How can we design and develop a transformation area in an integral way into an attractive and future-proof urban environment? This is the the central question of the research project Stad van de Toekomst (City of the Future).

This question is motivated by urgent social as well as local tasks in the urban areas, varying from housing demand, social inclusiveness, new economy, climate adaptation, and the like, taking into account the transitions in energy, mobility, circularity and digitization....

It is hard to imagine a world without bridges. Bridges lie at the heart of our civilization bringing growth and prosperity to our society. It is by virtue of bridges that communities are able to physically connect to new people and to new places that were previously disconnected. However, bridges are more than mere functional assets. A well designed bridge reflects mankind’s creativity and ingenuity. One could even state that the way bridges are designed tells us something about our identity.

The way that our bridges are commissioned, designed and procured is rapidly changing. Ideally the design of a bridge is made through an integrated approach that addresses all relevant technological angles, practiced by all involved disciplines through all phases of the design. In reality, many different people from many different disciplines work on the design during different phases of the project. The segregation of knowledge into discipline-specific fields, and the fragmented approach to bridge procurement, have resulted in a general lack of cohesion in bridge design. Critical investigation into how to pursue good integrated design is absent. Therefor the objective of this research is to identify a design approach, through all scales of the design, that leads to bridges that are well-integrated, that are integrally-designed and that are valued by societ...

Over the last half century, the Global South has faced a strong rise in the rate of urbanisation. Although this process differs from region to region, rapid urbanisation has created many challenges for countries in the Global South. Brazil is no different. The largest country in South America has jumped from an urban population of 44.67% in 1960 to 84.36% in 2010, according to the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE, 2018). While urban growth is relatively stable in Brazil t...

Space is the empty part of the building, but its volume is important for the activities of occupants. Architects define the general spatial structures of buildings mainly in the early design stages, and the spatial properties, the connection of the spaces and the boundary conditions of them are significant for the building function and performance. This research first clarified the relationship between spatial configuration of buildings, thermal environment and thermal comfort of occupants in...

Het is voorjaar 1934. In een modderige polder ten zuiden van Amsterdam gaat de eerste schep de grond in voor wat het grootste stadsbos ter wereld zou worden: het Amsterdamse Bos. In de decennia hierna groeide het Bosplan uit tot een uniek project. Het aanleggen van een bos in de polder was een technologisch hoogstandje en het moderne ontwerp van Cornelis van Eesteren en Jakoba Mulder baarde opzien in binnen- en buitenland. Uniek waren ook de omstandigheden waaronder het Bos tot stand kwam. In...

Architecture and urbanism can contribute to making our cities more resilient to migration. In ‘City of Comings and Goings’ Crimson brings together a cast of European cities that are marked by migration represented through authoratitive essays by local scholars. These cities are also the source of a catalogue of one hundred projects that tackle the issue of migration in many different ways and on different scales. The essays, the catalogue of projects and Crimson’s manifesto-like introdu...

In Nederland staan 10.000 woningen met het predicaat ‘experimenteel’ als resultaat van een uniek woningbouwbeleid uit de jaren zeventig. Het programma Experimentele Woningbouw zorgde vanaf 1968 voor vernieuwing in de volkshuisvesting en de stadsvernieuwing in reactie op de grootschalige en monotone woonwijken uit de jaren vijftig en zestig. Architecten, stedenbouwkundigen en hun opdrachtgevers droegen bij aan vernieuwingen op het gebied van woning, woonvorm en woonomgeving.

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This thesis explores the ways in which landscape is relevant as a concept for designing architecture. Buildings that have been designed like landscapes have become a topic in contemporary architecture. The apparent distinction between architecture and landscape is questioned in exemplary theories and new designs.

The core of this thesis is three case studies of architectural designs that use landscape strategies. The analytical model for landscape architectural composition that Steenbergen an...