This thesis states the current urgent problem in the global context where the prevalence of depression among university students is increasing. Most of the university students who suffer from depression due to peer competition, high demands on themselves, inability to handle relationships well and other problems leading them to feel helpless, upset and anxious. In the Netherlands, even with a complete psychiatric care system, depressed patients still have to face a lot of problems in terms of treatment, such as long waiting lists and expensive treatment. Therefore, an increasing number of people are motivated to concentrate on depression prevention.

About depression prevention, there have been some research and measures at the social level and psychological level. At the architectural level, most of the mental-related research has focused on medical buildings, with limited research on daily living environments. It is relevant
to combine depression prevention measures and architectural design measures for university students to research and design their daily living environment to positively support depression prevention. The targeted group is healthy university students. For these university students living in student residences on campus, campus and residence are the places that they spend much time. In order to investigate how the design of campus and residential spaces can support depression prevention, the design guidelines are generated through four research methods: literature research, observation, interview and case studies. The design guidelines are categorised into three levels of importance and two scales. Based on the design guidelines, the design (including campus scale and residence scale) will be done.

Overall, through the research process, the design guidelines relate to the three aspects of physical, social and mental health. This research argues that promoting these three aspects of healthy lifestyles among university students can contribute to depression prevention for them.

The ageing population in the Netherlands presents challenges in elderly care, including rising health issues, a shortage of healthcare staff, and escalating costs. This study explores the association between healthy ageing and Blue Zones, regions in the world where long and healthy lives are common. Genetic factors contribute to 25% of lifespan variations, while non-genetic elements, such as unhealthy habits and social conditions, play significant roles. Environmental factors also impact the ageing process. The research aims to create a healthy urban living environment in the Netherlands, drawing inspiration from the lifestyle lessons in the Blue Zones. The main research question delves into how Dutch living environments can promote healthy ageing and assist the elderly in maintaining vitality. Sub-questions explore the key elements contributing to healthy ageing, the implementation of the Blue Zone concept in the living environment on the scale of the neighbourhood, street and building, and how the concept can be applied within Dutch urban living environments. Building on the principles of Blue Zones, the study focuses on three key spatial domains within the living environment: Physical Activity, Green/Blue Spaces, and Social Connection. The research goal is to provide practical design guidelines for architects and urban planners, aiming to reduce healthcare costs and chronic diseases in the ageing population. Implementing these guidelines in Dutch urban environments enhance the overall health of the elderly, maintaining their vitality and independence for as long as possible. To achieve the best health benefits, a societal shift towards proactive engagement and inhabitants’ responsibility for their living environment and health is needed to create a healthy living environment.

The theme of this year’s Urban Architecture graduation studio was ‘Last Green in Town’, which focuses on the twenty-four hectare piece of wasteland in the northeast of Brussels called the Friche Josaphat. The Friche used to be a marshalling yard but is now a field of wild nature and great biodiversity, where the railroad tracks that cut the site in half are still in operation by a local train line. The piece of land is very closed off to its surroundings by borders of trees, fences, and the railway, so accessing it is difficult. This has caused residents that live close to the Friche to know little about it, whereas the Friche is not at all empty and lifeless.

I propose the design of a small neighbourhood that consists of multi-generational living in combination with a hospice. The hospice is designed to be an intimate part of the neighbourhood, making it a part of life, rather than the end of it. With this new neighbourhood, the Friche will be valued again as a nature reserve that now becomes part of the city of Brussels again. But most importantly, the design responds to the housing problem that Brussels is facing. By designing for multi-generational living, I give space for different forms of households to live in the city, which contributes to not only quantity of new housing, but also social quality.

The Ways of Dwelling research that runs through the design like a red thread, is the analysis of the ways of dwelling of my grandparents. With this research, I mapped out the different patterns, rules, habits and uses of my grandparents in the different houses that they have lived in during their lives. They have experienced different family structures, that each resulted in a different way of using certain spaces in a home. I made a set of drawings where you can see these patterns in the floor plans of their homes using different colors to categorise everything. Some parts of the drawings fold open, which allows you to compare how and why certain spaces were used differently over time. The texts in the drawings describe ways of use, tied to different spaces, so the reader can find out in what way my grandparents lived.
With the findings from Ways of Dwelling, I set building rules for the design, which resulted in the design of the small neighbourhood that contains adaptable apartments, family houses, multi-generation houses, communal spaces and a hospice. The building rules determined a number of choices in the design, such as the entrance of the houses, the liveliness of spaces, the adaptability, and the design of the hospice. This way, the research became a practical design tool for the design.

Brussels, a city built on a wet marshland, has a rich history of landscape design and engineering. Earth was removed and resettled to create higher ground while parks and avenues were built to patch the gaps among different infrastructures. Thus the network of green spaces and parks in Brussels has become an important topic of its modern and contemporary urban development. Recently, there is a massive abandoned trainyard around the north-east suburbs of Brussels, waiting to be urbanised and transformed into a new neighbourhood. This situation was chosen to be the brief of the graduation studio of the urban architecture studio 2023 at TU Delft.

Within the expanding and mutating city of Brussels, there exists a derelict piece of land, a friche that is contested by humans in the midst of a pressing housing shortage. The friche once operated as a marshalling yard but discontinued its operations in 1994. Owing to a lack of human appropriation and a lapse in policy making, this yard began to rewild itself, becoming a safe haven for non-human inhabitants. Development authorities found themselves at odds with locals and ecologists who advocated for the emergent landscape to be left to its own devices, eventually leaving the friche in a state of limbo and uncertainty.

And with this passage of time, a heterotopia was born.

The heterotopia is a counter space in the city, removed from traditional time and place, that demands a rite of passage and that, which begets several places at once.

As an ode to this last, heterotopic green in Brussels, this project becomes a balancing act and mediator between the friche and the city : a border of collective housing, an “alt"(ernate) house/community space and a bathhouse that would be nestled and hidden within these borders.

The bathhouse intends to serve as a vessel for the purification of the being (human and non
human) as one transitions from the surrounding city into the haven of the heterotopic friche,
purged from the weights of regular life and time. The “bathhouse of enchantments” is therefore, a physical and metaphorical place where not only people but also other migratory guests of the friche come to rest their weary minds and bodies. It is not only a spiritual vessel of wellness, but also performs a social function of synergizing communities and rekindling an intimate relationship with the nature of the friche that is so far missing.
In addition to this, the proposal also becomes a water collection and management system for the east side of the friche, where it can initiate and facilitate the growth of a constructed wetland as a habitat and resting place for the growing species of migratory birds, bees, dragonflies and others.
The design unravels in layers and tales - from the urban-ness of the housing, to the transitory nature of the collective alt-house and finally, to the heterotopia of the bathhouse and its temporal gardens. It narrates the complete journey of moving through the city, into a sublime and magical realm. Time becomes the essence of the project, where the bathhouse and alt-house shape shift, appear and disappear with a play of time on three scales - daily, seasonal and longue durée.

The proposed intervention perhaps serves as a precedent - a newfound narrative of brownfield and post-industrial plot development, which are so often the “last greens” in town. Peeling and delayering, dissecting and revealing the “as found”, it embraces the need for the heterotopia and its virtues in the city, which would otherwise be obscured in the tenacious and expanding urban realm.

In light of the endless capitalistic growth and energy & climate crisis, the project rejects the prevailing anthropocentric defitnition of a "comfortable" interior. The thesis begins with on-site fieldwork and personal interviews within elementary education. The research of "micro-climates" or micro-atmospheres in an elementary school is projected on the design location, benefiting from the micro-climates of the location. The result is a school building design in Friche Josaphat in Brussels. The design of the school focus on the careful placement between the city and the ecological site (Friche Josaphat), and experiments with a new interior climate for the education. The building envelope is imagined as a gradient of spaces instead of on clear separation of in-/outside. The layout and envelope design of the classrooms create thermal and atmospheric varieties as a productvie way to engage with micro-climate while reducing energy consumption.

There exists today, a major discrepancy in care provision for youth suffering from, or beginning to experience, behavioural and medical health issues (BMH) at an age that is too young to self-advocate, too old for traditional social service infrastructure, but just right to intervene upon if properly recognized. What if human connection and the deliberate use of public space could provide additional built-in community-based support for our neurodivergent peers – what would this look like for a small urban city?

This study aims to investigate practical and minimally-invasive urban solutions for tackling the high care demand imposed on the psychiatric medical care community today. With a focus on decentralization, the burden of care might be alleviated and dispersed from a strictly clinical to a community setting, thus improving access for all.

Analysing the possible relationships between nature, ecology, and industrial landscapes through the lens of our relationships and perceptions of nature in the Anthropocene. The project discusses the historical development of industry, and the opportunities these developments pose, as well as discussing the current intrinsic and circumstantial qualities of industrial landscapes with regards to biodiversity and non-human life.

“From Humus to Human: A Repository of Remembrance” explores the profound and intricate connection between humans and soil, delving into the fundamental aspects of human identity, belonging, and the cycle of life. It highlights the natural process through which we emerge from the earth, only to ultimately return to it, symbolizing the unity, continuity of life.

The project is situated in “La Friche Josaphat,” a former marshalling yard in Brussels that, over time, has been gradually reclaimed by nature. Inspired by this unique and evolving setting, the design proposal emphasizes the preservation of a patch of tall spruce trees, which stand as a powerful symbol of growth, resilience, and the enduring flow of life. These trees are surrounded by the ‘repository,’ a gallery of niches where visitors can retreat in solitude, reflect, and engage in personal acts of remembrance. These niches offer a view leading toward a memorial garden, creating a tranquil and serene atmosphere for honoring memories, fostering reflection, and experiencing quiet contemplation.

The ‘Repository of Remembrance’ is embraced and protected by a ring of dwellings. These clusters of housing units serve as both a physical and symbolic mediator, between the rhythms of everyday urban life and the sacred, reflective realm of remembrance.

The modern healthcare system’s focus on treatment, rather than prevention, has failed to make progress against age-related chronic diseases like dementia. Our global world population is increasing as well as our lifespan, however, our healthspan (time free of diseases) has not followed these increases. Dementia, now a leading cause of death as it is affecting 15% of our world population, is considered a significant challenge as it increases healthcare costs and putting pressure on our systems. With the anticipated rise in dementia cases, it is crucial to explore non-pharmaceutical strategies. This research aims to address this gap by exploring how architecture and the built environment can contribute to dementia prevention through the development of design guidelines that promote healthy living strategies and raise awareness to work towards a health-oriented society

Health Creation as a holistic approach towards health – This new perspective on people's health aims to overcome the purely physical view of health and emphasize the importance of mental and social health. In this respect, the elderly and the socio-economically disadvantaged have been identified as target groups that require increased accessibility and awareness in the areas of health and social inclusion.
This led to the main question of this research: How can the principles of Health Creation be embedded into architecture that supports (elderly) people in remaining both physically and mentally active as well as socially integrated?
To answer this question, fieldwork investigations, conversations with experts in the field of healthcare as well as people from the target group, literature studies, documentaries, and case studies were involved.
These investigations showed that the existing health environment in the form of hospitals and general practitioners is not suitable for making people aware of their health. By integrating health-creating methods into a community setting, the institutional character can be eliminated, overcoming psychological barriers and positioning itself as an antithesis to the existing health environment. Elements of human-centered architecture, intergenerational interactions, nearby care, and the Blue Zones have proven to be pioneering approaches and can be implemented to generate a health-creating environment!

Everything ages, and everything ends. Borders blur, and definition collapse. Inspired by Robert Smithson's work on landscape and entropy, this project explores the process of aging - time becomes a medium to strengthen the connection between building and people. Buildings cannot avoid time nor are they sand static. They are affected by their environment and they affect us. There is a special connection which forms when a building ages/ patina, as we see it grow we start to form a connection with it - in a sense the building transforms from a space which we live in to a space where we lived with. To wrap all those ideas together, mostly bio-base materials were used. The affect of the environment creates an aesthetic for the bio-base materials which conveys its sustainable vritues. Furthermore the affect of the environment also highlights the fragility of the skin of the building which hence encourages people to care for it and extend its life.

Late life depression is a common problem among seniors. It is estimated that up to 25% of people over 75 experience depression. The consequences are not limited to a having a worse mental state, but include a variety of physical comorbidities. Therefore countering late life depression will not only help the individual, but it will also reduce pressure on the healthcare system. Depression should be treated with medication and psychotherapy, but since many seniors spend the majority of their day at home, their moods will be affected by their living environments. Currently senior housing typologies are notorious for being somber and institutional. Therefore this thesis aims to establish which design factors can contribute to the alleviation of late life depression in senior living environments? The factors have been derived through an interdisciplinary approach; findings from a literature review of Evidence Based Design were combined with psychiatric perspectives on late life depression. Finally housing preferences of Dutch seniors were considered, since meeting their needs might contribute to feelings of life satisfaction. In order to illustrate how these design factors could be implemented in architectural design, case studies have been performed of state-of-the-art psychiatric hospitals and retirement homes. From these methods eighteen mental health-promoting Design Factors have been derived. These Design Factors can be categorized into three groups:

1)Environmental Design Factors include: Central Location, Views of Nature, (Morning) Light, Noise and Air Quality.
2)Building Design Factors are comprised of: Social Spaces, Intergenerational Relationships, Physical Activity, Dementia Spaces, Positive Distractions, Staff Spaces, Appropriate Size, Outdoor Spaces and Home Ownership.
3)Finishing Factors include: Accessibility, Privacy, Control and Homelike Environment.
Integrating these factors into the designs of senior living environments might contribute to the prevention or alleviation of late life depression.

Caring for the elderly has always been a topic of great discussion. Demographic changes in an aging society have resulted in the growing phenomenon of the Sandwich Generation. The middle-aged generation cares for their aging parents and children and is usually one of the groups providing informal care. The burden of caregiving gradually harms their health and eventually leads to a decline in the quality of care and life for both the caregiver and the elderly. In order to realize aging in place and solve the problem of insufficient nursing homes in Dutch society due to the shortage of healthcare professionals and the reduction of healthcare budgets by the government, it is necessary to focus on the needs of these informal caregivers, who are sandwiched between two generations, in addition to the elderly. Furthermore, to solve the problem of housing for the elderly, apart from intergenerational cohabitation (for people without blood ties), retirement housing, and kangaroo houses, which have been highly discussed in recent years, research has found that living together with family members who are related by blood may be one of the options.

This thesis aims to develop housing design principles that can meet the needs of caregiving and sandwich generation living together. Based on the spatial and neighborhood context of the home, the study investigates how to support the quality of life of the caregiver and the care recipient to achieve the possibility of aging in place. The research method comprises fieldwork, interviews, literature research, and case studies. The fieldwork and interviews are conducted to understand the needs of the elderly, literature research is done to obtain further objective knowledge, and case studies are used to analyze the spatial configurations, dimensions, and areas. From the results of the research methods described above, the findings show that for caregivers, adequate operating space and assistive aid help reduce the risk of injury, spatial proximity minimizes moving distances, sufficient light contributes to caregiving and health, reduced noise disturbance helps the quality of caregiver’s sleep, and good ventilation prevents deterioration of indoor air quality. The most important thing for seniors is preventing falls from prolonging mobility. Toilets must be visible and easily accessible, the threshold on the floor and the intersection of different floor materials must be no high difference, and adequate lighting and easy-to-reach light switches can reduce the risk of falls.

The study of neighborhood facilities found that easily accessible facilities (e.g., public transportation, supermarkets, a library, a community center), friendly walking spaces, and adequate seating along walking routes can increase the willingness and opportunities for seniors to socialize and thus maintain mobility. Furthermore, social interaction can improve the mental health of both target groups. In terms of facilitating social interaction, increasing the number of route intersections, atrium spaces, and communal spaces in the neighborhood is possible. Lastly, for families to live together while maintaining their independence and privacy, each person must have their room, and separate entrances and adjacent kitchens and doors can mitigate disruptions due to different routines. Apart from that, the vertical and horizontal spatial arrangement can also achieve spatial independence. Furthermore, in order to avoid being forced to move out from the original home because the space cannot meet the needs of the stage of aging, the generality of spatial adaptability provides the freedom to arrange the functions of the rooms, the flexibility can change the way the space is used through simple movable partitions and moving furniture, and finally, the elasticity can expand the size of the original dwelling unit.

This thesis delves into the intricate urban landscape of Liège, Belgium, notably focusing on the fragmented neighborhood of Bressoux. The narrative evolves from the city's physical and social scars to the exploration of its diverse communities, hidden beneath the veneer of cultural diversity. Integrating insights from Italo Calvino's Invisible Cities, the study addresses the complexities of social integration and the dynamics of the multicultural demographic in Bressoux. It investigates how architecture can serve as a conduit to bridge the gap between different social groups and foster a sense of community.

The initial research phase involves extensive community engagement and documentation, revealing the isolated and divided nature of Bressoux, primarily due to the lack of public spaces and underlying socio-cultural differences. The researcher's focus shifts to comprehending the sociological impact of urban segregation, using literature references and comprehensive studies on the appropriation of space at various scales. Through photography and object analysis, the study identifies the diverse cultural markers and daily routines that contribute to the formation of social identities within the neighborhood.

Drawing inspiration from contemporary architectural principles, the research emphasizes the significance of participatory design in fostering community engagement and ownership. Analysis of case studies such as Cedric Price's Fun Palace and Lina Bo Bardi's SESC Factory underlines the pivotal role of user involvement in creating dynamic, adaptable, and inclusive public spaces. The study ultimately proposes a design strategy that encourages dialogue, participation, and the integration of diverse cultural heritages, envisioning a reimagined urban fabric that prioritizes social cohesion and mutual understanding.

As Liège grapples with the challenges of an evolving cultural landscape, the thesis project suggests a comprehensive approach to transform the urban environment of Bressoux. By leveraging the transformative power of architecture, the study seeks to facilitate a sense of belonging and interconnectedness, redefining the scars of the city into bridges that unite its diverse inhabitants.

'The Scarred City', the theme of the Urban Architecture graduation studio in 2022/2023. This location-based studio started with Droixhe/Bressoux, a troublesome and difficult area in Liège (Belgium), as the overarching project site. Starting with fieldwork and participatory research into the hidden social structures of Bressoux and Droixhe and resulting in the importance and absence of nature in the area and its relevance, this thesis grew into a project aiming to contribute to childhood development in Bressoux and Droixhe by strengthening nature connectivity. Drawing workshops on the theme: 'what is nature?' with primary schools in Rotterdam, in comparable demographic neighbourhoods, where key to understanding children's perception of nature and observing their nature connectivity and inspired and aided in the design of a children’s community/leisure centre in Park de l’Oasis. A building which functions as the anchor between child and nature and where the design and its current natural environment go hand in hand to achieve the project’s aim.

Families of young people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (YAIDD) reported that poor safety, social skills training and the un-readiness of the parents delay YAIDD from becoming autonomous adults. This research is based on literature study, fieldwork, site visits and interviews; and it is aimed to improve Independence, Social participation and Wellbeing of the target group, to create a stimulating and welcoming environments specific to IDD. The study offers a recommended framework that could prepare YAIDD for autonomous living and the design for a Youth Development Hub facility in Laakkwartier (The Hague, Netherlands). The main functions that are present in the project are: short-stay residences, classrooms, community center and recreational areas. The following design concepts are addressed in detail through literature study and applied to the design at varying scales: Legibility and wayfinding, Prospect and refuge, Territoriality and control, Privacy and choice, Design for senses, Design for routine.

Despite the predicted increase in the number of dementia patients, the Dutch government has opted against building any extra nursing facilities in the future. Individuals, families, healthcare institutions, and society as a whole may suffer as a result of persons with dementia remaining in their homes or neighborhoods that are unsuitable for their needs.

Making existing neighborhoods dementia-friendly will result in a safe and inclusive living environment, which is required to accommodate the rising number of dementia patients and avoid future issues. Architectural solutions and small-scale initiatives can help reduce the progression of dementia and enhance the quality of life. Meaningful and supportive settings in neighborhoods or households improve health. Giving people environmental control and fostering strong communal bonds positively impacts their well-being. Implementing these procedures guarantees that the elderly with dementia can live in their own homes for as long as possible.

Due to the numerous problems families with chronically ill and/or disabled (CID) children encounter in their daily lives, taking a break from the ongoing care and worries becomes even more important for them than for “typical” families. However, travelling is related to many more complex difficulties since their sick child is usually reliant on very specific equipment. So far, the literature focuses on the consequence of the high care needs on the family system, the development of Dutch holiday parks and the spatial needs for the target group, but the combination of these elements has not been analysed in the architectural context before. Thus, this project’s goal is to provide caregivers with relief by creating an opportunity of real recess from constant care for the child, through architectural solutions and thereby improving their well-being.
This thesis investigates how the architectural environment of a retreat for families with disabled and/or chronically ill (CID) children can provide relaxing time together while supplying a potential benefit for the child.
To determine what a potential recess environment for families with CID children should look like, special attention is paid to the analysis of past architectural solutions, the spatial needs of the target group and on analysing how the architectural environment can provide a benefit for the child and its entourage. To that end, several methods were used. First and foremost, observations were made during a fieldwork at a daycare facility for disabled children in Luxembourg. During this fieldwork, the possibility was given to talk to staff members like therapists and nurses and see several treatment rooms for the children. Furthermore, talking to parents of CID children provided valuable knowledge and insights to their lives. Lastly through the use of surveys additional information for example regarding the well siblings needs were gathered.
The outcome of these investigations shows that several design guidelines can be developed. Those can be classified into different levels of detail, such as guidelines on an urban level, for the neighbourhood’s design and focussing on the interior, and they offer insights into the ideal architectural setting for a recess centre for families with CID children.