The Malaysian diaspora is defined by migration histories and cultural reinventions that have long influenced the preservation of heritage in new societal landscapes all over the world throughout time. This thesis examines the diasporic identity of Malaysians with a focus on the area of Bayswater, London. It draws on architectural history, sensory ethnography, and spatial analysis to explore how physical sites and intangible practices foster a resilient sense of belonging. Engaging with ongoing discussions about cultural hybridity and appropriation, this thesis argues that the diasporic identity goes beyond simply replicating traditional heritage. Instead, it reflects a continuous negotiation between past and present. Interviews, observations, and photographic documentation show that everyday experiences and shared memories are central to maintaining a vibrant urban heritage.

This thesis focuses on the multiple and final conversion of the former Roman Catholic Church Holy Ignatius to the Fatih Mosque. The church was built in 1929 by the architect Hendrik Willem Valk in Amsterdam and after many failed conversions the building transformed from a private meeting space for the socialists to its final form; the Fatih Mosque. After all these years of the building not being used after their commercial renters, the Turkish Muslim community bought it in the early eighties and transformed it into a Mosque. The transformation process was based on respecting and preserving the building’s architectural heritage while adapting to its new function. This case study shows how the mosque serves as an important cultural and religious center for the community (especially the Turkish/Dutch community) and neighborhood, symbolizing successful adaptive reuse of a historical monument.

Iraq is undergoing a transformative period following decades of conflict, with major infrastructure projects intended to drive economic revival. Central among these is the Grand Faw Port in the southern Governorate of Basra. This port is intended to become the largest and most advanced port in the world, along with a connecting Development Road linking Europe and Asia. This research investigates the socio-environmental consequences of such development, focusing on the interconnected cities of Al-Faw (site of the new port), Umm Qasr (home to the older port), and Az Zubayr (a rapidly growing urban centre). Using a mixed anticipatory scenario approach – involving scenario planning, backcasting, and visioning – the study examines how the rise of this port project and other major infrastructural projects could displace local communities and marginalize older infrastructure. This study particularly pays attention to the local populations dependent on agriculture. The understanding of both the infrastructural violence and the environmental degradation of the area is crucial to this research. Drawing on ecofeminist theory, commoning and design-based methods, the research envisions an inclusive urban gardening community in Az Zubayr that addresses the needs of displaced and local communities while supporting ecological resilience.

This study examines how large-scale infrastructure projects, with a focus on the proposed tunnel between Spain and Morocco, influence the urban landscape and socio-spatial dynamics in Tangier, Morocco. The study, which is inspired by personal experiences and based on interdisciplinary theories, investigates how infrastructure can reinforce or reduce existing inequalities. The research uses a variety of methods to find the answers to the central question: how can infrastructure such as the tunnel be designed and implemented to promote inclusive development? These methods include an integrated methodology, archival research, fieldwork, mapping, case studies and policy analysis.

The theoretical framework is based on dromology, technopolitics, viapolitics, and infrastructural boundaries. It shows that infrastructure is not a neutral connection but a technopolitical force that regulates access, mobility, and power. Historical analysis shows how Tangier's development has long prioritized external connectivity over internal equality. This has led to spatial fragmentation. Comparative case studies of megaprojects such as the Channel Tunnel and the Øresund Bridge offer lessons on centralisation, migration pressure and social displacement.

The main findings indicate that improved connectivity stimulates urbanization and economic growth. However, this often happens at the expense of local inclusion. Inclusive planning is vital to prevent the tunnel from exacerbating the socioeconomic disparities within Tangier and between continents. The study's final conclusion offers practical design and policy recommendations for promoting equity, accessibility and sustainability in the region's future infrastructure development.

This thesis investigates the management and transformation of Christian architectural heritage, with a particular focus on Catholic churches. It explores the dynamics of friction and propulsion that shape this process, analyzing their implications in contemporary society and potential future trajectories. Anchored in the case study of the former Church of Santa Rita da Cascia in Campitelli, located in Rome’s Rione Sant’Angelo, the research offers context-specific reflections intended to stimulate broader discourse on the fate of disused churches across Europe.

Structured around guiding research questions, the thesis is divided into three main sections. The first examines the historical and cultural roles of Catholic churches, emphasizing their function as urban landmarks and spaces of collective identity. The second part addresses the regulatory landscape in Italy, shaped by its cultural and institutional proximity to the Vatican, and contrasts it with the more pragmatic Dutch approach to church reuse. This comparative analysis highlights the tensions between safeguarding symbolic religious value and adapting buildings to contemporary needs.

The final section synthesizes the findings to propose strategies for reimagining Catholic churches in ways that preserve their historical and architectural identity while enabling new, socially relevant functions. Through the lens of the Santa Rita da Cascia case study, the thesis proposes a critical yet constructive perspective on transforming sacred heritage into meaningful assets for modern communities.

This paper researches the evolution of Coptic churches in Cairo from the 20th to the 21st century. It focuses on the political and social dynamics that affect the design and construction process. Through an interdisciplinary approach including archival research, legal and political analysis, on-site analysis and interviews with architects the socio-political dynamics affecting the church construction are explored. The paper is divided into two major parts, the first covering the political dynamic starting from the imperial edict of 1856, all through The church construction and renovation law of 2016. One of the major finds shows a big gap in the legal context whereas from 1934 to 2005, there is little to no legal discourse concerning the church construction giving space to the political and social context to affect the decisions in relation to the design and construction. Leading to the second part, the form development of the Coptic churches in Cairo is explored through a social and architecture lens focusing on contexts that affected the construction of some churches. The research includes case studies from both eras such as St. Mark Cleopatra by Ramses Wissa Wassef and El Karouz church by Maher Andraws.

This thesis examines the post-World War II reconstruction of Rotterdam, highlighting the significance of foreign perspectives on the city's redevelopment. Unlike other severely affected European cities, Rotterdam rejected conventional reconstruction, opting for a contemporary, modernist approach aligned with the broader architectural and urban planning trends of the 20th century.
The near-total destruction of the city center in 1940 created a unique chance for a radical reconstruction of Rotterdam's urban landscape. This study places Rotterdam in a larger global context by examining the impact of worldwide urban planning theories and reconstruction techniques on the city. The analysis addresses not only Dutch reconstruction principles, but also how planners and architects from Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom perceived and engaged with Rotterdam's rebuilding.
Through analysis of historical archives, reconstruction magazines, and international publications, this study investigates how Rotterdam's reconstruction was viewed as a pioneering example of modern urbanism. The long-term effects of reconstruction on urban growth and the current appreciation of post-war architectural legacy are also evaluated. Ultimately, this thesis contributes to understanding Rotterdam as a case study in adaptive urban development, highlighting the fusion of local decisions and international ideas that resulted in an innovative and forward-looking city.

This study presents a thorough historical analysis of El Hegaz Street to develop an understanding of the impact of political, economic and regulatory factors on Egyptian modernist architecture. The study explores the history of Heliopolis to establish the context followed by a more focused historical record of El Hegaz Street. Additionally, the prevailing architectural ideologies are introduced accompanied by an investigation into the appreciation of these modernist buildings. The architecture as an outcome is later explored through analysis of iconic landmarks and regular residential buildings to provide insight into the distinctive features and factors that shaped this style of architecture.

Mimar Sinan is a well-known architect from the ottoman empire, during the 16th century. Rather than focusing on his style this thesis will, focus on the influence of his work on later generation of architects during the emergence of modernism. By analyzing how his architectural features are reflected in modern buildings and how his work was discussed during the 20th century. It will also be interesting to see how the interpretation of his work differed overtime. This will be achieved by compering magazines from the early stages (1920-1950) of modernism with those from the later stages(1960-1980) and by comparing the sources from turkey with the international ones. Overall the answer to the questions such as how his work was discussed, what did they find inspirational in his work and the differences in perspectives between Turkish and international sources, will create an understanding of how Sinan has influenced the later generation of architects.

This thesis explores the evolvement of perception surrounding architectural ugliness in post-Soviet Lithuania, focusing on residential houses that emerged in the 1990s, also known as Collective Farm Baroque. Initially criticized for their stylistic eclecticism and out-of-scale size these homes have come to symbolize transition and independence. Through a combination of analysis methods, the research examines how regarded architecture has been depicted in various online media. The shift from formal critique to relaxed commentary has broadened the perspective and introduced a new narrative regarding the notion of ugliness. Drawing on theoretical framework of various philosophers and critics, this thesis argues that ugliness in architecture transcends fixed definitions and functions as a social construct within a constantly changing cultural context.

The Westermosque project has been under development since 2006, facing numerous challenges over the years. These included lengthy negotiations with the municipality, a significant falling-out, and other internal issues that affected the project's progress. Ultimately, construction started in 2016, and the mosque was completed in 2019. The aim of this thesis is to analyze the process of constructing the Westermosque in Amsterdam and examine how several factors influenced its development.

The transformation of the Moria Refugee Camp into Kara Tepe‘s “Closed Controlled Access Centre” (CCAC) on the Greek island of Lesvos serves as a case study for this paper‘s analysis of the evolving spatial politics of European migration governance. It argues that this transition was not solely created in response to infrastructural failure; rather, it is a deliberate reconfiguration of the architecture of detention, institutionalizing monitoring, spatial restriction, and legal precarity. Through a spatial analysis of both camps, the article traces how built environments are mobilized to facilitate control, producing exclusionary geographies that normalize containment as a modality of governance. In addition, a discourse analysis of policy frameworks and political rhetoric demonstrates how the language of crisis and security allows a shift from ad hoc humanitarianism to a permanent securitized infrastructure. The paper argues that, simultaneously to spatial changes, the CCAC model incarnates a broader shift in border policy - where architecture becomes a strategic tool in regulating mobility, denying agency, and reinforcing the externalization of Europe’s borders.

The definition of architecture varies from only seeing it from the perspective of solid structures with load-bearing function to including doornubs and flexible elements into consideration of being architectural. However, the impact that each of those elements, if defined as architecture, furniture, or objects, has on people‘s behavior interacting with them is crucial to the definition of the space they are shaping. Especially when one element has more than one function. As Le Corbusier wrote in his book from 1930 ("Precisions on the Present State of Architecture and City Planning“): ,,To create architecture is to put in order. Put what in order? Function and objects.“, meaning that the creation of space is dependant of all the physical objects that define it.(1)
This thesis investigates the impact of furniture in student housing in the Netherlands of the 1950s and how it promotes collectivity abroad borders of ordinary architecture-elements. The Student House Weesperstraat in Amsterdam, designed by Herman Hertzberger is exemplifying how architecture-implemented furniture can form collective spaces, representing students‘ demands of the post-war urban environment in Amsterdam.
This research seeks to understand architectural design decisions made, being challenged by poverty, political countermovements, and housing shortages, concerning destitute groups like students the most. Through archival research, visual analysis of drawings, and interviews, it will be clearified how collective spaces were formed and perceived through the interplay between architecture and furniture.

(1) Le Corbusier. Precisions on the present state of architecture and city planning: with an American prologue, a Brazilian
corollary followed by The Temperature of Paris and The atmosphere of Moscow (MIT Press, 1930). 207

This research explores the evolution of beach sheds as a vernacular architectural form/relation near Antalya, tracing their transformation from unofficial recreation solutions to contested spaces during the process of gentrification and environmental politics. Emerging as a response to the modern urban need for leisure, the structures mediated relations between local communities and the coastal environment. The dynamic and volatile character of the beach sheds, -an adaptive and transitive typology-, underscores them as “wild cards” that reflect broader conflicts over the shifting socio-political context, from serving touristification to resistance against coastal gentrification.
The research problematizes the anti-heritagization and reinforcing touristic gentrification through nature conservation processes that have caused their decline in time, positioning the debate over the structures within the displacement paradigm of disadvantaged communities and various species. In looking at the materiality, spatiality, and public image of the beach shed during various periods, this research situates this custom as in constant negotiation with the use(r) and the environment. Ultimately, the continuous debate of the tradition suggests that their architectural and historical value surpasses nostalgia or denigration and offers new possibilities for interpreting and advocating for a “just and equitable share” of this shoreline.

Flood myths shape cultural memory, resilience strategies and spatial practices, reflecting how societies understand and respond to environmental disasters. These narratives do more than record past catastrophes; they convey lessons on survival, transformation and renewal. This study examines flood myths from various traditions, including Noah’s Ark, Atrahasis, Deucalion and Pyrrha, Matsya Purana, the Drowned Land of Saeftinghe, and the Namazu myth. Through spatial analysis, the research explores how these stories construct meaning through landscapes and disaster narratives.

The study identifies five spatial themes. Firstly, elevation as a refuge, highlights how mountains serve as sanctuaries and sites of renewal. Secondly, floating vessels as salvation examines arks and boats as protective spaces that preserve life and knowledge. Then, the vessel as a self-contained world considers how these spaces function as ordered microcosms during chaos. Fourthly, submerged landscapes as memory explore lost cities, and drowned lands as symbols of catastrophe, and cultural continuity. Finally, markers of disaster memory such as Japan’s tsunami stones show how communities embed disaster lessons into landscapes to guide future generations.

By combining perspectives from archaeology, mythology, and urban studies, this thesis reveals how flood myths continue to shape perceptions of risk, adaptation, and resilience. These narratives do more than preserve cultural memory; they offer lasting frameworks for understanding human responses to disasters, and the relationship between storytelling, space, and survival.

Sources note that more than a quarter of the Somali population are pastoral nomads, moving with their cattle in search of water sources and grazing. Their architecture and method of building has adapted to this way of life. The method of building an Aqal (a traditional Somali nomadic home) is an intrinsic part of Somali culture and is kept alive by the nomadic community. However despite this persisting tradition, the Aqals themselves are always temporary. This paper intends to explore the impact this temporality has on the user and their sense of space. Particularly pertaining to the sense of identity and comfort a person can attach to an item that is never exactly the same but still recognisable.

This thesis aims to use indigenous knowledge sharing methods such as oral retelling in the form of extensive open conversational style interviews with the authors mother, Canab Cali, who formerly lived nomadically and worked on constructing elements of the Aqal. There will be an extensive exploration in the extent to which temporality is reflected in other aspects of Somali culture and how the Aqal’s ephemeral architecture affirms or rejects common design theories proposed by western authors such as Richard Sennet, Nelson Goodman as well as utilising theories presented by Somali authors such as Maxamed Cartan Xaange and Mohamed Ibrahim Warsame (Hadrawi).

Anthony Leeds’ photographic documentation of Rio de Janeiro’s favelas (1965–1966) highlights different aspects of spatial informality by capturing how residents adapt communal spaces to cultivate cultural and social resilience. This paper employs a contextual framework to analyze Leeds’ images as constructions of narrative, focusing on three spatial typologies: squares (hubs of community life), murals (sites of political and artistic expression), and alleys (liminal thresholds between private and public realms). Through these categories, the analysis reveals how unplanned spaces enable fluidity, allowing inhabitants to reshape their environment through temporary physical appropriation while also acknowledging tensions like encroachment risks. The paper frames favelas as dynamic landscapes where architecture and culture intertwine. These informal settlements, as such, are not voids of disorder but spaces of inventive adaptation. The study invites further research into how contemporary informal settlements negotiate spatial agency.

This paper aims to explore the visibility and impact of Buddhist temples in The Netherlands, focusing on the integration of Buddhist practices in the Dutch society. The research will analyze the transformation of the former Victor & Gezellenkerk to the Dhammakaya temple in Afferden. It delves into how this architectural and cultural shift reflects broader themes of pluralism, secularism and social integration within the Dutch society.

The research traces the evolution of Buddhism in the Netherlands, from the first written scripture about Buddhism, migration to the establishment of Buddhist temples. It highlights how the now Dhammakaya Temple preserved the church’s Christian architectural elements, reliefs, repurposing spaces, but blending them in with Buddhist elements. The transformation honors the building’s history while accommodating Buddhist (Thai) practices. The paper further investigates community responses, from resistance to acceptance, showing how consideration can foster cultural coexistence. This case study of the Dhammakaya Temple shows how religious spaces can serve as a dynamic dialogue, embodying both continuity and adaptation in the now pluralistic Dutch society.

This research investigates the Aruban veranda as both an architectural element and a socio-cultural space, employing Henri Lefebvre’s spatial triad and Martina Löw’s relational theory to analyse its dual role as a physical threshold and a site of social interaction. While existing scholarship on Caribbean architecture has focused on climatic function or colonial influences, this study addresses a critical gap by examining how verandas mediate between private and public life in Aruba. Through a mixed-methods approach, including archival photography, contemporary photographic documentation, and mental mapping, the research reveals how verandas are dynamically constructed through everyday practices, cultural traditions like dande, and performative self-staging. The findings demonstrate that verandas, though architecturally diverse, consistently function as liminal spaces: they facilitate circulation, host gatherings, and embody contradictions (open yet enclosed, private yet performative). Mental maps highlight their emotional significance, with “family” emerging as a central theme. The study challenges static typologies by positioning verandas as relational constructs. This interdisciplinary framework deepens our understanding of the social role of vernacular architecture, providing a model for exploring how design and culture interact within transitional spaces across different contexts.