This study assesses 30 monuments in Gorinchem across five value dimensions—age, social, functional, memorial, and aesthetic—identifying six highly vulnerable to flooding, drought, and overheating. Using value assessment matrices and climate-risk mapping, the research highlights the need for adaptive reuse strategies.

Based on these findings, a site was selected for design intervention. The project traces its historical evolution from early urban development to its role as the headquarters of De Vries Robbé Co., exploring the relationship between industrial activity and the river.

The design transforms an abandoned post-industrial warehouse into a public swimming facility, preserving its age and memorial value while enhancing its social and functional role. It demonstrates how architectural interventions can revitalize built heritage and foster urban vitality.

This research investigates the interplay between flood risk management and the preservation of industrial heritage in Zwijndrecht, a region characterized by its complex relationship with water management. The study analyzes historical transformations of the landscape from the 1850s to the present, highlighting the transition from a predominantly polder landscape to extensive industrial development following the implementation of river management interventions. The analysis reveals vulnerabilities in current water management strategies, particularly in light of climate change and recent flooding events. The research explores innovative solutions for expanding the Oude Maas River while safeguarding the region's industrial heritage, ultimately aiming to balance the imperatives of flood prevention and cultural preservation. By assessing the feasibility of lowering outer dikes and creating buffer zones, this study contributes to ongoing discussions on sustainable water management practices in heritage rich urban environments.

This research investigated the structural and operational attributes of shipyards within the Waterdriehoek, emphasizing their historical, socio-cultural and economic significance as maritime heritage. As key maritime elements face increasing threats from urbanization, insufficient protection and limited financial support, this endangeres both tangible attributes and the cultural identity of the region. Using the Neptune Marine Repair Wharf in Hardinxveld-Giessendam—formerly Shipyard ‘De Merwede’—as a case study, the study explored how historical events and technological advancements have shaped the design, layout and operational capabilities of shipyards.
Applying a value-based framework introduced by Havinga et al. (2020), this research identified interconnected values across multiple scales. At the area scale, environmental integration and regional impact highlighted the shipyard’s economic and historical importance. At the ensemble scale, the spatial relationships between structures, such as slipways, workshops, and rail networks, emphasized operational efficiency and social cohesion. At the building scale, the distinctive architecture and adaptive reuse of individual structures preserved both industrial functionality and aesthetic legacy.
By addressing the challenges of undervalued and unprotected maritime heritage, this study underscored the role of shipyards in fostering community identity, driving industrial innovation, and shaping regional landscapes. The findings aimed to raise awareness and inform strategies for preserving shipyards as vital cultural assets, ensuring their continuity for future generations.

The graduation project involves the adaptive reuse of the former FN Steel waterfront industrial complex in Alblasserdam, transforming it into an arts and public life complex. This complex will serve as the main gallery for the Waterdriehoek Art Triennial, with a focus on water-environment art, while also providing multidimensional mixed-use spaces that support local on-water life and maritime traditions. This dual identity is inspired by research into the current development and future prospects of the integrated heritage zone of Waterdriehoek.

This research explores the lost architectural approach of how to design and construct a large number of standardised homes, focusing on the appearance of facades and urban space. The combination of the large building blocks of Berlage’s ‘Plan Zuid’ and the highly concentrated architectural style of the Amsterdam School with its many ornaments and facade elements makes it a suitable location to examine case studies. Consequently redefining the role of ornaments and other facade elements, offering new design principles to revive the grandeur back to residential housing and answering the main research question: How does the Amsterdam School use ornaments and other facade elements to partition dwelling blocks in ‘Plan Zuid’?
Before analysing the case studies, it is important to gain a deeper understanding of the circumstances in which both ‘Plan Zuid’ and the Amsterdam School were created, as well as the factors that influenced their outcomes. The broader social and architectural context of the early 20th century played a significant role in shaping both ‘Plan Zuid’ and the Amsterdam School. Rapid urbanisation and industrialisation of cities created an urgent demand for affordable housing, leading architects, like Berlage, along with critics and social reformists, to advocate for fast and efficient construction, often at the expense of ornamental design. However, the monotonous and utilitarian nature of such developments sparked a reactionary movement, embodied by the Amsterdam School, which sought to give the rationalism of Berlage a more vibrant, exuberant and sensitive aesthetic. This tension between functionality and ornamentation reflected the competing priorities within architecture at the time. As the 20th century progressed, the architectural discourse shifted towards functionalism and minimalism, prioritising efficiency and standardisation while rejecting said ‘unnecessary’ decoration, which aligned with the needs of industrialisation and economic constraints.
The different elements of two building blocks, chosen for their significant size and amount of different elements, are examined on their use and effect on the facade and urban appearance. Derived from this catalogue of elements and their analyses 12 principles are given in a toolbox, which plead for the reintroduction of several elements particularly in the design of multistoried dwelling blocks. This implies redefining ornaments as more than mere decorative elements; they become integral components of architectural design that can help define and organise facades, enhance engaging features, and contribute to the overall appeal of urban spaces. The toolbox balances standardisation with individuality, providing techniques to create distinctive sections within building blocks, giving each section unique elements while maintaining overall cohesion with the surrounding urban fabric.
Further research could consider the economic implications or potential cost associated with implementing these elements and could address how these tools can be adapted to other architectural styles or regions with different historical, cultural, or environmental contexts. It could also address how modern issues like sustainability, environmental impact, or current construction methods might integrate with the principles outlined in the toolbox. Since the diversity of elements within the Amsterdam School is guided by individual architects, further studies on buildings would expand the catalogue of elements and could add more principles and different techniques.
In conclusion, the Amsterdam School represents a lost approach to architectural design, one that combined standardisation with a particular focus on the appearance of facades, using various ornaments and other facade elements. Through research and the development of defining design principles, it is possible to revive this approach and create future ‘palaces’ that enhance the urban environment, restoring a sense of recognition and character to modern housing.

The following research paper delves into the intriguing world of parametric design to address more inclusive, social and environmentally sustainable housing. Through this technology the objective is to address more adaptable and flexible housing designed for the vulnerable context of the informal settlement of Los Arenales, situated in the arid landscape of Antofagasta in northern Chile. Within this community, women play a vital role, assuming leadership in the operation and management of the settlement. To foster a more inclusive, safe, and empowering living environment, meaning, looking into the design through a feminist perspective, while celebrating the unique contribution of these powerful women. This is undertaken while acknowledging the validity of self-built construction methods and the resident’s rights to remain and settle where they current houses and community are. Furthermore, this research extends beyond merely examining the needs of its inhabitants, women, migrants, children, and all distinct groups to create a socially sustainable and inclusive environment (soft parameters). It also encompasses a comprehensive evaluation of the location, the surroundings, the available inventory of construction materials, and the quality of workmanship (hard parameters). This approach is designed to deter displacement and, instead, foster an enduring and harmonious relationship between the dwellers and their environment, while introducing environmentally sustainable solutions. In broad terms, the design aims to propose a housing solution that incorporates a blend of the previously explained soft and hard parameters, allowing for the implementation of diverse typologies tailored to the end-user.

Graduation thesis about the transformation of Schalkwijk shopping centre, from a retail function to a movement hub with several sports facilities. Research preliminary to the design explores the movement patterns of the mall visitor from 1970 till 2023 and how the movement among mall visitors can be stimulated in order to revitalize the mall.

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.

This paper examines how comfort is experienced at Dutch post-war shopping centers by studying the behavior of users. Since the development of the first shopping center in the Netherlands, the Lijnbaan in Rotterdam, retail spaces served as public spaces for the neighborhood where community life could emerge. Throughout the years, new typologies for retail spaces were introduced, to respond to the evolving public life of society. To be able to continue fulfilling the needs that the modern consumer seeks in a public space, it is important to understand how shopping centers are currently valued by its users. Comfort is a basic need that influences the value of a space and helps stimulate other needs
such as passive engagement, active engagement, relaxation and discovery. By methods of observational analysis, results are collected on the different ways in which people experience comfort while walking, standing and sitting at shopping centers. These show a strong relationship with the objects, functions, building design elements and natural design elements with the space.

This research explores the evolving role of shopping malls in the lives of the growing elderly population in the Netherlands. Delving into the unique needs and desires of the elderly, the study emphasizes diversity, accessibility, community, and inclusivity within shopping centres. The research methodology integrates a comprehensive literature review, a case study of elderly-cantered architectural designs, and structured interviews with elderly individuals. Contrary to the prevalent literature portraying the elderly as fragile and facing significant challenges, the interviews unveil a diverse reality of ageing, emphasizing individuality and varied impacts on daily life. The case study elucidates themes of mobility and social community as crucial elements in the design of age-inclusive spaces. By integrating these perspectives, the research concludes that a one-size-fits-all blueprint for shopping malls is inadequate. Instead, designers should focus on incorporating practical amenities, a diverse shopping environment, promoting community, and ensuring accessibility to cater to the broad spectrum of elderly needs and preferences. Furthermore, the study advocates for ongoing research to understand how the ageing population’s needs influence urban environments and various functions within these spaces. Ultimately, this research envisions an age-inclusive future, where cities and spaces are designed to meet the evolving requirements of an ageing population, promoting inclusive and enjoyable environments for all.

This paper explores the dual challenge of vacancy in post-war shopping malls and the lack of green spaces in urban areas. It proposes biophilic design as a solution to revitalize malls and address environmental issues. The paper emphasizes the importance of preserving the unique identity or 'spirit of place' while implementing biophilic transformations. The central question is: ‘How can biophilic design enhance the value and spirit of place in a post-war shopping mall?’. Through a comprehensive methodology, including literature reviews and a case study of Winkelcentrum Leyweg, the paper highlights the potential of biophilic design to enrich heritage, well-being, and sustainability. The results emphasize the importance of adopting a well-balanced approach that takes into account the unique Spirit of place of each shopping mall.

This research and design explores holistic sustainability as a remedy for long term development of modern shopping malls in the Netherlands. Shopping malls are susceptible to changes and sometimes fail to create an equal balance between the environmental, social and economic aspects of sustainability, leading to vacant shops and lower quality of living in and around the mall. The insights presented in the research paper, which assess the impact of past mall renovations on the three aspects of sustainability can be used to make future redesigns on modern shopping malls better resilient to changes and promote a long lasting life. For the design "In de Bogaard" (Rijswijk) was chosen to apply the strategy of transforming a mall in a holistic sustainable way into a food court, indoor market and culture centre. Reducing, reusing and refilling are found at the heart of this discipline and tackle the design question of dealing with modern heritage.

The modern malls in the Randstad are pressured into redevelopment, as their retail property value is decreasing relative to other more profitable functions (Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek, 2019).

According to Galema & Van Hoogstraten (2005), the shopping centres built in 1940-1965 according to contemporary and recent literature are often hardly recognisable, due to the speed at which commercial attitudes change. They further state that retail is forced to keep up with the times, and retail buildings and centres change regularly. Concluding that the building type evades traditional monument conservation.

This is despite forming an essential part of neighbourhoods for their socioeconomic value (Robertson & Fennell, 2007; Kooijman, 1999; Feinberg et al., 1989).

Therefore, the research focuses on determining who the insider stakeholders are and how they value the spatial attributes of a changed 20th-century shopping mall. One of the key strategies for the survival of a 20th-century mall is to reinvent its meaning in contemporary society.
The design focused on how to incorporate these values combined with contemporary design theories such as Gehl, and Sim, among others.

With the rapid development of the Internet and the gradual penetration of online shopping into people's lives, COVID has accelerated the popularity of online shopping. People have found that it is convenient and varied, and traditional shopping centres are facing the impact of these e-commerce companies. This study explores the characteristics of brick-and-mortar shopping centres that cannot be replaced by online shopping from the perspective of perception. It selects Bogaard Shopping Centre and the Mall of the Netherlands as case studies to investigate the association between perception and architectural social space.

In the Netherlands, shopping centres are abun¬dant. Whether they are large-scale malls or small neighbourhood centres, they are woven into the fabric of Dutch society. But recently and in the future many malls will be facing the prospect of vacancy. A response therefore is needed. This design was created for the Leyweg in the Hague, and exemplary neighbourhood mall of the Netherlands. The design is focused on the social sustainability of a mall, a future proof design that could be applied to the many small scale shopping malls in the Netherlands. It is designed as a centre in the neighbourhood for people to come together, to meet each other, not solely as an incentive to seduce people to buy as much as possible. By bringing multiple functions in the mix, such as dance, study, work and community spaces, the mall becomes an centre point for the vicinity and attracts a large, diverse audience. It is made for people to just simply be there, to explore, to bring an incentive to wander.

This master thesis explores the application of the theories from Den Heijer's dissertation ‘Managing the university campus - Information to support real estate decisions’ in the context of analysing vacant shopping malls in revitalisation processes. The aim is to develop a decision-making process that can be used by decision makers to make time-efficient, informed and optimal decisions about the future concept of these shopping malls. Building on the existing knowledge, a new framework in the form of a step-by-step plan has been developed. This step-by-step plan combines the theories from Den Heijer's dissertation focusing on shopping mall revitalisations and extending them to the heritage context and thus the analysis of the past. By applying this new framework within revitalisation processes, optimal decisions can be made tailored to the project and the process can be accelerated. As a result, the vacancy rate of these shopping malls and its social and urban consequences, like an increasing number of crimes or the loss of identity are shortened.

With the changing consumer behaviour and the diversification of functions in and around malls, the execution of architectural elements in malls should be re-evaluated. This research focuses on current user behaviour and how it is affected by architectural elements. Therefore, the main research question is: What is the influence of architectural elements of a mall on its users? Literary research on environmental behaviour forms the basis for the observational study, in which the behaviour of users of malls is observed and linked to the characteristics of the architectural elements. It has been concluded that characteristics of architectural elements of a mall can encourage certain behaviour, such as where people tend to go and at which speed. This information can be used to increase footfall in certain areas, which can be beneficial for certain shops or the design of a mall in general.

Post-war shopping malls in the Netherlands are becoming increasingly vacant, which is reflected in the level of activity of the public spaces. These retail-oriented places are becoming less visited as the main reason to come here disappears. This presents a challenge in a compact and densely populated country with a high space demand. With the twelve urban quality criteria of Jan Gehl, a user-based design strategy for Winkelcentrum Leyweg in The Hague Southwest has been developed. The use of spaces determines the level of activity, as the people bring life to these areas. Therefore, this design focuses mainly on the people by introducing elements that make their daily lives more comfortable and enjoyable. A simple bench with trees functioning as canopies can already do the trick. In a building, it is about giving people the freedom to use the spaces they want; places to work, drink a coffee, have a workshop, study, or have the freedom to do what they want. When these buildings are occupied in various ways during the day, more people will be connected to the building, and even a small community can exist here. The increased activity in and around the building will contribute to the overall sense of security. By the use of the building, people will start to care for it and eventually maintain it, providing a more sustainable future. The architect's role is to shape the spaces by introducing qualities that enhance comfort and enjoyment. This can be the increase of daylight, a comfortable climate, moveable furniture, relation between inside and out, good acoustic levels and the opportunities to open or close spaces. Instead of shopping malls being intended for retail alone, these places can be a part of the city. This strategy can be applied to other vacant malls in the Netherlands, reactivating them and providing a more promising and sustainable future.

This graduation project is a research into, and a design proposal for the extended part of the Lijnbaan in Rotterdam. Through literature research and interviews with its visitors, past interventions in this area of the Lijnbaan are analyzed based on these visitors' opinions. The design is a proposal for this part of the Lijnbaan. By recapturing the spirit and thought process behind the original design of this urban block, this design opens up this closed-off area, revitalising a part of Rotterdam which now remains underutilized.