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.

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.

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.

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.

The thesis aims to investigate the role of the built environment with the help of design elements, in promoting mental health among young adults. The study will focus on how architectural design choices can contribute to- wards normalization and de-institutionalisation of mental healthcare facilities for the youth. The academic paper aims to explore the impact of the built environment on mental health in an ever changing modern society. The research will examine several literature studies, academic writings, case studies and primary sources through fieldwork, observations and interviews. Social and environmental factors which might influence the youth and how design choices can address these factors will also be analyzed. Overall, the thesis seeks to provide insights on how architects can create spaces that not only prevent mental illnesses but also promote mental wellbeing among young adults. While mental health is a very prominent topic currently, this thesis aims at providing an alternative approach towards the topic through architecture.

Coinciding with the decline of post-war neighborhoods and the housing shortage in the Netherlands the trend towards individualism and one-person households has emerged since the 1950s. This report investigates the densification and reinvigoration strategies
of these post-war neighborhoods by using co-housing as a strategy. In the past co-hous- ing has been tried as a solution for social injustice and vulnerable groups within a society.
To develop these strategies, case studies of postwar renovation projects have been analyzed as well as co-housing spatial principles and fundamentals to combine into a design strategy for the renovation plan of IJssel- monde. The results are a design approach
for densification of a postwar neighborhood that takes into account the current resi-
dents while providing suitable housing for new residents and connecting them through co-housing.

The driving force for this research was the rising need for additional supported living housing for intellectually disabled adults steering towards their social inclusion; besides all the efforts so far, there is a strong necessity to improve the architectural environment offered to this population.
The study of the relevant literature and the fieldwork conducted based on ethnographic methodology guided this inquiry towards biophilic design, a tool that can improve the quality of life of residents in supported living settings.
Taking into consideration the rights of this vulnerable group to independent living, social interaction and well-being, the main research question that guided the whole process leading to the formulation of the qualities on which the design process will be based was: how can biophilic design be implemented to improve the quality of life of adults with intellectual disabilities who live in supported living environments?
The findings of this research indicate that a small-scale living facility located in the heart of a neighborhood, accessible by public transportation and close to public functions, seems ideal for intellectually disabled residents who live in supported living arrangements. The program can benefit from hybridity, combining dwellings with recreational and therapeutic facilities that can enhance the health and well-being of both the intellectually disabled population and the neighborhood community.

This paper has argued that the absence of inter-generational contact and a deficit of care-taking in communities leads to the societal exclusion of the elderly and increases the development of diseases such as Alzheimer’s, dementia and depression. Dementia is a pressing problem of our time. The number of people with dementia is constantly rising and will triple by 2050.1 The understaffed healthcare system can no longer provide enough care in nursing facilities. Therefore, this thesis aimed to discover how to prevent the development of cognitive impairments by implementing design strategies on the neighbourhood and housing block scale.
The main research question to be addressed in this thesis was what inclusive design strategy can encourage daily inter-generational contact, strengthen communities and prevent cognitive impairments?
The research included primary research on the target group’s social needs and future-proof living space design through a one-week observation study, three semi-structured interviews and a questionnaire conducted among 18 participants.
Additionally, secondary research was conducted by analysis of two case studies of community-based design projects.
This study has identified a correlation between staying socially and physically active and has found that the combination of fostering social contact and encouraging physical activity can delay the illness by several years. It investigated the needs and wants of different generations regarding neighbourhood and housing design. It identified that a need to feel like a part of a community is the most important overlap between all age groups.
It also examined how to use the principles of ‘Active design’ and ‘Architecture for encounter’ in a housing block.
As a result, the research provides answers on how the architectural design of a housing block can prevent the development of cognitive impairments and thus enable healthy ageing in place. Conclusively the research identified that it is indeed possible to encourage daily inter-generational contact, strengthen communities and prevent cognitive impairments through a design of a housing block which revolves around the community.

Some researchers claim that the modern landscape of psychiatric treatment is mechanized to approach healing of the patients through the form the chemical treatment (Rhi, 2001). This method does not prove to be efficient for every patient, leaving them in a burdening psychological state. Elements such as holistic practices and spiritual rituals can offer an alternative which is patient-centered, and addresses the patient as a whole (CAN ÖZ & DURAN, 2021). Psychiatric facilities often neglect the need of the user in relation to the healing space. The approach in this field of architecture is often staff-centered, focused on control and safety, but often lacks the qualities that are associated with a holistic view of healing (Connellan et al., 2013). In order to understand and analyze the positive effect that buildings can have onto the patient, case studies, interviews, visits and reference reviews were conducted, which were summarized into design themes that serve as a basic framework for creating spiritual and healing environments. The design themes matrix outlines the qualities of architectural spaces on three different scales, representing the experience and feelings of each location. The most common features were elements such as minimalist, synthetic spaces, emphasized by either monochrome or complementary color schemes, are orchestrated through light and darkness. Thus, immersing the user into the architectural space opens them towards the possibility of experiencing a mystical experience.

The Netherlands is facing a housing crisis emblematic of a global phenomena. The growing intensity of the need for housing cannot meet the development and resource availability. Mass standardised housing contributes to this irrevocable cycle of supply and demand. This project is an investigation into participatory design practices as a method for architects to revitalise communities through incentivising collaborative housing within existing urban structures in the suburb of IJsselmonde, Rotterdam. The project aims to show the potential of synthesis and collaboration for the development of new housing solutions.

As part of the studio ‘Designing for Care – towards an Inclusive Living Environment’, which focused on the topics of architectural designs for the elderly, this study specifically aimed at building an open and intimate neighbourhood through connections in answer to the elderly’s urgent problems from aged-related social losses.

This graphic novel is the result of a micro-ethnographic research to Gerji, a district of Addis Ababa. Using graphic techniques borrowed from the architecture discipline, this graphic novel aims at bringing together representations of everyday life in the Gerji neighbourhood, that show how human life shapes its environment and vice versa. This graphic novel not only represents the architectural qualities and spatial relationships, but also reveals the hidden narratives of ordinary stories.

This graphic novel is the result of a micro-ethnographic research to Kolfe, a neighbourhood in Addis Ababa. Using graphic techniques borrowed from the architecture discipline, this graphic novel aims at bringing together representations of everyday life in Kolfe, that show how human life shapes its environment and vice versa. This graphic novel not only represents the architectural qualities and spatial relationships, but also reveals the hidden narratives of ordinary stories.

This graphic novel is the result of a micro-ethnographic research to Mickeyleland, a neighbourhood of Addis Ababa. Using graphic techniques borrowed from the architecture discipline, this graphic novel aims at bringing together representations of everyday life in the Mickeyleland neighbourhood, that show how human life shapes its environment and vice versa. This graphic novel not only represents the architectural qualities and spatial relationships, but also reveals the hidden narratives of ordinary stories.

This graphic novel is the result of a micro-ethnographic research to Summit, a district of Addis Ababa. Using graphic techniques borrowed from the architecture discipline, this graphic novel aims at bringing together representations of everyday life in Summit, that show how human life shapes its environment and vice versa. This graphic novel not only represents the architectural qualities and spatial relationships, but also reveals the hidden narratives of ordinary stories.

This graphic novel is the result of a micro-ethnographic research to Kechene, a district of Addis Ababa. Using graphic techniques borrowed from the architecture discipline, this graphic novel aims at bringing together representations of everyday life in the Kechene sefer (neighbourhood), that show how human life shapes its environment and vice versa. This graphic novel not only represents the architectural qualities and spatial relationships, but also reveals the hidden narratives of ordinary stories.
The graphic novel is complemented with a research booklet, which includes some of the key research findings that support the narrative used in the graphic novel. The research booklet is structured as a series of commented images reporting the research methods and the analysis that lead to the elaboration of the graphic novel