Sponge Housing

Create flexibility to adapt to changing housing densities

Master thesis (2021)

Authors

J. WANG Architecture and the Built Environment

Contributors

H.A. van Bennekom History, Form & Aesthetics - Architecture and the Built Environment (supervisor 1)
H.J.M. Vande Putte Real Estate Management - Architecture and the Built Environment (supervisor 2)
Faculty
Architecture and the Built Environment
Copyright: © 2021 JIENAN WANG
Flexibility Housing Densification
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Published Date

04-03-2021

Language

English

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Faculty

Architecture and the Built Environment

Abstract

An ever-changing modern society imposes new challenges for city development, namely how the built environment can be designed for a changing population and urban housing density. This article argues that current large-scale top-down demolition and construction strategies for densification are not the most efficient and sustainable approaches. Alternatively, a proposal for a more flexible system, consisting of small-scale interventions, is put forward, with the goal of creating resilient neighbourhoods that can adapt to different dwelling densities. This article takes the neighbourhood of Hillesluis in Rotterdam South as the research subject to explore possible densification strategies. Afterwards, a new housing model of ‘Sponge housing’ is proposed that can self-regulate the number and size of houses , creating a system capable of having flexible densities.