The architecture and construction sector is struggling with a number of major problems. These problems are linked to global crises concerning: ecology, social themes, economy, and the individual. This accumulation of problems can be, when looking to the architecture sector, summarized as the housing crisis, which is widely recognized nationally. This report provides an analysis of these problems and links them to available solutions. According to several experts, part of the solution to the housing crisis appears to lie in transforming existing homes by splitting them and, where necessary, expanding them.

This report specifically investigates how existing rowhouses in the Netherlands can be transformed through splitting and, where necessary, expansion. The aim is to explore the potential for this solution to the housing crisis. Through interviews with experts, the requirements and themes important for this type of project are examined at a practical level. Furthermore, design research into spatial possibilities is conducted through experimentation.

As a result, a design has been created based on a developed concept. This concept can be used as a tool to tackle a project in which existing rowhouses will be transformed. Advice and recommendations are also provided for future projects. ... Read more

In response to increasing urban densification and changing programmatic requirements, this graduation project explores topping-up of existing buildings as a strategy to enable growth, change, and reconfiguration of a Building over time. The project aims to develop a modular timber construction system informed by the analysis of existing adaptive structural systems. It focuses on embedding adaptability not only within secondary building layers, but also at the level of the primary structure. The proposed system is tested within a site-specific context to evaluate its suitability for long-term transformation, selective renovation, and architectural resilience. ... Read more

This graduation project investigates how timber topping-up and bridge interventions can revitalise the Stadstimmertuin in Amsterdam, using the city’s historical timber construction tradition as an active design driver. From 1662 until 1899, the Stadstimmertuin served as Amsterdam’s principal timber storage and processing yard. Over time, the open courtyard was gradually filled with buildings of varied origin, leaving the site fragmented, largely inactive outside office hours, and disconnected from the public realm. Despite this condition, the block retains the latent potential of a rare, large-scale enclosed courtyard in Amsterdam’s historic inner city.

The research is structured around the Double Diamond framework: Discover, Define, Develop, and Deliver. Through which design and research continuously inform one another. The inquiry addresses five interrelated sub-questions spanning site analysis, the structural and spatial logic of Amsterdam’s historical timber building tradition, the typology of historical Dutch timber bridges, a revitalisation strategy for the courtyard block and the translation of historical precedent into a contemporary timber building.

Site analysis reveals the Stadstimmertuin as a palimpsest: a layered urban condition in which different periods of transformation coexist without forming a resolved whole. Rather than treating this fragmentation as a deficit, the research proposes it as a generative starting point. The analysis of Amsterdam’s timber tradition reveals it as a deeply integrated system in which corbels, bracing elements, and portal frames are not merely structural components, but part of a combined structural and architectural logic, where elements may appear ornamental while simultaneously performing a structural role. This systems-based reading extends into historical Dutch timber bridge typologies, where structural necessity and spatial richness are consistently intertwined. A relationship directly applicable to elevated connections within a dense urban courtyard.

The architectural proposal operates at three levels. Programmatically, the Timber Institute of Amsterdam is introduced as the central anchor: an institution dedicated to timber knowledge and craftsmanship that re-establishes the site’s historical identity and sustains activity across the day. Spatially, the topping-up of existing buildings and the introduction of elevated timber bridge connections transform the courtyard from a two-dimensional enclosure into a three-dimensional network of spaces, creating new circulation routes and spatial relationships between previously disconnected buildings. Tectonically, the design reinterprets the historical tradition through glulam structural systems, hardwood connection details derived from Dutch joinery\ and selective steel reinforcement at high-stress nodes maintaining structural clarity and material honesty without formal reproduction.

The enclosed site presents several constraints, including limited crane access, restricted vehicular entry, and close proximity to Amsterdam’s waterways. These conditions can be understood as continuities of the historical circumstances that originally shaped the timber-building tradition itself. Water-based transport and prefabricated construction are integrated into the assembly strategy accordingly.

The research concludes that Amsterdam’s historical timber tradition gains value when approached as a critical and constructive system rather than as a superficial reference. Providing not only a material and formal vocabulary, but also a disciplined way of thinking about the relationship between structure, space, and place. The result is a hybrid timber architecture that is neither a nostalgic reconstruction nor an abstraction, but a grounded reinterpretation of a specific and locally rooted building culture. ... Read more

As cities continue to densify, the opportunity for silence and sensory recovery within the urban environment becomes increasingly urgent. Traditional interior public spaces that historically allowed for quiet, unstructured presence are disappearing, while the constant demand for attention from noise, movement, and digital stimulation continues to grow. This project argues that the contemporary city is missing a typology: a space designed not for program or spectacle, but for the restoration of the body and mind.
Urban Retreat proposes a public sensory recovery space as a timber top-up on the roof of Hotel Krasnapolsky on Dam Square in Amsterdam, the busiest location in the country, and therefore the place where the need is greatest. Six spaces across two routes gradually reintroduce the senses after a period of deliberate stillness, moving from a dark acoustically absorbed decompression room through spaces of increasing sensory complexity toward a rooftop garden open to weather and sky. Timber operates as the primary structural and atmospheric material throughout, informed by evidence-based research into the physiological effects of natural materiality, color, sound, and scent on the human nervous system. The project demonstrates that sensory experience should drive architectural and technical decisions from the outset, and that spaces of sensory recovery deserve to be understood as necessary urban infrastructure. ... Read more

As urban housing demand increases and available land becomes increasingly scarce, vertical densification offers an important strategy for adding dwellings within the existing city. This research investigates how the reduction of building mass can redefine architectural expression in residential timber top-ups, using the Kalverpassage in Amsterdam as a case study.
The project explores lightweighting as both a technical and architectural design method. Through comparative material studies, parametric structural evaluation, building-physics research, and iterative dwelling design, the study examines how mass can be minimized while maintaining spatial, structural, and environmental quality. The research focuses on four interrelated dimensions: load-bearing structure, building physics, dwelling allocation, and interior floor plan optimization.
The design proposes a lightweight timber top-up that responds to the existing structural grid, using optimized floors, columns, beams, and transfer trusses to reduce added load. Collective and private dwelling types are allocated according to structural capacity, while compact floor plans use vertical stacking, multifunctional space, integrated storage, and long sightlines to reduce required floor area. Building-physics performance is achieved through layered façade systems, acoustic decoupling, fire protection, solar shading, ventilation, and localized material mass.
The thesis concludes that lightweight architecture is not defined by thinness alone, but by the strategic organization of structure, space, climate, and detail. ... Read more

This graduation project examines the gap between the contemporary capabilities of timber construction and its limited visibility in dense urban architecture. Despite advances in engineered timber products and durability strategies, timber is rarely used in exposed, public-facing applications in cities such as Amsterdam. This absence is shaped by historical experiences, regulatory frameworks, construction practices, and public perception, which together sustain persistent misconceptions about timber’s durability and suitability at an urban scale.
The project explores how a Timber Knowledge Platform, positioned above an existing mixed-use building ensemble, can reintroduce visible timber into the urban fabric. By focusing on durability-driven architectural strategies and public-scale spatial conditions, the project investigates how timber can remain visibly present while performing reliably over time. ... Read more

Amsterdam’s housing shortage, combined with spatial, ecological, and heritage constraints, has increased interest in timber topping-up as a strategy for urban densification without demolition. While technically promising, most topping-up projects prioritise efficiency and market logic, often neglecting resident agency and long-term social resilience. This graduation project investigates how timber topping-up can function not only as a construction strategy, but as a socio-material framework for collective learning, participation, and adaptation.
Using a research-by-design approach, the project combines site analysis, policy review, precedent studies, and community input. Case studies are critically analysed to examine relationships between resident agency, adaptability, reversibility, and construction accessibility. These insights inform a design framework grounded in participatory timber construction.
Applied to a case study in Kattenburg, Amsterdam, the project proposes a 50% topping-up intervention that integrates new housing with shared and productive spaces. Through a modular, legible timber system that supports incremental change, the design demonstrates how topping-up can contribute to socially and climate-resilient urban transformation. ... Read more

As urban areas face increasing densification and a rise in individual living amid the Dutch housing crisis, traditional housing models often fail to support the adaptability needed across changing mobility, care, and changing family strucutres over a lifetime. This research positions timber construction as a strategy for incremental and continuous change in intergenerational living, leveraging its high strength to weight ratio, user approachability, its associations with craftsmanship and self-build culture to empower residents with greater agency over their living spaces. Focusing on systems that allow modification, disassembly, and reuse, the study categorizes adaptation strategies across short-, medium-, and long-term timeframes, each with distinct requirements for materials, components, and construction methods. An assessment matrix then relates timber connection types and biogenic material assemblies to these temporal layers and scales. This research results in a playbook: a practical guide for architects and self-building residents to design for future adaptation opportunities. Based on these findings, this playbook aims to guide architects and self building residents through the strategies used to design the building for future adaptation opportunities, identifying the possibilities for adaptation, and the criteria and methods to achieve them. This playbook will include performance-based criteria and strategies for permissible development, promoting wider use of biogenic materials, with the goal of creating living environments that can evolve over time, and respond accordingly to the needs of residents and the changing urban environment. ... Read more

Amsterdam’s population is expected to grow 20% by 2035. To accommodate this increase in population, Amsterdam is planning the Haven-stad transformation, turning an area west of the city centre into a city inside the city. The Haven-stad plan also includes a bridge linking the NDSM-werf to the Minervahaven, two areas that are to be transformed into high density mixed-use neighbourhoods. Most of the land available has already been built on, or is under construction, so underused spaces must be used to the fullest. This research investigates how this new bridge crossing the IJ river, can contribute to the densification of Amsterdam, by reintroducing the typology of a multifunctional bridge. By analyzing historical bridge proposals, case studies of multifunctional bridges, and conducting a SWOT-analysis, the study explores how a bridge crossing the IJ river can support diverse functions, such as housing, commerce, and culture. A research-by-design approach combines the found typologies of the case studies with the SWOT-analysis, resulting in a multifunctional bridge that connects Amsterdam to a regional bike network, connects the north and south of the city and contributes to the urban development of the Minervahaven and NDSM-area. This research opens opportunities for further research into other urban structures that are underused or how this typology would work in other cities or regions. ... Read more

This research examines the complexities of assessing environmental performance in the context of building design, focusing on the balance between CO₂ sequestration and embodied energy. Central to this study is the development of a model designed to maximize carbon uptake and minimize the embodied energy of buildings. Key results include the identification of critical parameters, such as the extension of a building's lifespan and its relationship with environmental impact, as well as the crucial balance between CO₂ and embodied energy. The model emphasizes the importance of these parameters, with particular attention to the lack of data on life cycle energy and its impact on carbon accounting. The methodology involves the identification and critical evaluation of these parameters, and Dutch databases, such as the Nationale Milieu Database (NMD) and calculation methods like the MPG, transforming them into a model for practical application within the design process. This study concludes that extending a building’s lifespan plays a significant role in reducing its carbon footprint over time, and that transparent, standardized methodologies and comprehensive data collection are essential to optimize the environmental impact of building designs. ... Read more

This research investigates the potential of biobased and vapour-open construction principles with the objective to increase health and well-being in residential architecture. Conventional building materials and airtight construction methods often contribute to poor indoor air quality, leading to issues such as the Sick Building Syndrome (SBS). By contrast, biobased materials, and vapour-open façade designs allow for natural moisture regulation, improved air circulation, and reduced indoor pollutants. Through literature review, a case study, most notably the Hemphouse project, and performance simulations, this study examines the technical feasibility and environmental benefits of these sustainable building practices. Findings suggest that vapour-open structures can passively manage indoor humidity levels, reduce mould risks, and enhance overall occupant comfort. Additionally, the integration of locally sourced, renewable materials aligns with climate-conscious design strategies, supporting both ecological sustainability and healthier living environments here in The Netherlands. The results advocate for a shift in residential architecture, promoting breathable and nature-inspired design solutions as viable alternatives to conventional building methods. ... Read more

Computer-aided design and parametric modelling offer constantly evolving methods of systematizing architectural design. This research builds on existing theories of systems and patterns in architecture to form a new basis for the design of systematic architecture, using a process of patternmaking. Pattern-based design becomes a tool for finding flexibility and range within a modular system. ... Read more

The Netherlands is facing a large housing crisis, with a shortage of 390.000 dwellings in 2023. To speed up the construction process, modular building can be used. In this paper, the creation of spatial quality within modular building is investigated. Spatial quality is here understood as the combination of experience value, user value, and future value. The investigation focused on the communal spaces of buildings. Literature was used to find fifteen positive influences on spatial quality. An assessment method was created by observing how many influences were present within specific cases. By comparing this result to an initial judgement of the spatial quality of the cases, the reliability of this tool was found to be good. When comparing the communal spaces of the different case studies to each other, not every influence was directly affected by the change of the organization. When considering only the influences that change with different organizations, the exterior vertical core and “portiek” organization both scored the highest, suggesting these ways of organizing the communal space of modular building brings the highest spatial quality. The assessment method that was used to get this result should be expanded further to remove some of the flaws. The current method does not apply a weight to the different influences, and there might be other influences not yet included in the assessment. ... Read more