Purpose: Complexity is seen as the main bottleneck to start re-use processes for vacant heritage buildings. Researchers ask for the development of conceptual frameworks to explore project complexity and for tools to manage these complex processes.
Aim: This research focuses on collaborative complexity and aims firstly to provide an understanding of the complexity within the collaboration in heritage re-use projects and secondly to reduce this complexity with a clear overview on the role and responsibility divisions of stakeholders in the process.
Research question: How can a clear overview on role and responsibility divisions contribute to a reduction of the complexity of heritage re-use processes?
Methodology: The complexity is explored by means of a literature study, four empirical case studies including a cross-case analysis and a focus group discussion. The collaboration within empirical heritage re-use processes is mapped with the help of: 1) a timeline, which gives an overview on the iterative nature of the process; 2) a process description that explains the key activities mentioned in the timeline; 3) a relation structure explaining how stakeholders are linked to each other and which roles they fulfil; 4) a collaboration framework that explains the role and responsibility division between stakeholders per process step; and 5) a complexity assessment framework explaining which aspects increase the level of complexity.
Findings: Complexity of heritage re-use processes cannot be reduced with a clear overview on role and responsibility divisions: These projects are unique, a clear overview on role and responsibility divisions in these types of processes could therefore not be made. The division of roles and responsibilities amongst
stakeholders seems to differ within every project and changes occur during the process. Stakeholders
cannot anticipate with certainty on changes as the dynamics are unknown at the start and they differ extremely per project. It might however be possible to steer on aspects that increase the level of complexity within the collaboration, or to deal with the complexity by implementing a step-by-step approach.
Limitations of the research: Qualitative research is always subject to bias due to the interpretation of the qualitative information. Subsequently, the modest number of samples that is investigated in this master thesis may not adequately represent the target population.
Practical implications: This research raises awareness on the complexity of heritage re-use processes and the limited action that is taken up until now to decrease the vacancy among cultural and historical
valuable buildings in the Netherlands. It offers recommendations for initiators of heritage re-use processes to deal with the complexity within these processes to increase the amount of re-uses of heritage buildings in practice.
Scientific relevance: This research tries to fill gaps in literature on process complexity and collaboration in heritage re-use processes. It argues that heritage re-use processes should not be set in blueprints as these models lack the ability to map the complexity of these processes.
Originality/value: Limited literature is available on heritage re-use processes, this research increases the insight in these processes.

The circular economy is seen as the solution against waste and will cause reduction in use of both resources and energy. This means that resources will circulate continuously, making the end of life stages of product, objects and project more important. In this research it became apparent that (end) value constitutes of many different influences, variables and value term. Only by case specific analysis such value terms can be distinguished, which will change for an object, by any subject in time. Therefore, it is concluded that is nearly impossible to operationalize this (end) value in a circular business model, in which multiple (endless) cycles generate to much uncertainty and risk in order to come up with monetary outcomes and only derivatives of this value are used in business models of circular products.

Het doel van het onderzoek is het geven van een beeld van de veranderingen in organisatieaspecten binnen woningcorporaties die tot een verbetering van huurderstevredenheid hebben geleid. Tevens is het het doel om een basis te leggen voor verder onderzoek op dit onderwerp, vandaar het exploratieve karakter van het onderzoek. Door middel van een praktijkonderzoek met semi-structured interviews op 16 corporaties die de meeste ontwikkelingen hebben getoond op de huurderstevredenheid in de Aedes Benchmark, is data opgehaald en geanalyseerd aan de hand van een vooraf opgesteld raamwerk. Hierbij is het ESH-model als basis gebruikt. De data is hierbij vergeleken met de factoren die de huurderstevredenheid beïnvloeden volgens de literatuurstudie, waar uiteindelijk conclusies uit zijn getrokken.

The economic crisis, demographic changes and increasing vacancy of real estate in the city urges us to question how we cope with the new needs of the city, and how these can be combined with the existing built environment. Adaptive reuse, as a concept of reusing pre-existing structures for new purposes, has become an increasingly appealing option. Not only because of the recognition of the effects on climate change by the built environment, but also the realization that adaptive reuse can make a considerable contribution to the formulation of strategies for sustainable, future-proof cities. A growing interest in adaptive reuse can also be identified in the public sector. It is now recognized by public organisations, like municipalities, that real estate cannot merely be managed and preserved by simple maintenance. The uniqueness of every adaptive reuse project however contributes vastly to the complexity and it appears that many municipalities are currently not equipped to deal with these kinds of projects. Moreover, it is arguable whether they should execute the adaptive reuse themselves at all, because of all the involved risks and commitments and the fact that they are dealing with public money. But how should they then act whenever dealing with an object within their portfolio that is eligible for adaptive reuse? A concise strategy is needed to provide municipalities with the means to make a fitted decision that can be properly justified to the other stakeholders. In general, one could argue that there are several alternative options, but what option would be the best for that specific situation? Therefore, the main research question is: “What criteria need to be considered when deciding upon adaptive reuse within the real estate portfolio of municipalities?” The result of this research is a tool in which the identified criteria are implemented in a comparison matrix which is used to discuss and assess the different alternatives. The comparison matrix is integrated into a step-by-step plan subdivided into two phases. The developed tool provides the municipalities with a structured decision-making process, which can be used to maximise transparency, stimulate critical thinking, optimise MREM and initiate the right discussion.