The international agreed upon UN COP21 Paris Agreement argues the urgent need of a shift in greenhouse gas emissions. This has been one of the reasons for the Dutch government to establish goals that comply with these agreements. One approach that is being used is the implementation of heat grids. Literature shows the importance of acceptance from tenants, but fails to provide information regarding the effects of communication strategies on the willingness to adopt heat grids. This research explores the current willingness and openness of tenants to adopt new technologies and its barriers to this, as well as the influence of the role of involved stakeholders and its communication strategies. The main research question therefore is: ‘How can actively involved stakeholders enhance communication to improve the adoption of heat grids among housing association tenants?’ The current gap will be researched through an explorative qualitative study, using literature, (intercept-) interviews, and case studies to identify the key problems. The findings show that a well-tailored narrative, aligned by the views of all stakeholders, helps to lower the social, behavioral and economic barriers related to heat grid adoption, where establishment of trust between tenants and organizations should be the principle for the communication strategy. This research contributes to the already existing literature by providing new insights in organizational barriers among the engaged stakeholders, as well as how certain communication strategies can be enhanced to create a successful project and helps in achieving energy transition goals.

This research focuses on the relationship between anonymous spaces and a lack of social cohesion. The hypothesis for this study is "By making architectural/spatial interventions that allow for privacy zones, more social cohesion is created." To investigate this hypothesis, the following main and sub-questions have been formulated.
Main Question:
How can the built environment facilitate social cohesion?
Sub-questions:
1. What is the role of anonymous public space in a lack of social cohesion?
2. What are the needs of residents regarding social cohesion?
To answer these research questions, the following theories and methods have been employed. Social cohesion is approached through the 8 values of social cohesion described by the Field Academy (2018). The essence of privacy zones lies in the readability of the spaces. For an answer to sub-question 1, research has been conducted based on literature study and analysis. For sub-question 2, information has been gathered from existing initiatives, consulted existing research, and fieldwork has been carried out.
The key results of sub-question 1 indicate that all four categories of social cohesion have a relationship with safety and that safety is therefore crucial for social cohesion. Social cohesion is also highly vulnerable to anonymity as it has a direct and/or indirect negative impact on multiple components of social cohesion. The main results of sub-question 2 show that residents of Carnisse have a need for a green living environment where residents can find each other and connect. They want to feel safe in the neighborhood and in public spaces that are connected to surrounding public areas.
By combining insights and information from sub-questions 1 & 2, it is evident that the built environment can facilitate social cohesion by:
1. Clearly defined situational normality. 2. A readable environment. 3. Accessible, comfortable, well-maintained, and inviting public spaces. 4. Freedom of choice. 5. Incorporating residents' needs.
By incorporating these conclusions into a design without anonymity, a built environment is created that optimally facilitates social cohesion.

Life and death are important issues that everyone experiences in the lifetime. Life is usually a symbol of hope and happiness, while death is a of loss and separation, which is relatively heavy. As a place where most people store their sorrow and memories of death, public cemeteries carry a lot of thoughts and reflections about death.

In Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, China, cemeteries are considered to be places where people’s souls live after death, requiring good feng shui conditions and appropriate area and shape to allow the dead to rest in peace.

This research investigated public cemetery as a monumental public space, it carries on a person’s memory of one’s experience and could be expanded to a family or a group’s collective memory. Through the research for cemeterial history and rituals, as well as the result of questionnaire, the necessity of design is clear, which requires creating more different types of space in the future, balancing appropriate symbol, integrating with the surrounding natural scenery, in order to better meet the requirements of the new generations for memorial and remembrance.

The research focuses on my individual memory and family collective memory about Chang’an Ci’en Yuan cemetery, where my grandma and grandpa were buried. Guided by four design principles derived from analysis: diversified atmosphere, memorial symbolism, natural structure and publicness,together with ritual. Chang’an Ci’en Yuan cemetery will be redesigned to vitalized various forms of memory about death and integrate public space into a vibrant and more powerful public cemetery.

At the same time, from the perspective of scale continuum, this research provides with a design principle for other public cemeteries in Xi’an that can be used for reference probably in the future, and reshapes a better atmosphere of Xi’an public cemeteries.

The thesis critically examines existing dichotomies in the spatial and tem- poral aspects of (elder)care provision ranging from concepts of private and public space, over the family, the welfare state, and the private market as central units of care. Moreover, it actively questions the contemporary spa- tial representations of these three units because eldercare is often hidden in the private household, the nursing home in the urban periphery, or ageing is treated as a lifestyle for the affluent. The theoretical repositioning of these aspects is then reflected in a spatial understanding through the scales: from the regional of the Grand Re- gion Luxembourg to the neighbourhood level in Howald, Bonnevoie, and Hamm. The context shows a highly mobile labour market in general and in the field of health and long-term care. Currently, Luxembourg is dependent on cross-border workers from its neighbouring countries. With the general ageing of European populations, the ageing of cross-borders will be a chal- lenge for the labour market in the region. Next to this challenge, the thesis examines the relationship between care and the private household. More- over, the family as an institution of care is becoming ever more heteroge- neous regarding cultural background, composition, and size, which is often not reflected in policies and models of care provision and housing. Ranging from theory on social reproductive labour, gender, and spatial jus- tice, the thesis uses utopian precedents to imagine new ways of communal life centred around care. It presents scenarios that explore future trends in mobility and technology and their application in care work. These scenar- ios function as imaginaries for a collective future beyond binary concep- tions of care work and offer a new direction in the planning of housing and care provision. By later presenting the personal experience of the caregiver and receiver through speculative storytelling, the study advocates for more agency for both groups alike in planning and governing care.

People are feeling more and more lonely, especially in cities. This has negative effects on mental and physical well-being as well as on the economy. Feeling lonely is not just caused by internal factors like genetics and social skills, as many people think. The environment we live in contributes 52% to the feeling of loneliness. This environment is something changeable, especially for urbanists. Therefore, this thesis aims to bridge the gap between the existing theories about loneliness and the practical applications of these in the built environment of Linkeroever. Linkeroever is a deprived modernist neighbourhood in Antwerp separated from the rest of the city by the Scheldt River, where urban loneliness is a serious issue. This thesis will propose spatial and programmatic interventions through different scales and grounded in literature and empirical research that stimulate social cohesion and collective development on a legible human scale, countering urban loneliness. This will be done by answering the research question: how to improve spatial and programmatic conditions in Linkeroever that stimulate social cohesion and collective development, countering urban loneliness? Methods including research by design, literature analysis, and field trips helped by answering this question and resulted in an urban design for Linkeroever. Key takeaways from this research and design are that to counter urban loneliness important topics are social cohesion, social interaction, collective and personal development opportunities, and a legible and human scale. Spatial elements like hybrid zones, collective courtyards, and better public transport connections, together with programmatic solutions like a diverse public space offer, providing people with choices regarding social and development spaces, and making people proud through landmarks, can be used by urban designers and planners to counter urban loneliness all over the world.

"As Countless Unconspicuous Elements Build an Urban Landscape, City Memories and Personal Memories Are Spontaneously Formed and Influenced."
The research investigates the potential for benches, a ubiquitous element of urban landscapes, to be reimagined as living memorials, thereby amplifying public awareness of urban identity and creating individual significance. Through immersive observation, the concept of "benchscapes" is introduced, encompassing both the perceived and conceived dimensions. The design of the conceived benchscape necessitates a comprehensive understanding of the urban public space, utilizing the proposed "Four-relation Model".
The study focuses on the city of Den Helder, which faces challenges regarding the erosion of its unique identity. Drawing inspiration from Avril Maddrell's "Third Emotional Space" concept, the design framework explores three distinct scales: benchscape as a whole system, benches as key players in benchscape, and bench as a living memorial in benchscape. Furthermore, by considering movement patterns and the specific requirements of different characters, the design seeks to achieve a delicate equilibrium between the perceived and conceived benchscapes, an aspect referred to as benchscape affordance.
Ultimately, the whole benchscape family design represents a deliberate response to the main research question, effectively demonstrating how memorial benchscapes can effectively frame diverse "Third Emotional Spaces" within partially defined memorial places. By harnessing the power of benchscapes, this approach enables the construction of a cohesive network of city memories while evoking or nurturing personal recollections.

Cities worldwide are grappling with spatial constraints, particularly in rapidly growing urban areas. Rotterdam, as an aspiring sustainable city, faces similar challenges in balancing sustainability goals with limited space. This predicament extends to the underutilized rooftop spaces across the city. While initiatives like the “multifunction rooftop” program and “Rotterdam Rooftop Days” have made inroads, the issue of unused rooftops persists. The primary obstacle often cited is cost, but cost is a relative factor, dependent on the unique values held by different stakeholders, buildings, and neighbourhoods. Several approaches to activate these rooftops have emerged but often lack consideration for the perspectives of rooftop stakeholders.
This report introduces a novel strategy aimed at bridging the gap between municipal sustainability goals and the interests of rooftop stakeholders. The strategy leverages pattern language principles, providing a flexible framework for tailoring rooftop solutions to diverse scenarios. It not only assists stakeholders in conceptualizing rooftop designs but also aligns them with their values. To illustrate the strategy’s effectiveness, it is applied to a neighbourhood case study, wherein various rooftop types are designed in alignment with the proposed principles.

exploitative energy production to meet the demand (Our World in Data, 2021). The current energy system causes climate change, pollution, and pressure on space (Our World in Data, 2021) (Withagen, 1994) (KNMI, 2020)(NOS, 2017). The energy transition begins to take shape, companies are investing in large-scale wind farms at sea, and people are installing solar panels on their roofs.
However, nothing changed in lifestyle and energy consumption. By approaching the energy transition from with the current mindset, it tackles the problems surrounding climate change and pollution, but the pressure on space will increase (Sijmons et al., 2014).
Throughout history, the relationship between space and energy has been great; the energy landscape signi-ficantly influenced our living environment (PBL, 2003)(Toekomstatelier NL2100, 2022). Over the years, it has become increasingly distant from our immediate living environment. Out of sight, out of mind (PBL, 2003). As a result, the consequences of unrestrained energy consumption are unclear, and people are not inclined to change. This research focuses on how this problem came about and the possibilities for the future. The design brings the energy landscape back into the living environment in the middle of the city.
The research focuses on Oud-Crooswijk, a neighbourhood in the city of Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Here, the design investigates the potential of inner-city energy production and its spatial consequences. The energy transition is the catalyst for investment in spatial quality in the district. If the development is already there, much more can be made possible.
In addition, the research shows how our lifestyle needs to change to achieve the intended quality. How people should adjust their behaviour and become more frugal and at the same time work together. As a result, the design creates a more conscious and social living environment. The research shows that by changing our behaviour and decentralise sustainable energy generation we can improve spatial quality, microclimate, and community. Now it is just a matter of daring to switch off.

The deaf and hard-of-hearing live in world that, from an architectural standpoint, is designed for hearing people. Which causes a set of challenges for the deaf and hard-of-hearing.These problems have major effects at schools for the deaf and hard-of-hearing. These schools are mainly located in buildings that happened to be empty or that already had an educational function anyway. These buildings have never been specifically designed for the deaf and hard-of-hearing, which causes a problem. If a school for deaf and hard-of-hearing students was never designed for them, how can these buildings reflect and be good for them?

In 2018, Taiwan has become the “aged society” as National Union defined with 14% of total population are project to be the elderly. By 2050, there will even become twice amount of it, with more than one-third of the total population are consist of the elderly. The ageing of society is a positive yet challenging phenomenon. As Mace said in his public speech “We all become disabled as we age and lose ability, whether we want to admit it or not.” (Ron Mace, 1941-1998) The concept of the universal design pyrimid from Goldsmith also indicates that disabled and elderly people should been put at the priority as they are among those who experience the greatest difficulties in their daily life in the built environment, if the space is friendly to them then it should be usable for everyone. “Unfortunately, designers in our society also mistakenly assume that everyone fits this definition of “normal.” ”(Ron Mace, 1941-1998) Therefore, from the planner and designer aspects, it is important to create a supported built environment and well-design outdoor spaces which can promote physical activity and helps to preserve and maintain older people’s health and well-being.

Het Museum van Rotterdam moest eind vorig jaar zijn deuren sluiten, omdat het te weinig bezoekers trok en het gebouw niet meer voldeed aan zijn functie. De Raad voor Kunst en Cultuur stelde daarom een alternatief voor; een Nieuwe stadsmuseale functie (NSF) die wellicht niet in één gebouw gefaciliteerd zou moeten worden, maar op meerdere locaties verspreid over verschillende wijken. Deze gefragmenteerde musea vragen om een uitgebreid onderzoek van het programma met een focus op de bewoners. Het achterhalen van de identiteit van de gebruiker en de buurt op basis van verhalen uit de wijk en van bewoners zal inspiratie leveren voor het programma van een gefragmenteerd museum. Met dit onderzoek wordt inspiratie gezocht om zo dichter bij de verhalen van de wijk te komen. Het onderzoek start bij het achterhalen van de NSF en de visie van het Museum Rotterdam. Vervolgens worden de verhalen van de wijk in kaart gebracht en geanalyseerd, door
middel van het programma Atlas.ti. Daarna zijn de verhalen geanalyseerd op sociale en culturele kenmerken om de identiteit van de bewoner, wijk, stadsgedeelte en de stad te ontdekken. Door de verhalen te analyseren op de naar voren gekomen kernthema’s en te luisteren naar wat de bewoners
zelf vertellen over de identiteit, is er grip verkregen op de identiteit van de bewoners, de wijk, het stadsgedeelte en de stad. Tot slot is er onderzoek gedaan naar drie bestaande projecten om zo ook inspiratie op te doen voor het ruimtelijke programma voor het museum. Vanuit het tweede deel van
het onderzoek is er inspiratie verkregen aan de hand van een referentieonderzoek die variëren in schaal, programma, context en de manier van tentoonstellen. Deze analyse is omgezet in ruimtelijke tools die zijn weergegeven in de
schema’s. Het resultaat van het onderzoek is inspiratie voor het
programma. Het ontwerp voor het museum zal de verhalen respecteren en kan bestaan uit een wisselende expositie. Een groot deel van de bewoners geven aan dat de toegankelijkheid een grote
rol speelt in het deelnemen. Het museum zal dus toegankelijk zijn voor iedereen en laagdrempelig. De verschillende kernthema’s die zijn bestudeerd laten de identiteit van het stadsgedeelte zien. Daarbij staat de verbinding van bewoners bovenaan en zal dus kunnen dienen als hoofdthema
voor het nieuwe museum. Dit onderzoek heeft dus inspiratie geleverd voor het programma op het gebied van de identiteit, de formaliteit, de toegankelijkheid en de verbinding.

In the last century, biodiversity has come under increasing pressure, and this is also the case in the urban context. The preservation of biodiversity is an important issue. Research shows that part of this biodiversity is largely dependent on the buildings and vegetation in the city and to help this biodiversity we need to build as nature-inclusive as possible.

There is a wide range of nature-inclusive options that can be applied to make a building and its surroundings more nature-inclusive. The application of nature-inclusive aspects in the design of new buildings is easy and relatively inexpensive due to the blank canvas. However, the aspects are more difficult to integrate into existing buildings. Especially in the case of monumental buildings, where several parameters have to be taken into account. For monumental buildings, it is currently unclear whether, and if so, what needs to be taken into account to make them more nature-inclusive.

The study seeks to answer the following question: ''How can Dutch monumental buildings in an urban context be redesigned to be more nature-inclusive?'' This research is validated with a design. This results in the following
How can the monumental building Koudenhorn in the urban context of Haarlem be redesigned to be more nature-inclusive while retaining its heritage value?
The monumental Koudenhorn building is situated in the urban context of Haarlem. It was built in 1768 as a deacon's house and is currently used by the police. It is a building with a story and many values. At present, the building and the plot show a limited degree of nature inclusiveness.

The research question is answered with a toolbox and three decision trees divided into the categories: flora, water, and fauna. The decision trees provide insight into which nature-inclusive options could be applied to a case and which aspects would need to be adapted to enable implementation. To fill in the decision trees, certain case analyses were carried out. The decision trees were filled in for the monumental part of the Koudenhorn building. This showed which nature-inclusive options are applicable and on which specific elements. Eventually, 17 of these options were applied in the design. The toolbox contains a clear description of what the nature-inclusive option entails, the extra points of interest and an optional design. This toolbox was then used to integrate the application in the redesign of the Koudenhorn building.

In this paper, design principles for a co-housing project focused at young adults (18-27 years old) wishing to live in the Tarwewijk in Rotterdam Zuid are being proposed. These principles are based on literary research, reference projects, fieldwork and workshops held for students familiar with the design location. Topics that are touched upon are affordability, co-housing principles and the living wishes of young adults wishing to live in Rotterdam Zuid. While the target group did not perfectly fit the proposed target group, results were interpreted as if they were. The most important findings through different methods of research, among others, include that different types of housing should be realised, the building should contain several shared facilities in rooms which have a flexible floorplan, the neighbourhood should be involved in shared spaces, housing units should be designed as small and with as little walls as possible and that bathrooms and bedrooms should always be private. These results were combined into a design brief specifically created for the Tarwewijk in Rotterdam Zuid, yet the basic principles can be implemented in other affordable co-housing projects as well.

The Afrikaanderwijk is one of the ‘disadvantaged’ neighborhoods in Rotterdam South. 9,3 percent of the inhabitants of the Afrikaanderwijk is without work. The Afrikaander Coorparation started projects to create new jobs. Partly through the "Right to Challenge" initiative, it has its responsibility to make the Afrikaanderwijk more sustainable implemented with a raw materials station on the Afrikaanderwijk. This pilot project focuses on sorting waste during market days (Wednesday and Saturday). The project provides not only employment, but also greatly reduce the amount of residual solid waste and therefore creates a better streetscape. It also sends out a signal that waste can be seen as a raw material. According to the Afrikaanderwijk Cooperative, however, the goal of this project has not been achieved. Therefore the goal of this research is to investigate how the station needs to be changed to contribute to circularity of the market. This station could be self-sufficient and would also act as a meeting place for people of various backgrounds where there is room to exchange knowledge, social contacts, information, products.

Cucuta is a border city between Colombia and Venezuela with complex dynamics due to its location and historical background, affected by drug trafficking, guerrilla warfare, and Venezuela's most recent multidimensional crisis. The city's structural plan (POT) is under review, trying to adapt to the local and global challenges: mass migration; social integration of communities in a post-conflict transition; an economic shift from a commercial dependency of the border into a self-productive region; the demand for housing and the occupation of high-risk areas, are some of the main aspects. These issues are more evident in the fringe areas of the city (edges), where informality is the main pattern of urban growth, with a later upgrade by the local government.
Then, how to achieve an inclusive urban development in the edges of a border city with rapid social and economic transformations?
This graduation project explores the process of urbanization in the edges of Cucuta and the implications of the border in the city's growth. The intention is to question the disparity between spatial planning and the spontaneous consolidation of the city's peripheries. In particular, this research focuses on one of these edges called 'El Rodeo', where more than 5,000 families have settled illegally during the last 20 years. Currently, there is a community development project for this area that involves multiple stakeholders, including the mayor's office. However, there is not a spatial strategy that envisions El Rodeo in the coming years.
Hopefully, the outcome of this work can be used as feedback for the planning office and inspire interventions in similar contexts.

Bricolage is a way of thinking, researching and designing. From the perspective of architect, we build our realm using the existing constructing logic and limited materials, to make something new from the old, which seems to be a low-key but efficient way for renovation of Passage de Molenpoort. Date back to 1972, the popularity of the American shopping mall gave birth to de Molenpoort in Nijmegen, the first shopping mall in Europe. Because it is a product of emulation, the Molenpoort did not take root in the city, but isolated from the context and grew savagely in the city center. On the one hand, ignoring the problems and simply protect it as a heritage building make no contribution to the rebirth of “dead mall”. On the other hand, totally replace the Molenpoort with another building will also be a loss for Nijmegen. In my proposal, I step back and review the whole evolution history as well as thinking over the existing problems hiding in the Molenpoort. And then I use all the materials in hand and all the ideas in my mind, to bricolage a Commercial Fulfillment Center, which is not only a solution to reinvent the "dead passage", but also a transitional product between retail architecture and public realm aiming at returning our public life back to the urban realm.

The Flush and Splash project proposes to reconnect the cultural and the natural heritage of the city through the Semarang river watershed. It begins with acknowledging how the Semarang river have been facing continuous landscape degradation despite it being a backbone of the city based on the observation of historical trajectory and site visits. Following the synthesis, the thesis then constructs its foundation by the theory of risk = (hazard x vulnerability) / coping capacity (Cardona. et al., 2012). Hence, the analysis proceed by investigating the variables of the equation which leads to the findings of multiple water related challenges: (1) land subsidence due to uncontrolled groundwater extraction; (2) coastal, pluvial, and fluvial flooding; and (3) low water quality due to poor waste management in the city. These hazards are currently dominating the equation as the coping capacity and the vulnerability of the citizens have not been able to balance the scale. This framework then developed the equation by changing the coping capacity into regenerative capacity, which is the combination of the theories of ecosystem services biomimicry (Zari, 2018) and socio-ecological resilience (Cote & Nightingale, 2012), in order to guide the project in developing water sensitive urban design strategies. A regenerative design means that interventions contain elements which mimic the ecosystem services that they become productive landscapes for the community to be able to sustain themselves in facing possible future hazards. Hence, the proposed strategies would try their best to engage with the local communities through participatory planning. Examples of these interventions are shown in this thesis through the three sub-projects of Purify, Protect, and Provide; which are pioneered by a series of multifunctional bridges along the Semarang River.

We can all relate to the experience of wanting to shut of all the environmental stimuli around us, as our brain is overwhelmed and overstimulated by it all. Our surrounding environments can be improved if architects and designers learn more about how multi-sensory stimuli can enrich our perception of space, and when these triggers can take a back seat. Hence, we should strive for a well-balanced design regarding sensory stimuli, instead of creating overwhelming environments that are unnecessarily stressing ourselves. Buildings affect behaviour and wellbeing of its users. The goal of my research to make architects and designers more aware that creating spaces has certain effects on mental health of perceivers. And more importantly, that these effects can be different for each person. A design for a building should serve every user, instead of designing for the average person. Architects should take into account that every individual perceives a space differently and reacts differently to environmental stimuli. They should implement this varying demand for environmental stimuli in the building/environment, based on an individual’s needs. A stimulating space is an environment that stimulates a person’s way of working, thinking and being, whether it is stimulated by internal or external factors. The role of the architect is getting more multidisciplinary, but the way students are educated at our faculty is falling behind this multidisciplinary approach. My design for an interdisciplinary design school at the TU Delft campus will contribute to this collaboration between students of various faculties. Besides that, it will show how we can design for every user, instead of for the average one, by offering a gradation of spaces, based on the order of interaction with the environment and the degree of environmental stimuli included.

Estate landscapes are vulnerable to climate change. Especially regarding water management, these landscapes face severe challenges regarding shortage and abundance of water, which affects the gardens, ecosystem, forestry and agriculture of these estates. Also, many estates are still inaccessible and remain unknown to the broader public. This research focusses on the estate landscape of the Baakse Beek region while developing a spatial strategy that takes the natural brook ecosystem and the recreational system as the basis for a more resilient and future proof estate landscape. The brook ecosystem here is typical for the sandy grounds in the East of the Netherlands and was a base condition for the allocation of estates, while the recreational system refers to a balanced-interaction among humans, culture, and nature. It’s worthy to note that the estate landscapes, which have formed in Eastern Netherlands since the 16th Century, was always a balanced integration of these two systems. Over time the relation of the brook ecosystem and recreational system changed dramatically and grow apart due to sectoral developments that focussed solely on the agricultural optimization of the water system or economic development of recreation. This thesis mainly researched and proposed approaches how to develope the estates landscapes and surroundingd as several nodes to integrate the brook ecosystem and recreational system again.

A research on how to design affordable and sustainable housing for those affected by the gap in the housing market. It is getting more and more difficult for certain people to find suitable and affordable housing. They earn too much for social housing, but too little for the private sector or an owner-occupied housing. Especially in the city this group of people is slowly pushed out and sometimes forced to find housing elsewhere. This has a negative effect on the personal and financial growth of this people, but also on the economic, social and sustainable growth of the city itself.
This research has been divided in three parts; [1] The gap in the housing market (the issue and its consequences), [2] the post-war neighbourhood, Zuidwijk (the social-historical context), and [3] sustainability (people, planet, prosperity). The target groups, those affected by the gap in the housing market, play a big role within this research. This is necessary to understand for whom you are designing and what needs to be done to solve the issue; this is part of the social sustainability. Certain questions need to be answered: who are they; what issues do they encounter; what are their living requirements; what can they actually afford?
Design principals, requirements and limitations will follow from each research parts. These may summarise and translate the finding in each chapter and can be used as tools when coming to a design.