing in the area, political will, or land positions. There also seemed to be a correlation between more regulative instruments and less trust or a more strained relationship between the municipality and the developer in the network.

Housing inequality is a growing concern in our society. In recent decades, this inequality has been exacerbated by the phenomenon of housing being financialized and commodified as a means for wealth accumulation. Management of financial institutions and housing markets has become the centre of attention in policy discussion. The questions of how to promote the moral values tied to housing, such as human rights, dignity and freedom, and how to better enable people to access suitable housing have been marginalized. As a way forward, the states’ re-intervention and re-distribution policies, and the human rights-based approach to housing policies are discussed, but this thesis advocates for a more ambitious paradigm shift. By extending Amartya Sen’s capability approach to housing, the thesis argues for resetting the primary goal of housing policies as expansion of people’s capabilities for housing—expanding opportunity, ability and security to lead their valued ways of residing—beyond the distribution of monetary and material resources for housing, such as housing benefits and dwelling units. This thesis presents the theoretical foundations of this argument and proposes basic principles to guide housing policies, which can serve as a normative basis of housing debates on necessary policy actions. An essential tool to guide housing policies towards this newly proposed goal is to evaluate policy outcomes and housing affairs of people—well-being, deprivation and inequality in housing—with capability considerations. The thesis suggests how this evaluation can be done and can help policies address the inequalities in what people can do to pursue their suitable housing options and how well they are actually residing.

This research begins with a fascination for nonhuman activeness. This is based within a theoretical framework of multispecies world, in which nonhumans are seen as active beings that continuously disturb. Seeing nonhumans as active beings causes some policies, or interventions, to look strange. One of these policies in the Netherlands is the new forest strategy commissioned by the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture in the Netherlands: the expansion of forest by 37.000 hectares within ten years. Even though the goal of the forest strategy is to provide more biodiverse spaces, the new forest is still there because it is pleasant for us humans. The research therefore aims at an alternative to this forest strategy through researching the main question: How can new ways of connectedness between humans and nonhumans be generated in existing and newly constructed areas perceived as ‘natural’ or ‘nature’?
In order to research new types of connectedness, the theoretical framework of multispecies world is further explored. This results in design principles on human, nonhuman, and abiotic movement, hybrid as an explicit human structure where there is a condensation of movement, and landscape as being, which is a forest structure designed as if it has legal rights.
After this, the dune region, with in specific Amsterdamse Waterleidingduinen is analysed in terms of movement, transitions and identity of the area, and problematic areas where a landscape as being is necessary. In terms of movement there are different movements found in the areas of the forest/savannah, the dunes, the water infiltration system, and the flower bulb fields. Transition zones are found between these areas. Hybrids are placed here in order to let make humans more aware of nonhuman movement. Problematic areas around Amsterdamse Waterleidingduinen are considered to be the Oosterkanaal, that retrieves water from the dunes, and the cultivation of flower bulbs.
These elements result in a research by design that tries to generate new ways of connectedness between humans and nonhumans. Time, and materiality become very important in the design. The hybrids have a timespan in which they need to be build anew or left to decay. Therefore, every thirty years there is a reassessment of the relation that humans have to the landscape. Through the design it becomes clear that the multispecies approach taken on in the design, does not generate new connections with the presence of movement, hybrid, and landscape as being. But it does generate different ways of connectedness because of the rebuilding of hybrids that are a direct response to the landscape and its corresponding movements, and the changes that happened in the landscape. A multispecies framework therefore proposes an alternative design for the forest strategy that instead of moving towards an end goal (which the forest strategy does), mostly marks a beginning of a relation to the landscape that is revaluated through a cyclical approach to time. This approach thus does not lead to new connectedness, however it does lead to different connectedness.

This thesis explores the possibilities for semi-spontaeneous forest succession as the solution for creating a healthy living environment in the formerly industrial area of Schieoevers, Delft. The thesis describes what measurements are needed in order to make the uncertainties of feralisation acceptable for the larger public, as well as the opportunities and benefits that feralisation, the understudied counterpoint to domestication, could bring to the post-industrial landscape.

Recently, Chinese Public Rental Housing (PRH) provision has witnessed a shift from ‘government’ to ‘governance’: policy making shifted from government steering to mixed forms involving government, market and civic actors to pursue effective and fair policies. In the meantime, this new-era PRH governance is credited with mixed results. However, the existing studies fail to describe the mechanisms underlying this new-era governance of PRH with the rising involvement of market actors and those in civil society and whether the new-era governance is considered to be effective, achieving the objective of stability. Therefore, this PhD research aims to fill the two research gaps through building a better understanding of the PRH governance in the current Chinese context and evaluating PRH governance. To fulfil this aim, this dissertation is underpinned by a theoretical foundation from the governance perspective and adopts a mixedmethod approach with quantitative and qualitative data in the study of Chinese PRH provision. The dissertation reveals the essence of the current Chinese PRH governance by bringing forth a governance model and shows the structures and mechanisms for non-governmental actors to play a role in the governance of PRH. The dissertation also shows the perceived governance outcomes from tenants’ perspective and demonstrates two main governance challenges of Inclusionary Housing, a newly introduced instrument adopted in the Chinese PRH governance. Based on the results, this PhD research theoretically and empirically contributes to the h ture.

This thesis explores project managers in practice solving wicked problems. The research are reached by conducting case study researcher focussing on three cases. Out of the research can be concluded that project managers solve wicked problems as it is a technical problem by using the rational decision model. However, during solving they notice that they have a lack of information which make them use other decision-methods, namely: slow thinking and design thinking.

The middle-income households in the Netherlands are currently disadvantaged in finding affordable housing, as they are pushed towards the private rental market in which affordable private rental housing is scarce. Together with participation trends, this gives opportunities for collective private commissioning (CPC) to add to the supply and make it more inclusive and stable, as different interests could come together and the housing is expected to stay affordable. Therefore, this study entails an explorative research into the possibilities of CPC and affordable private rental housing, focussing on the type of collaboration, the enablers and barriers in the collaborative process and the role division within the collaboration. A single case study of CPC for middle-segment owner-occupied housing was conducted, supplemented with a cross-sectional study, with interviewees currently involved in CPC for affordable private rental housing. The main findings show that the type of collaboration can be considered hybrid, as it can act in a commercial market while maintaining its social goal and it has a collaborative and innovative approach. Important enablers and barriers towards collaboration are in the initial phases of such a project, where expertise and political influence are crucial. During collaboration, a board providing connecting leadership, acknowledging power differences, trust and striving for a win-win situation by serving both social and commercial interests encourage collaboration. However, difficulties in the complex financial situation of such a development can cause barriers. Important roles for this type of development are defined as process responsible and executive, in order to guide the process. An enabler within the role division is making clear agreements at the beginning. Besides the previous implications, the role of the residents seems moderated compared to other forms of CPC, as they will only be in charge after the housing is realised. Implications for practice can be found and this type of development is considered to be an option, as the findings show that with the right conditions, this type of development can contribute to the supply of affordable private rental housing in the long-term.

You can work with your building’s surroundings, characteristics and features by repressing them, hiding from them, celebrating them, juxtaposing them, making fun of them, uplifting them, supporting them, replacing them, improving them, or even changing them. But to make a decision you have to look beyond your building’s subjective beauty or uglyness and it’s immediate site, you have to analyze it’s history, everyting that surrounds it and the building consists off to make the right judgement.

There are many factors that come into play regarding an architectural, cultural and technological research/analysis, but I think it may be important to understand (as you are coming up with solutions to your architectural design) what the perception is by yourself, the public and the municipality of what is currently on and in your building site (or what once was there). You should however not be limited by this with regard to the site and building awaiting your design and the design process, but I do think you will formulate a better design concept if you understand the different and sometimes intangible dimensions to the site where you will build and/or intervene. I used this as a springboard during the graduation studio to think outside of the box by still being true to our own design style, but still solve all the challenges, opportunities and needs this place, the building and the surroundings bring.

The research is very important for many reasons. And key among those is that it presents you with many clues and provides arguments which together add up to help you determine what design opportunities and challenges you can solve, leverage and build upon.
The relationship between research and design for me is quite clear; a good research gives you a peek into the underlying “personality” of where you will build/design — and that may just spark and/or justify your own best innovative design solution and approach.

In this particular studio we had the option of redeveloping one of five different industrial buildings.
I chose to redevelop the Katoenveem building.
The Katoenveem immediately for me was a fascinating building and site. This large oblong building maybe seems boring and ready for demolition for the untrained eye, but the eyes only see what the mind is prepared to comprehend.

The still standing structure, designed by J.J. Kanters, was built along one of the quays of the, at that moment, brand new and busy Vierhavens industrial and harbor area. In only two years; 1919-1920 the building was constructed together with several structures which together made the Katoenveem Complex (see fig. 2). The main building, the one still standing, was built for the storage and transshipment of cotton. In Rotterdam this was the first warehouse that was especially designed for storing and distributing cotton. Katoenveem and the complex functioned for the cotton industry for over 43 years untill 1964 when the company quitted due to the rapid development of synthetic fabrics. After 1964 the building still functioned as a warebouse but not exclusively for cottonbales. Later Atelier van Lieshout had it’s offices here and even later an appartment was made on the roof.

The living standard of the people in Alamar
is missing quality. Although many issues,
like drinking water, have been solved locally,
but a stable electricity infrastructure cannot
be provided by the people themselves. The
instability of the electricity is traceable to
the construction period. Alamar was built
on the infrastructure of its previous plan.
Plan ‘El Olympo’ was meant to become an
American style suburb. The current 100.000
inhabitants of Alamar are living in self-built
prefab apartment blocks, which are built on
the infrastructure designed for only 1/5th of
the population. Subsequently, this overuse
and material scarcity in times of construction
resulted in the instability of the electricity
net to withstand even the smallest storms.
Heavy rainfall or strong winds can already
result in power cuts. These black-outs can
last up to three days. For a country that is
on the edge of new prosperity, improvement
of the living standard is impossible on such
an instable foundation. Imagine Alamar
growing in numbers of inhabitants on such
infrastructure, the first thing we need to do is
providing a stable electricity flow. Secondly,
due to this material scarcity, the public tissue
was whittled.
The public issues are highly visible on the
shoreline of Alamar. The empty green strip
along the sea was meant to be the district
dedicated to sport and leisure. The site
is the end of Alamar’s major north-south
connection, connecting the highway with
the sea. The road is surrounded by the few
public buildings in Alamar. This location has
the ability to carry a public catalyst for the
rest of the coastal park. Although Alamar is
one of the only new towns with a waterfront,
but almost every big city in Cuba is located
along the sea.
The sea could become the biggest source
of energy. The Cuban administration is
willing to invest in renewable energy, but
this will not solve the problem of energy
availability during storms. The program
is twofold; storing energy for periods of
difficulty and when not in use, providing a
public connection between land and sea,
by realizing a pier. This pier will function not
only as a bridge to the water, but also as a
platform which will carry the public functions
needed for the coastal park. Both programs
will be combined as an experience. The
water-energy lane will connect the water
basin of the pumped hydro storage system
with the discovery center on the end of the
pier.