Waterscapes Of Resilience
Harmonizing Nature and Flood Resilient Community Living
D. Sharma (TU Delft - Architecture and the Built Environment)
O Klijn – Mentor (TU Delft - Public Building and Housing Design)
R. Kuijlenburg – Mentor (TU Delft - Teachers of Practice / AE+T)
BT Haileselassie – Mentor (TU Delft - Public Building and Housing Design)
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Abstract
Waterscapes of Resilience explores how innovative housing design in wetland regions can address the dual imperatives of environmental sustainability and community resilience in the context of increasing flood risks. Grounded in the Dutch Delta—specifically Midden-Delfland—this thesis responds to the ecological vulnerabilities and socio-spatial disconnections caused by rigid flood infrastructure and urbanization. It critiques prevailing paradigms that treat nature as a threat to control and instead proposes a framework rooted in re-territorialization—a spatial, ecological, and cultural realignment between human settlements and dynamic water systems.
The research employs a multi-method approach combining literature review, international case study analysis, ethnographic interviews, site mapping, and iterative design modeling. It synthesizes concepts of de-synchronization, community-based design, and adaptive architecture to develop spatial strategies that reimagine housing not as static shelter, but as an evolving interface between water, ecology, and society.
The resulting design proposal envisions a modular, resilient housing community integrated with green-blue infrastructure. Key technological ideas include floodable wall systems with removable cladding, breathable insulation, and a hybrid timber-concrete foundation system tailored for wetland conditions. Communal spaces—such as water plazas, walkable levees, and shared terraces—support social interaction and collective flood response.
By embedding climate adaptation into the DNA of housing and community design, the project advances a regenerative architectural approach that not only withstands flood events but thrives through ecological cohabitation. This thesis contributes a resilient, scalable, and inclusive housing model for deltaic regions facing climate uncertainty, while reinforcing the role of architecture as a critical mediator between human and natural systems.