This research focuses on the renovation and densification of post-war neighborhoods, often characterized by a monoculture in both housing and green spaces. These areas lack variation and connectivity, which not only limits biodiversity but also reduces the quality of life for residents. The main research question is: Which regenerative design principles for the renovation and densification of a post-war
building contribute to the densification of biodiversity within the ecologies of the urban fabric? he aim is to demonstrate that urban densification does not have to come at the expense of biodiversity but instead offers opportunities for synergy. To answer this question, methods such as literature review, case studies, and ecological analyses were employed. By studying urban biotopes and the dynamics between humans and nature, design principles were developed to integrate biodiversity into existing urban structures. Key guidelines include location-specific design, introducing more variation and strengthening connections, or disconnections. The research shows that cities are not inherently detrimental to biodiversity but possess their own ecology where flora and fauna adapt. By applying regenerative principles, cities can be transformed into living environments that support both human well-being and biodiversity. A focus on natural habitats, such as nesting opportunities for birds and bats, makes buildings an integral part of the ecosystem. The conclusion is that urban densification offers an opportunity to combine biodiversity with human needs, provided that flora and fauna are included as key actors from the start of the design process. This research highlights the importance of regenerative designs that redefine cities as dynamic ecosystems. Recommendations include developing methods to measure biodiversity in urban projects and involving ecologists and residents in the design process. This research provides valuable insights for architects, urban planners, and policymakers striving for sustainable and biodiverse urban development.

The Vertical Campus as an Interface not only looks at how a campus can be created on a small footprint by introducing verticality, but more importantly how it can function as an interface by offering spaces for interaction between students and industry, public and private, individual and collective. While the different parts of the program are connected by a public backbone, a collective circulation space as a continuous element throughout the Vertical Campus, the learning environments themselves have become hybrid by introducing non-acadamic elements. Furthermore, these environments differ in which ways they encourage interaction by varying their architectural characteristics, which all together results in numerous surprising combinations.

The Cultural City Hub is a social condenser, that blends cultural and educational programs, but also multiple paths of life. In Dutch society, we see that over a quarter of the population relates to a different country, where one parent, both parents or themselves are born abroad.Therefore, we can conclude that ‘Culture’ means ‘Cultures’. When looking at education, the Dutch education system does not represent this multiplicity of cultures, therefore creating an imbalance within the system and society. The Cultural City Hub combines cultures and education into a Vertical Campus, creating the campus for the future.

Current waste management practices pose a significant threat to humans, animals and our environment, contributing greatly to environmental pollution. Furthermore, the speed and the way we consume and dispose of things is changing rapidly, leaving us with little time to react to this global issue; particularly in urban centres, seeing that the cities have become the centre of flows and exchanges. This thesis investigates how architecture can enhance these networks in order to enable necessary economic, environmental and social transformations. It challenges the linear production-consumption-waste model driven by capitalism and explores the potential for creating resilient, self-sustainable cities through circular network flows.
Focusing on Madrid, the project proposes the reintroduction of urban manufacturing within the city to establish sustainable (textile) material flows. By ‘weaving’ this new program into the city's existing urban and material fabric, and reclaiming the former industrial site, the project envisions a space dedicated to textile innovation. With the intention of extending to other industries in the future, fostering cross-industry synergies and potentially acting as a catalyst for broader sustainable practices.
Architecture has a potential to serve as a catalyst of the change, by embodying the principles of sustainable production, rethinking the flows of material and embracing the interconnectedness of systems, communities and environment. Considering the industrial history and context of the site, the project reimagines the underutilized area as an innovation hub, contributing to a more resilient urban future.

Despite the rich Islamic history of Madrid, remnants of its Islamic past are hardly visible anymore. Contemporary architecture both in and outside of Madrid is centred around pragmatism, in contrast to the rich tradition of Andalusí architecture and the
extensive degrees of symbolism interwoven with its characteristic buildings. It is impossible to copy the form language of Islamic architecture without acknowledging the underlying cultural and religious symbolism. This research paper will therefore focus on the way in which different forms of symbolism are translated into edifice within the tradition of Andalusí architecture, and on the role atmospheres play in this translation. This is done through literature review, case studies, and experimental design research. Following the historical importance of water within both the city of Madrid and Islamic architecture, a particular focus is placed on water as a bearer of symbolism and the phenomenological qualities of water are elaborated upon. Finally, the analysis of Therme Vals by Peter Zumthor will provide insights into the atmospheric-architectural design methodology, which is combined with the findings of the literature review to be applied to a contemporary design project.

The institutionalization of the architectural practice has caused a linear life cycle that relies on the efficiency of mass standardized products, not only exacerbating ecological effects but also breeding mediocrity in architecture. An epistemic break from the creative and tangible process of craftsmanship, which has been marginalized as practice of the past. The aforementioned restrictive qualities of the practice have spurred the emergence of new counter ideologies in repair and reuse, which embrace the heterogeneity inherent in wear. The context of Madrid provides an opportunity to explore the idea of crafting wear, beginning with empowering an network of traditional crafters and extending to overlooked actors in material aging, enriching discourse and exchange of material knowledge towards a more mature attitude in hybrid design. The transformative impact of embracing wear in the urban fabric can cultivate a communal sensitivity towards architectural expression of material aging. In adopting a hybrid expression of wear, from the craftsman to the public, interweaving various knowledge domains carving a niche in the practice of architecture, that develops into a thriving network of skilled crafters in material wear.

In the context of the current housing shortage, climate challenges, and the growing need to live in harmony with nature again, this design research focuses on improving the post-war neighbourhood of Groot-IJsselmonde in Rotterdam-Zuid. It focuses on different scale levels: the neighbourhood, the building, and the home, using the Biophilic Design concept as a guide. The monotonous, post-war voids have given way to a lively, diverse residential landscape that acts as a connector. The densification and transformation strategies are carefully designed to promote encounters: between old and new, between people and the natural environment, and between people.

During my research, I discovered that the key to social and ecological harmony lies in the connections between the different scale levels—connections that are currently missing in Groot-IJsselmonde. By developing corridors and natural routes, integrating welcoming gardens and lively places of encounter, and creating a diverse mix of households, I was able to add important connecting elements. The overall result is reinforcing the neighbourhood's natural character and qualities: a lively, inclusive and sustainable living environment that enables social and natural harmony.

The Vertical Campus in The Hague redefines the synergy between educational institutions and urban environments amid increasing urbanization and scarcity of (public) space. By transitioning from a traditional horizontal sprawling campus to a vertical framework, this concept addresses the challenges and opportunities of this transformation. This project strives to expand the city’s public space “vertically” to create a place where The Hague can escape from all the hustle and tension. Central to this concept is the “Vertical Town Square,” which provides the basis to weave the education campus into the urban fabric, aiming to reduce the anonymity in the densely built-up high-rise areas and create a place to stay in the city.

The Vertical Town Square transcends conventional educational atmosphere by creating a dynamic and inclusive environment that supports both formal and informal space for development and interaction. The focus of this concept is not on the interaction of different cultures, but on encouraging interactions that occur unconsciously to create a social and interactive context. The squares are unprogrammed places where spontaneity and informal encounters can flourish, while preserving and enhancing the intrinsic value of existing public spaces. This integration serves as inspiration for the multiple town squares, each with its own unique spatial design features, which enrich the academic and social domains by facilitating collaborative and experiential learning.

In higher education, "teaching" often refers to lecturing. Teaching at universities involves more than just lecturing, it involves creating conditions conducive to learning that involve relational, personal and emotionally challenging activities. This environment transcends traditional static classrooms and provides a dynamic and interactive environment for both formal and informal learning. Contemporary society often ignores the fundamental role of universities and rarely questions their importance or function. It is essential to see universities as institutions that shape a culture of lifelong learning within the community. This approach enriches the community but also responds to changing spatial dynamics. This creates a space where educational and social interactions can coexist, supporting lifelong learning and active participation in the community.

The building's various town squares are integrated into the urban landscape, allowing the Vertical Campus to promote inclusivity and accessibility while keeping education a public good. The campus provides environments that offer both extroverted and introverted functions, such as squares for meeting, creativity and relaxation that allow for unexpected encounters, serendipity and innovation. This diverse building supports exchange and diversity of development and promotes a living space that accommodates disorder and dissonance. Individuals can only participate in and contribute to changing our time if they are given the opportunity to shape it themselves. The campus will provide a platform for this.

This project explores the concept of an urban approach to campus design. where the campus is integrated into the urban life of a city, as opposed to traditional Anglo-Saxon learning style (Weber, 2018), where students learn in an isolated machine, often located in the outskirts of a city, to gain knowledge and then enter the real world.

With this project the campus is introduced in the dense city centre of The Hague. At this location there is no site left to build. This brings the challenge of expansion while dealing with existing resources. Verticality might be the obvious answer, yet verticality brings its own new problems of vertical isolation, vertical travel times and only a small contact area (the plinth) with the public realm. The risk of a mono-functional monolithic approach to building, overrepresented in the location area, has to be avoided in order to create a campus that is truly interacting with city life and the public realm.

The form of learning is also getting rethought with this project. The design explores learning as a way of enhancing creativity, freedom, intuition and multiplicity as opposed to the more traditional platonic approach of the one, the analogues, the similar and the negative as mentioned by Deleuze (1994).

The Commuversity serves a dual purpose as both a public space and a campus, blending
seamlessly into the urban fabric of The Hague. My graduation design aims to create a
vertical campus for the 21st century, serving as a vessel for a learning community to form
while extending the city's horizontal public space

Have you ever imagined a hospital being a pleasant place to be? This project aims to provide a comprehensive and pleasant healing environment for people with decreased mobility based on the care model of the information society.

An architectural project on Care, uncovering the mysteries and strengths behind the softness that Care brings. This project has been about both questioning and writing the role of Care in Architecture, and Architecture in Care. The project is situated on one street in the city center of Madrid. The street functioned as a sequence of stories, as a site of investigation of care, as a site for design intervention, as a connection between actors and building. In order to translate signs of Care into a building, five topologies were chosen. Each with different signs and scales of Care in an Urban context: Parish, Muur, Kitchen, Balcony, Props. The research of the one street and its five topologies is conducted using a mixed methods consisting of sampling, mapping, photography, writing, participatory observations. The results were translated into both a toolbox for Caring Architecture and a Caring building. The building itself showcases Care as affordances, Care as a choice, Care as a shield, Care as a wall, Care as a network. Because Caring Architecture allows, it should not shout.

How can we move from an extremely prescriptive institution to one that empowers not only the users of the building, but also the whole neighbourhood and, ultimately, the whole city?
A Victoria Kent Social Integration Centre, formally known as Yeserías Prison, is the main focus and starting point of my design.
Of the twenty-one prisons that operated during the Franco regime, CIS Victoria Kent is the only one still functioning as a penitentiary institution. The rest of the former prisons have been returned to their original educational or religious functions or, to bury an uncomfortable history, have been demolished and the land sold to profit-seeking developers for housing. This building contains an important part of the city's history, having originally been built in the late 1920s as a beggar's asylum, then as a prison for political prisoners and finally as a women's prison. Currently, the building serves as a social integration centre for third-grade male inmates.
The main ambition is to challenge the prison to become an open institution and a valuable asset to the city and the community. Both spatially and programmatically - how can such a structured and controlled space become an system that opens the guarded wall to the community and helps inmates make a more seamless transition back into society?

In today’s fast-paced and highly competitive global trade environment, cargo terminals have become crucial hubs for the transportation of goods. However, workers in these environments often face physically demanding tasks, such as heavy lifting, awkward body postures, harmful noise, and extreme temperatures. Besides, they also mentally face the mentally demanding working conditions, resulting from the time pressure, increasing complexity of logistics systems and the integration of advanced technologies. These factors have significant implications for employee health, well-being, and productivity, which in turn affect the overall efficiency of cargo operations.

The architectural design of cargo terminals has the potential to offset these demands and address the consequences by creating environments that actively support employee well-being. By exploring innovative design strategies that consider both functionally and mentally, architecture can play a crucial role in alleviating demanding working conditions,
promoting well-being, and boosting productivity within cargo terminals.

What relationship can a cemetery have with the city?
Since the first garden cemetery was built in the early nineteenth century, this concept spread rapidly throughout Europe. Until now garden cemetery is still the common form of cemeteries in European cities. With the concept of garden cemetery, cemeteries exist in the urban fabric as a public space represented by nature and landscape attributes. The emergence of this relationship is closely related to the demand for burialbased burial forms. For a long time, this relationship has given the cemetery a natural and green identity, which is also the common perception of the cemetery among citizens.
Has this relationship changed?
In the context of the Complex Project, Building Body Berlin course, this research design will
focus specifically on Berlin, Germany. The existence of the German cemetery law, known as “Der Friedhofszwang“, makes cemetery burial mandatory in Germany. Along with this law of compulsory burials, the demand for cemeteries has a huge quantitative basis in Germany.
However, according to the research of cemetery development plan of Berlin in 2006, since the end of the 20th century, the cemeteries (mainly garden cemetery) in Berlin have roduced a large amount of vacancy. These idle cemeteries consume a lot of operating and maintenance costs. This phenomenon does not mean that the demand for cemeteries has declined. On the contrary, the demand for cemeteries in Berlin is still increasing. Moreover, with the aging of the population in Germany, the death rate and the number of deaths have risen, and Berliners’ demand for cemeteries will continue to increase in the future. The increase in demand for cemeteries does not appear to coincide with the reduction in cemetery size. It is this inconsistency that helps us see the problem for what it is. The reason for this lies in the transformation of the form of burials. As cremation has grown in popularity, people have increasingly turned to other forms of burial, such as burial of ashes and placement in columbariums. According to statistics, the proportion of cremation in Germany has reached more than 75%. Compared with the traditional form of burying coffins, the land area required for the new burial form represented by cremation is greatly reduced. Statistics show that compared with the average area of 12 square meters in traditional burial coffins, the average area of urns placed in columbariums is only 0.5 square meters. This huge change has also led to a continuous reduction in the core space actually used in the cemetery. Therefore, more and more cemeteries can no longer assume the role of urban public green space due to the reduction of the core use area.
Although this phenomenon of quantitative change has not accumulated to produce qualitative change, we can still see the urgent need for the transformation of the cemetery. So how can the cemetery provide a new value as an urban public space? This research design process will ask questions around this question and offer a possible solution.

Germany has a rich history in classical music. Berlin, in this regard, has been key in the development of concert hall architecture, most notably through the Berlin Philharmonic. With an increasing decline in visitors and structural financial support of concerts, together with developments in music culture, the building type once more is challenged to reinvent itself, leading to the following question: What spatial qualities could invite the broader audience to concert halls? Within the specificity of concert hall architecture, the project explores the potential of the foyer as a space to be utilized beyond classical music concerts.

In an era when rising threats put increasing pressure on security demands in state office buildings, the public trust in these same governmental institutions is on the decline, owing to a sense of detachment and lack of transparency.
This detachment partially stems from the functional and physical separation of people’s civic and political lives, leaving public officials as uncountable, a separated class unresponsive to the everyday people, who in turn can glance little of the everyday working of their government.
In other words: it is easier to pass unfavourable legislation when you never interact with the common people and sit in your fortress hidden from protests. For these reasons, the future must see the creation of new governmental spaces that are public in nature, but also safeguarded from new dynamic threads. New design approaches in established typologies need to be sought to answer these relationship questions that stem from new state, societal, and technological developments.
The Graduation Project ‘Fortress Without Barriers‘ seek to explore these issues of security and accessibility by using a scenario involving the design of a new Federal Ministry of Defence headquarters in Berlin. At first glance this typology might be perceived as ill suited to the integration of public life, even agitative. But rather the project places it as the ultimate test for whether these values can be effectively expressed in an urban context. Defence Ministry being the most prime domain of security, on the scale of city within a city, and placing the most private and secured programme imaginable alongside the proposed public functions.

Urban densification is essential to keep the green spaces surrounding Dutch cities, especially in the Randstad. The current Dutch housing stock, of which a significant portion was built during the 1960's and 1970's, lacks a flexible layer in which people in urgent need of housing can find (temporary) affordable housing. Short-stay housing, which encompasses people living somewhere for a day, up to a couple of years, could provide this flexible layer. Target groups for short-stay housing fare well by social interaction, stimulating integration into Dutch society and opening up new possibilities in their life. This social interaction can be partially provided by introducing the sharing economy into an existing neighborhood, providing sustainable options regarding ownership or mobility.

The project 'Between a Day and a Lifetime' therefore proposes an urban densification strategy in which a short-stay housing concept, based on principles of co-housing and the sharing economy, creates densification in a way that it enriches the lives of the current ánd future inhabitants.

The growing concern about a mental health crisis and a looming threat of the loneliness epidemic worldwide that was further escalated by the COVID-19 pandemic forced people into isolation and created a new form of ‘work from home’ lifestyle. Nonetheless, the loneliness epidemic can be traced back to the 19th-century design principles that designed our current cities with reference to industrial tools such as the car instead of the ‘human scale’. Many of these modernist ideals had negative implications on the mental health of the residents in post-war districts. Moreover, with the need to build more homes, the current housing market values densification strategies that are primarily for profit and not for the needs of the people, which continues the pattern of ‘living together apart’. Consequently, there is an urgency to tackle isolation among the inhabitants of Groot-IJsselmonde, specifically Thamerdijk and post-war neighbourhoods being primarily targeted for future densification schemes. Interventions are therefore required to encourage degrees of social encounter. A research-based approach explored within five different lenses, sociological, historical, urban, building and dwelling scale is translated into a design project that could potentially allow for more positive densification for both current and future residents.