The recent housing market and social trends have changed the houses from large family homes to small single-dweller apartments. Although living alone does not necessarily mean that solo-dwellers are lonely, they are more at risk of social isolation which can result into loneliness. This resulted into the need for more community living. The community living can be supported by bringing back local industry to create focus on the local activity within the neighborhood. This paper attempts to enhance community living for socially isolated people, through mix-used housing typologies.
Urban farming turned out to be the optimal industry to combine with dwelling. A physical connection might be optimal for the consumer binding, however to ensure the ideal production conditions the production is often limited to a visual connection. With this in mind, a new building typology was created that places the industry in the core of the building. Through this typology the residents and industry are connected within the building on all levels, as well as providing several sustainability benefits for the building.
The organizing and maintenance of communal activities has less to do with the architectural design and more about a motivated group of people that are willing to organize it. Nevertheless, communal farming presents a place where social interaction can flourish. As an activity the farming is consistent and low organizational, wherein other activities are harder to maintain. Consistency has shown to be the most important factor to make sure these activities are joined, while the kind of activity can be flexible. This led to the creation of a circulation concept, that makes space for the communal activities and support social interaction. A Helix circulation has been created to break the disconnect between different floors and create a ‘mini-city’ environment, similar to the public streets of the city. In addition, several other concepts has been developed, that can be used to support the creation of a community and promote social interaction for people that are socially isolated.
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The Home of Art aims to bring creativity back to Keilehaven, creating a direct link to the rich history of the area’s innovative, cultural, and creative aspects. The project adjoins a mixed program of living, working, creating, and producing within its building layers. The architectural qualities applied in the Home of Art address the socio, spatial, and financial requirements of future tenants. This is achieved by basing the design on creativity as collective production, bringing people together by introducing art and creation as the medium of social infrastructure throughout the space. Therefore, the Home of Art in its design represents a new model of creative participation, forming both a community inside the building and within the local area. ... Read more

This thesis explores and analyses the usage of modular architecture and mixed buildings and their role in solving the Dutch housing crisis. The Dutch housing market is in a crisis due to various reasons that can be solved partially in the design process and partially by regulation changes. The mixing of production and living has become more accessible due to new innovative manufacturing methods like 3D printing. The mixing of 3D printing and residential functions is relatively new, and there is a need to understand this manufacturing process to ensure a successful mix with residential functions. This paper uses Habitat 67, Nakagin Capsule Towers and Bremer Punkt as case studies to better understand modular architecture and its benefit. Modular Architecture brings multiple benefits, which are explored in this thesis. One of the architectural benefits is that it allows a building to be adaptable, flexible and affordable compared to traditionally built buildings. ... Read more

More and more people in the Netherlands want to live in the so-called Randstad. This results in a need for densification in Dutch cities. One of the solutions for this is building more high-rise residential buildings. High-rise buildings provide amazing views and house many people on a small plot of land. They do however, have some downsides. According to their residents, the circulation space can be impersonal and the use of the elevator can be experienced as annoying. Even though this is the place to see and meet your neighbours. It has also been proven that there is a relationship between living in a high-rise and poor mental health of children. And lastly, high-rise dwellings are often seen as a home to eventually move on from, to an owner-occupied home, which results in a lack of connection between the residents and the building.

This graduation project aims to rethink the current way of living in high-rise buildings to make it more suitable for families with young children by answering the following research question: How can a high-rise residential building contribute to improving the living environment of children in cities while stimulating a sense of belonging to a high-rise community in Rotterdam? As a result of the research a set of design tools and guidelines is developed to form the base for the design process.

The final result is a high-rise residential building in the centre of Rotterdam that is suitable for children of different ages and encourages social interaction to increase the sense of belonging to a high-rise community.
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Co-Dwell is a project that emphasizes the co-living and co-working model as means for social cohabitation between Dutch starters and newcomers in Rotterdam as a multicultural city. It concentrates on smoothening the integration process of newcomers through involvement with the local community. The intention is to create an environment where people can benefit from each other’s knowledge and cultural experiences. A cooperative housing model will bring this idea to the reality with a subsidy from Rotterdam municipality. The two actors would supply the target group by affordable collective dwellings and collective work possibilities to give them a good start.
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Globally, societies are seeing a long-term rise in the older adult population; by 2050 one in every four persons will be 60 years old or older. For the first time in human history, there will be more senior people than children in the population (WHO, 2018). In the Netherlands, the grey pressure was 34% in 2021. According to population predictions, this will rise to over 50% in the next thirty years (CBS, 2021). The numbers of solo dwellers; solo-dwelling elderly; and people living in cities, especially cities with populations under five million, will also increase (WHO, 2018). However, most city neighbourhoods do not suit contemporary lifespan demands, since they were largely constructed for youthful, typically abled individuals (BHSc, 2021).

With age segregation, social isolation, and loneliness being identified as major social issues, how can architects adapt and improve cities to combat these challenges? How can environments be created that are more ‘age-inclusive’? And is there a design proposal that would be more sensitive to the changing population's demands? Meaningful intergenerational relationships are fundamental social structures that benefit people of all ages (BHSc, 2021). Therefore, I propose a study for intergenerational housing that serves as one of the potential solutions in the context of these changing demographics.

To create a residential neighbourhood where one may live throughout many life stages while being valued as an individual, I have created research and design questions to take the first steps toward developing a ‘caring place’.

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Synanthropic Habitats originates from the interdisciplinary quest on ‘how will we live together’ and the personal fascination to critically question the deeply-rooted anthropocentric binary of human (us) and nature (them). The thesis aims to establish an innovative domestic environment that deals with the heterogeneity of people of different backgrounds while reflecting upon the global urgency of the Anthropocene by interacting with nature in a blended game of cohabitation.

The project forms its wider problématique from an amalgam of constituent problems deriving from Rotterdam and specifically Blijdorp as the site under investigation. The high traffic lane that dichotomizes the site, the noise and pollution of the nearby railway station, the large undefined spaces in tandem with the prevailing social degradation, and the need for affordable housing provision are a few of the identified issues of the project’s location. As a response, the Synanthropic Habitats attempts to develop a new paradigm for Dutch housing design, based on the triptych of hofjes as a type, thresholds as interfaces, and cooperatives as nomos.

The project draws from the long tradition of Dutch hofjes as an archetypical sustainable domestic milieu, the epistemologies and multiscalarity of threshold as a key tool to create zones of encounter, and the non-speculative forward-thinking model of cooperatives to shape a framework within which a multi-storey building with integrated nature, a variety of households and common spaces will flourish. Towards that direction, literature research on the topics, typo-morphological analyses of relevant precedents as well as in-situ observations are employed as methodological tools to conclude in spatial and theoretical aspects contributing to an ecology of inclusion in the design.

Utilizing and revisiting the pre-existing type of the hofje, inflected with the threshold character of commons creation and the pragmatic scenario of devising cooperative tenure generate an evidenced-based dwelling design that is as much of a site-specific architectonic product as a universal proposition to be adopted across contexts.
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In the Advanced Housing Design Studio we explored how housing design can successfully address the challenge of reducing the ecological footprint of its residents and assure social inclusion. In this studio an emphasis was put on the housing concept of collective living. A cooperative housing concept that offers the opportunity to create a living environment that meets the needs and wishes of the future dwellers and encourages the use of shared and collective spaces.

My experiment in this studio was finding an equilibrium, a balance between different household types with different habitational needs in an existing monotonous block. For my research I looked into a way of placing the different household types or one can say social groups together without causing an unpleasant living environment. Whilst on the contrary bolster a close-knit and sustainable community. ... Read more

"Blijkeuken" is a housing project that establishes a community-based caring system by challenging the kitchen's status as a place for domestic chores and therefore the existing construct of housing typology in Dutch society. It pushes the role of meal-preparing spaces in our living environment to become a place where social-making happens. By inserting cooking facilities at the intersection of spaces with different degrees of publicities, the kitchens themselves become bridges for communications and interactions and thus facilitate a communal, bottom-up welfare network. ... Read more

Ageing of the population is one of the most significant changes taking place in the population of the Netherlands, that will affect the dwelling design in the coming decades. This is also reflected by other phenomenon: together with the higher life expectancy, the quality of the lifetime deteriorates, of which the leading cause are chronic diseases.

One way to stop the negative trend is to change focus from curing the effects of the disease to the prevention of the unhealthy lifestyle, that contributes to it, by implementing changes in the living environment. In the last decades we observed the rise of architecture, that values comfort, efficiency, and entertainment supported by passive technologies, which contributed to decreased human energy expenditure. One of the design strategies, that presents an approach countering this problem is active design, the goal of which is to increase the amount of daily physical activity on all levels of urban scale. These methods are best to be implemented in a vulnerable age of 45-60 (middle-aged phase), when many of the health issues manifest - introducing particular dwelling solutions for this target group could minimize health problems they face in later life. The dwelling-scale design is crucial, as it is where people spend most of their daily time. From these reflections arises my mission for the project – to find spatial characteristics of a dwelling that can improve the physical and psychological health of middle-aged inhabitants. ... Read more

The design of BIND BY WATER promotes a new way of living in which we rethink the integration of living and bathing into one building. By reimagining the bath as a shared space, the unique timbre of the project offers a space of synthesis, vulnerability, and reconciliation, where the armor of everyday life is abandoned together with one’s clothes.

The project offers a wide variety of dwelling typologies for the heterogeneous group of solo dwellers (the project's target group). With the typologies containing no, limited, or an "extravagant" bathroom. The communal bathing facility on the ground floor provides a stimulating environment for spontaneous and improvisational communal exchange. Fostering community building amongst the ever-growing group of solo dwellers in which communal space becomes an imperative part of their daily routine.

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The number of elderly citizens in the Netherlands is growing, but there is a lack of suitable housing for this population group. Because of this, they occupy larger homes that are more suitable for families with children. Since the average age of no longer having children at home is 55 years in the Netherlands, that is the starting age for this project. A design for an elderly specific housing project in the Merwehavens in Rotterdam tries to provide a possible solution. Since there are different social and economical backgrounds there are several different types of dwellings in the building, ranging from small care units to larger multi-bedroom apartments. To still offer the smaller apartments a space for (grand)children to visit, there are also lodging rooms on each floor. The dwellings themselves are all wheelchair proof. This means that the residents do not need to move again if their physical capabilities decline with age, therefore providing a future proof dwelling for the elderly in the Netherlands. This is the next step in the housing career for the modern elderlies of the Netherlands. ... Read more

The number of solo-dwellers is a rising trend in the Netherlands. While living alone is not a new phenomenon, the proportions of solo-dwellers have made this a significant demographic group. According to ABF Research, the total number of households in the Netherlands in 2020 is 8,02 million with 3,11 million solo-dwellers. In 2050 the total number of households is expected to grow to 9,2 million with 4,09 million solo-dwellers. Thus, the solo-dweller household is the household type with the most expected growth compared to the other household types (ABF Research, 2020). More people choose to live on their own as a lifestyle choice or as a consequence of social and economic circumstances. Also, the number of people who express feeling lonely is increasing in the Netherlands. Within the solo-dweller household type, 48% of the people express to feel either somewhat or very lonely. Of the solo-dwellers who express feeling lonely, 14,8% are emotionally lonely and 16,3% are socially lonely (CBS, 2019). There are different reasons for being lonely, therefore, finding the solution to combat loneliness can be difficult. In the context of this research, this paper aims to focus on the loneliness that is caused by social isolation. Social isolation can be very harmful to physical and mental health, according to Holt-Lunstad (2015). This is why human societies have organized themselves around the notion of living with others and not alone (Klinenberg, 2012).

Be that as it may, modern society is changing according to Sennett (2018) as strangers keep more to themselves and do not interact with other strangers as much compared to the years before. If in today’s age, as a solo-dweller, you do not interact in public and also not in your home, it is not surprising to see that the number of people who express to feel lonely at times increases. This is because not interacting with people in public and in private is a form of social isolation which can cause loneliness. As people are more hesitant to interact with other strangers it becomes evident how important architecture is that incite moments of social encounters. The obvious question that follows this statement is whether solo-dwellers even want moments of social encounters. According to the research of Klinenberg (2012), for solo-dwellers, these spaces for social interactions are very important. This is because to compensate for the social isolation at home, the solo-dweller looks for nearby facilities where they can socialize. As the life of a solo-dweller continues, their living arrangements can change. A solo-dweller will have moments where they are not a solo-dweller. To prevent an excessive concentration of single-use within a building or space, it is important to cater to the diverse and ever-changing needs and practices of a young solo-dweller.

Furthermore, Novotney (2019) mentions that co-living is a popular trend for young and old to improve social connections and combat loneliness. These co-living communities can be established in a neighbourhood with multiple single-family homes or with solo-dwellers in one large apartment block. I will investigate different strategies in precedent co-living housing schemes to reduce loneliness among solo-dwellers in the city. ... Read more

The Netherlands is currently facing an overloaded housing market. This has the consequence that many people cannot find a suitable dwelling. To solve this issue the government made the plan to build one million houses between 2020 and 2030. Apart from the quantitative problem of too little houses what is even more important is to figure out what type of houses to build. Where should the houses be build? For whom should they be build? How do these people want to live? These questions need to be answered to make certain the houses that will be build have the potential to solve the housing shortage.

Demographic data of The Netherlands and the design location the city of Rotterdam shows that most household growth in the coming years will occur among families with children and singles of all age categories with the largest increase in the 65+ age category. Looking at the current housing situation of families and elderly people living in the city it seems like there is already a shortage of suitable housing. With the prognosis pointing out that there will be a growth in these households the shortage will only get worse unless action is taken.

Living environment plays a crucial role in people’s lives especially in the most vulnerable parts when growing up as kids or when nearing the last stage of life. This is because when we are young but also when we grow old we are dependent on caregivers and on what our direct environment can offer to meet our needs.

This thesis therefore looks into an intergenerational housing approach based on the thought that by creating buildings in such a way that they help with bringing people together and by creating inclusive communities many issues concerning families and elderly people living in the city can be alleviated. The building design serves as an example for the many opportunities there are to improve life in the city by keeping people in mind instead of only focusing on creating more houses to solve the housing crisis. By taking this approach it is possible to get to a much more long term sustainable solution for the housing crisis benefitting all the participants and leaving a much larger positive impact on the whole of society.
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A graduation research into the topic feeling at home for the heterogeneous modern household group single-person households. This research forms the basis of a design project for Merwe-Vierhaven in Rotterdam, where the concepts of comfort, social interaction, feeling of safety and identity come together. ... Read more

The research looks into the historical development of the old building type that combines live and work; what Frances Holliss (2015) states to be a ‘workhome’. The relevance and resurgence of this typology in the context of a globalized economy and informational era, causes the homebased workforce to grow rapidly. This growth has increased after the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic as it imposed home-based work on a large scale. During the curfews and movement restrictions, the workplace was squeezed into a monofunctional designed dwelling and so affected the live-work balance negatively in several ways. This is especially the case for home working parents with young children, due to family life distraction. With a future forecast that 67% of the workforce view they will work more regularly from home post-Covid-19. It urges to question current housing design and a rearrangement of the dwelling to support wage work and care work in the same place. The design for Merwehaven offers suitable homes for home working parents and children living in M4H, and addresses the issue of young urban families leaving the city to the suburbs. Their presence is essential for the vitality and quality of life in the city. ... Read more

The rapid change in climate change and negative impact on the natural environment is attributable to human behavior. The current demands on nature are compromising the well-being of humanity’s future and putting the existence of mankind at risk. The current unsustainable way of living can be changed into a more desired, sustainable lifestyle by using the concept of nudging as well as creating a supportive environment for eliciting pro-environmental behavior. Since current studies on nudging and its potential for sustainable behavior are mostly focusing on the policy-making process or small aspects in the built environment, this project explores the role of nudging in changing behavior towards sustainable living in architecture. Therefore, this report addresses the following primary research question: What is the role of nudging in changing behavior towards sustainable household behavior in architecture?
The project explores how sustainable buildings are able to act as a supportive environment for shaping pro-environmental behavior, by integrating a Comprehensive Model for Nudging towards Sustainable Household Behavior in Architecture. This framework describes the role of architecture that, together with three other interdependent variables, affect the development of sustainable household behavior. In this framework, the role of nudging, and the positioning of nudging within the wider framework becomes salient. Accordingly, this model is used to create a dwelling complex in Merwe Vierhaven, Rotterdam, that provides this new way of living that ensures liveable, affordable, and sustainable housing. ... Read more