An illustrated celebration of how wood is used in modern architecture as a thermal and acoustic insulator and to bring warmth and texture to buildings.

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...

Since the 1960s, art and architecture have experienced a series of radical and reciprocal trades. While artists have simulated ‘architectural’ means like plans and models, built structures and pavilions outside art institutions, or intervened in urban and public spaces, architects have employed ‘artistic’ strategies inside art institutions, in exhibitions, biennales and art events. At the same time, art galleries and museums have combined both activities in an interdisciplinary, hybri...

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...

Een vast onderdeel van onze vakantie in het buitenland is voor velen een bezoek aan een kerk. Maar waarom doen we dat in eigen land niet? Kerkinterieurs in Nederland laat zien dat de rijkdom van het Nederlandse kerkinterieur minstens zo indrukwekkend en divers is. Kenmerkend is de middeleeuwse kerk met een protestantse inrichting. Maar we hebben ook barokke schuilkerken, uitbundig gedecoreerde negentiende-eeuwse katholieke kerken, en strakke naoorlogse kerkinterieurs. In alle perioden van onz...