Climate change and rising sea levels pose significant challenges for coastal cities like Rotterdam. My graduation project, Living with Water, explores how architecture can contribute to water-resilient living environments while enriching the human experience of water. The project focuses on the Merwehaven, a transformation area outside the dike, which faces a high risk of flooding but also presents opportunities to strengthen Rotterdam’s connection with its harbour and water.
The central research question asks: “How can architecture accommodate rising sea levels, ensuring human experience and sustainability in the context of the harbour of Rotterdam?” By integrating floating and amphibious housing typologies, sustainable materials, and innovative construction techniques, the project proposes a residential building that strengthens its connection to water. Additional functions—such as community centres, exhibition spaces, and educational facilities—enhance the area’s social and cultural value.
The research consists of two key elements: exploring how architecture can influence human perception and emotional engagement with water and examining the technical possibilities of building with water. Through case study analysis and a multisensory design framework, the project highlights water’s impact on sight, sound, smell, touch, and taste. The findings show that integrating water-sensitive design principles can enhance the resilience and livability of port cities.
This project contributes to the broader discourse on climate-adaptive architecture, offering a prototype that balances technical innovation with social and ecological awareness. It serves as a model for other coastal cities worldwide, demonstrating how water-resilient architecture can create sustainable, vibrant urban environments.

The construction sector is one of the most resource-intensive industries globally, contributing significantly to environmental degradation and greenhouse gas emissions. Transitioning towards a circular economy within the built environment offers a promising solution by emphasizing the reuse of building materials. This paper explores the potential of data-driven design methodologies to facilitate the integration of reclaimed materials into new architectural projects. A structured design tool is developed to assess the reuse potential of building materials, incorporating factors such as material quality, disassembly index and lifecycle performance. Through a case study involving materials sourced from the Megastores shopping mall in The Hague, the research demonstrates how data-driven approaches can a guide for deposition decisions of building materials for new circular buildings. Case studies of successful architectural projects like Biopartner 5, K.118, and Resource Rows give insights into design implementation with reclaimed building materials. This study highlights the critical need for architects to adopt innovative design tools and practices to meet sustainability targets while leveraging the untapped value of donor building.

The graduation project, "STAHLstadl: Sustainable Transformation Alpine Hospitality & Landscape” focuses on creating a circular building that aligns with the traditions of the Alps while addressing contemporary environmental challenges. This project seeks to act as an example of a new form of sustainable tourism, while contributing to closing Austria's Circularity Gap. It emphasises the importance of allowing people to enjoy and learn about the unique qualities of the Alps without causing harm, instead giving back to nature through circular and sustainable strategies. The research investigates the application of circular building strategies within the context of Alpine Architecture and sustainable tourism. With the Alps as a historically rich laboratory for experimentation, this study positions the region as a testing ground for circular building methods. Austria’s Circularity Gap, particularly in the construction sector, reveals significant potential for integrating circular solutions to reduce material consumption, improve resource efficiency, and minimise environmental impact. Conducting a combination of literature study, case study analyses and forming strategic frameworks, this research identifies actionable approaches to close material loops, prioritising locally sourced, renewable, and reclaimed materials. The findings demonstrate the feasibility of aligning architectural practices with Austria’s sustainability goals while addressing challenges unique to Alpine environments, such as climate change, fragile ecosystems, and tourism pressures. The research contributes to the broader discourse on the circular economy by offering a regional lens that balances global sustainability objectives with local ecological and cultural contexts. The proposed strategies provide a foundation for architectural interventions that not only enhance the built environment but also promote sustainable tourism practices. This work emphasises the urgency of adopting circular principles as integral components of design processes to create resilient, future-oriented solutions in the Alps and beyond.

This thesis explores the critical issue of global food insecurity and its impact on Doha, Qatar. The increasing unpredictability of climate change and the imposition of food export bans due to extreme weather events have heightened the urgency to achieve self-sufficiency in food production. This thesis delves into the impacts of climate change on food production and availability and the efforts to achieve food sustainability within urban areas. It discusses the challenges faced by Qatar, a country traditionally reliant on food imports due to its harsh desert environment and the shift towards self-sufficiency through innovative agricultural methods such as vertical farming. The research highlights the importance of prioritizing locally grown food; it looks at common vertical farm strategies and what are the best approaches to not only produce food in arid regions but to increase production yield and deploy automated vertical farms en masse in multiple areas simultaneously, inspiring a new era of sustainable food production.

Boerhaavewijk needs to be renovated to meet national carbon neutral goals and improve the public space. Nature-based solutions are effective tools to tackle its urban challenges. Renovation projects rarely incorporate NBs due to their added complexity. To effectively apply NBs in the context we ask what building-integrated greenery should be used to respond to conditions and challenges? We use literature to categorize the roles NBs have in a neighborhood and the parameters that influence decisions. Boerhaavewijk is then used to put it into a context. The results show that many nature- based functions have opposite parameter preferences and neighborhood characteristics can influence the decision on the building

This study explores the Vernacular Architecture of the northeastern Indian State of Assam to develop a sustainable building model tailored to modern societal demands. Over two months, field research was conducted, including analysis of traditional Assamese buildings and interviews with local residents. The research highlights the climate-responsive features of indigenous structures, such as natural ventilation and use of local materials like bamboo and clay. In contrast, contemporary constructions using concrete and steel often fail to address the region's climatic challenges, leading to increased environmental impact and inadequate living conditions. By integrating traditional practices with modern techniques and a more innovative utilization of local resources, the proposed model of Contemporary Vernacular Architecture (CVA) aims to create resilient, culturally relevant, and environmentally sustainable buildings, fostering a balance between nature and people.
Based on the CVA model, a structural system was developed that responds to the local context of Assam while considering socio-cultural desires. In the next step, the structural system was adapted to the specific needs of the Akshar school in Guwahati. Merging the CVA model with the specific needs of the school led to the design of a dorm and workshop. The project aims to inspire the next generation of Assamese youth to become more aware of the potential around them and within themselves.

The tourism industry has experienced significant growth over recent decades, resulting in overcrowding and carrying capacity issues in concentrated tourist areas (mass tourism). This influx strains local resources, especially water supply systems, in regions prone to scarcity, such as (semi-)arid and remote areas like islands. Many Thai islands, reliant on tourism, face water shortages exacerbated during high tourist seasons and periods of low rainfall. Inadequate wastewater management further pollutes local ecosystems as untreated wastewater is discharged into the sea, contaminating seawater and groundwater alike. The growth of mass tourism on these islands not only leads to ecological damage but also erodes cultural heritage, as traditional structures are increasingly replaced by modern resorts. My graduation project, “Modern Sala,” addresses these impacts by transforming a site into a recreational space for local residents. It emphasizes environmental awareness through sustainable water management, local material use, and natural integration. Modern Sala seeks self-sufficiency by cultivating food, reusing water, and purifying seawater for safe public swimming, restoring part of the environment to the community. Flexible, multi-purpose spaces adapt to evolving needs, positioning the project as a model for balanced, community-focused tourism development.

This presentation delves into the comprehensive redevelopment of ‘De Centrale,’ a heritage building in Amsterdam-New West. The project aims to balance the preservation of historical value with sustainable redevelopment strategies. The research phase employed a case study analysis, literature review, and material comparison, focusing on minimizing embodied and operational energy while maintaining the building’s heritage.

Heritage buildings face challenges such as vacancy and demolition amidst urban development. This project addresses the question of sustainable redevelopment by examining energy implications. Embodied energy pertains to the total energy required to produce a product, while operational energy concerns the energy needed to operate a building throughout its lifetime. The project’s methodology centered on these two energy types and the building's heritage value.

The site analysis revealed a lack of green structures and significant influence from nearby high-rise developments. The building's context and heritage elements, such as concrete façade elements and a prominent chimney, guided the design approach. Despite the building's outdated function, its unique architectural features and recent use as a boxing school provide significant heritage value.

The final design transforms the building into a community center with multifunctional spaces, including sports facilities, a lounge area, a restaurant, and flexible workspaces. The design preserves the building's heritage while introducing modern elements for sustainability and community engagement. Detailed considerations for water treatment, structural integrity, and climatic design further support the building's sustainable redevelopment, ensuring a harmonious blend of historical preservation and modern functionality.

The construction sector is responsible as one of the largest emitters of carbon and nitrogen, and as a user of water. In addition, it is a linear construction process that creates new materials from non-renewable resources. Furthermore, the built environment in the Netherlands is becoming overcrowded and there are insufficient regulations for the preservation of historical buildings. The aim of this research is to apply bio-based materials in the conservation of historical buildings for a circular and sustainable renovation. For this purpose, the following main question has been formulated: “How can bio-based materials enhance sustainability and circularity in architectural renovation while prioritizing the conservation & preservation of architectural heritage?”. Foundation of the research are the 10 R’s of circularity, BREAAM and LEED. In addition, software was used to select materials and properties based on sustainability parameters. Combined with a heritage assessment, it indicates which materials can be used in the conservation and renovation of heritage buildings. This research has yielded a practical tool designed to enhance the sustainability and circularity of architectural renovations with a focus on bio-based materials. This framework also addresses the preservation of heritage qualities of buildings. Moreover, the outcome of the introduced tool contributes to the reduction of carbon and nitrogen emissions, as well as water consumption. It also actively supports the transition towards a cir

As the accelerating climate change has its effect on the frequency and intensity of rainfalls and the rising sea level, more interventions need to be taken to protect our cities from unpredictable floods and droughts. Therefore, adjusting and transforming our current existing city structure to an inclusive water-retaining system city structure with a healthy living environment has to become a priority when shaping our future-proof city. Our cities should have a sponge function that allows the building to absorb and release water when needed. Unfortunetly, among people there still is lack of awareness when it comes to sustainable water re-use and collective water management. The question that remains is how we can motivate all stakeholders, to work together on collective water management as the people with a low income will not have the capacity to invest but might be willling to help maintaining this system. Research about the integration of sustainable urban drainage systems on three different scales is created (landscape scale, urban square scale and social building scale) that can be used to help guide designers and planners tackle the water problem areas and still be able to build in floodable areas while reducing the safety risk of people living there. The motivating factor on how to stimulate people for water saving habits is here of essence. Using water as visual element in design, might help bring on the idea of how water could be re-used, while it also helps to bond people. Biomimicry and biophilia contribute to the creation of these building typologies, that visually and physically influence our well-being, and are aspects that are both visual pleasant design principles that help create understanding. These three topics could be combined using water as a connecting bridge, which led to the following research question: “How can the qualities and potentials of natural water cycles be embedded in our current city structure to connect water, nature, and buildings on different scales by translating research about biomimicry, biophilia and water sensitive design interventions into a design approach for an existing area?” The aim of the design is then to optimize the existing city structure regarding water conservation and revitilize the current living environment to a healthier habitat that benefits inhabitants on multiple aspects. From the research and design process, it has become clear that it is quite a challenge to intergate water sustainable systems where people can have interaction with, but the design approach has showed that it is possible to implement the technical interventions in an aesthetical, but convincing way, without disrupting the overall design and could even lead to innovative new design ideas. The design is hereby used as a translation tool to address communities on how to become sustainable on indoor and outdoor level. By using different design criteria that can be applied to each location with a unique approach, the research becomes generic but is still location specific. And since the existing areas that are facing floods and drought are being transformed into interconnecting spheres of water retainment, a deeper connection to nature is created. Looking at all the interventions that need to be built and integrated it would cost a lot of investments to be able to build water resilient buildings that function as a sponge. Stakeholders need to be convinced of the long term benefits the building would generate for them, like insurances. It turns out that you have to use smart tricks, like using cheap and local building materials that would outweight the costs of the sustainable urban drainage systems. By focussing on the small sustainable technical water re-use improvenemts, it can help to strenghen our environment regarding flood risk reduction is therefore of imporance as it brings a more positive glance of the future and encourages people to think of creative outcomes.

The building industry's emphasis on cost-driven standardization has led to more waste, prompting a need for resource-efficient methods. While coreless-filament winding (CFW) with materials like flax fibers show promise, a research gap is present. This study explores how computational design, coupled with coreless-filament winding, can create modular, demountable, and aesthetically valued fiber-based building systems. The methodologies chosen are research-by-design and prototyping, which generates various design options that are supported by literature and insights from an expert in the field. The viability of flax fiber-based building systems, using CFW, relies on the intended function. While flax is optimal for structural and thermally insulated elements, addressing weatherproofing and flammability necessitates a combination of different fiber types in bespoke fibrous tectonic structures.

This paper delves into the potential of local and nature-inclusive cultivation to serve as a sustainable source for biobased building materials. The research is projected on a case study of the design of an estate house at country estate Nederrijk, to address the application of such agricultural and constructive practices.

The results cover available methods of nature-inclusive agriculture, by conducting a thorough literature study on nature-inclusive agriculture methods, with a focus on intercropping, season rotation, and buffer zones. In addition, a thorough location analysis of the design location Nederrijk will provide data on soil, vegetation, and climate conditions to understand the unique context for potential cultivation. This information is combined into a matrix that outlines viable biobased building materials for cultivation at Nederrijk, considering availability and suitability.

The findings result in the observation that for the case-study Nederrijk, a variety of available tree species are most suitable for construction and finishing. The use of grass is optimal for insulation. These results are quantified and visualised.

The thematic research aims to explore the potential of locally sourced building materials, with a particular focus on agriculture as a resource for biobased construction materials. It investigates the possibility of future farmers transitioning from solely food production to also providing sustainable building materials. Thereby answering the thematic research question:

To what extent can the local and nature-inclusive cultivation of crops and tree varieties be utilized as a sustainable and viable source of biobased building materials for the construction of an estate house at the country estate Nederrijk?

Living informally in a former Surabaya municipal landfill and situated close to the Wonokromo River, lower-income groups face complex challenges, including limited access to clean water, a deteriorated living ecosystem, and threats of eviction and climate change. Groundwater pollution from leachate, inaccessibility to municipal water utilities due to a lack of formal land ownership, and polluted river water have left these communities struggling for nearly ten years to obtain access to basic water needs. Coupled with climate change, they also face water-related risks such as urban floods, river floods, water scarcity, rising urban temperatures, and food production loss.
The project proposes a retrofit strategy for Surabaya’s water system at both the household and kampung scales. It aims to adapt water into circular economy principles by exploring rainwater as an alternative water source, designing out waste and reusing resources through wastewater and stormwater management, and regenerating natural ecosystems through water infiltration and groundwater recharge.
The approach employs nature-based solutions (NBS), balancing blue and green infrastructure with biobased materials and low-tech solutions designed to be implemented by local communities. At the urban and landscape scale, the design includes creating a buffer zone by stepping back from the river edge to restore the river’s original function and provide flood protection for the community. At the housing level, retrofit strategies involve harvesting rainwater and adding lightweight bamboo structures to create two-story houses, with the upper level serving as a flood shelter. At the community level, each household is equipped with shared gutters, rain barrels, water purification systems, and a water point square featuring a rainwater tap module, infiltration pond, and water storage for the dry season.
This project delivers a set of strategies for retrofitting the kampung’s water system in Surabaya at macro (kampung), meso (street kampung), and micro (household) scales. It aims to make these vulnerable groups self-sufficient, enhance their health and wellbeing, and help them contribute to the recovery of their living ecosystem.

Without realising it, a building can have a lot of impact on user health. Using literature studies and interviews in two case studies, we looked at how physical elements in a building affect the user's experience. These physical elements are nature, material, air, light, dimensions, smell, sound and temperature. These interviews took place in shopping malls. As it happens, more and more shopping malls are becoming vacant. The design case for this project, the Oranjerie, also experienced this. Located in the city centre of Apeldoorn, this shopping mall has been battling this vacancy for ages. In this design, I propose adding more nature, applying healthy (bio-based) materials where necessary, reusing or recycling materials, connecting indoors with outdoors more, creating multiple meeting places and mixing different functions. By opening up the traffic area, but still keeping the roof, an adaptable space is created with a climate that changes throughout the seasons. Through these interventions, I hope to create a healthy environment where people feel comfortable and can meet. By creating multiple types of spaces, it creates a lively area where people can shop, live, eat or just unwind.

In recent years, shopping malls are facing an increasing amount of vacancy problems, due to the rise in online shopping. The research within this project looked into the visitors’ perspective concerning the functional, architectural, identifiable and social values of three shopping malls in the Netherlands. The outcome of the research shows that the visitors value the functional aspects of the mall most often, with everyday values such as ‘the grocery stores’, ‘the fact that the mall is nearby’ or that there are ‘a lot of shops’. From the outcome of the research, it could be concluded that the emphasis at the mall is on the necessary activities.

To create a place where a broader spectrum of activities will take place, the re-design of the Mall of Schalkwijk (Haarlem) focuses on a mix of functions with the addition of different dwelling types, offices, shops and green spaces. The connecting element in the project is the passage, which is repurposed from a closed traffic space to an open place to stay. The passage connects the shops and restaurants with a new square at the location of the old expedition space of the shops. An important factor in the design is the implementation of green to reduce the UHI effect and to increase human comfort at the site. Important interventions in the re-design are a boulevard with a green colonnade, façade gardens, green roofs and the quadrupling of the amount of trees on the site. To conclude, this re-design is an attempt to value what is already there and improve, making it ready for the future.

In a time of increasing awareness for the environment and rising energy prices, an efficiency in our material use is of paramount importance. This research is built on the notion that the design of light structures has a positive effect on the energy use of the built environment. The tent has been chosen to examine this approach of lightness in the domain of architecture. In an attempt to make the tent more efficient, the parasitic properties of the tent system are utilized by attaching it to an infrastructural object that can be found everywhere in the world: The Flyover. In the paper, a framework is developed to classify boundary tensioned membrane tents (a branch of the tensile structure systems), combine twelve of those types with the flyover, and evaluate the combinations by measuring them against spatial and structural attributes. The design portion is focussed on a a metro flyover in Rootterdam South. Multiple small-scale intervention will be introduced to heal the urban fabric surrounding this flyover.

Around the world, the Netherlands has a respectable reputation when it comes to water management, with other countries applying best practices to their own water related challenges. This reputation of the Netherlands has been a result of a decade long tradition of living with challenging water conditions. This has resulted in a highly cultured polder landscape that is iconic to the Dutch identity. This research report will explore how this iconic landscape and its buildings will need to adapt to changing climate conditions and how more awareness could be formed for the country’s special relationship to surrounding water. Focus on this transition is important, as the reclaimed land lies several meters under NAP and is also the location that most housing projects in the Dutch Randstad will be situated on. The ultimate aim of the paper is to create an architectonical tactic for Flood Risk Management (FRM) that can add value to Dutch polder areas by increasing awareness regarding the Dutch relationship to water.

This project aims to transform an old vacant office former tax building in Leeuwarden into a healthy living community, enhancing the health and well-being of its residents. By creating a welcoming environment with green spaces and amenities, the project promotes physical and mental well-being, community engagement, and high quality of life. The impact of a double-skinned façade on health and well-being is explored, focusing on natural light, ventilation, noise attenuation, and social spaces. With rising housing prices, this intervention targets the elderly, university students, and starters to address the housing crisis and provide adaptable healthy living housing options.

With the rise of all-electric buildings the load on the electrical grid grows. This could slow down the energy transition and densification of existing neighbourhoods as the current grid is not capable to withstand a higher load. This research gathers literature on different peak shaving techniques to create a clear overview and investigates the impact on the load profile when techniques are combined. This new insight in combined techniques will provide a solid basis to develop a more detailed modelling tool to simulate the actual energy use and generation on a daily and annual basis. The load profiles of these techniques are combined with the existing energy demand curve to see how these techniques reduce peak loads that occur during the day. To asses the influence on the annual load curve the ZED-tool was used to simulate peak shaving techniques on a case-study building. The results show that a combination of outside insulation, sun shading and a heat pump flatten the daily and annual load profile significantly. However the implementation of east and west facing façade PV in combination with wind energy decreases the peak loads the most. Finally when all techniques are combined with a battery a building block can become not only energy neutral but almost self sufficient.

These research results were developed into a design for the renovation of a post-war appartmentbuilding in Haarlem Schalkwijk. In the new design other topics like densification, flexibility and climate adaptation were addressed as well to improve the post-war neighbourhood. This design is a base for a bigger renovation strategy that could be implemented in multiple post-war neighbourhoods in the Netherlands.

The urban area of Dakar (Senegal) is growing in its extents and population. Necessities to facilitate this growth include social, economic, environmental and governmental planning. Currently, underprivileged groups are not sufficiently included in large scale urban development plans by the public sector (Cissé, 2022 - p. 47). This paper analyses the social dynamics of the spatial fabric in a traditional village setting in Kholpa in the Dakar region. It informs an alternative approach to the western suburb style of urban planning currently aimed to be developed in the greater region of this village. The advantages of the historical settlement typology are mainly attributed in the realm of social cohesion through frequent social interactions in collective spaces. The challenges lie in the provision of building services or permitting adaptability to higher densities of above 300 persons per hectare.