It is hard to imagine a world without bridges. Bridges lie at the heart of our civilization bringing growth and prosperity to our society. It is by virtue of bridges that communities are able to physically connect to new people and to new places that were previously disconnected. However, bridges are more than mere functional assets. A well designed bridge reflects mankind’s creativity and ingenuity. One could even state that the way bridges are designed tells us something about our identity.

The way that our bridges are commissioned, designed and procured is rapidly changing. Ideally the design of a bridge is made through an integrated approach that addresses all relevant technological angles, practiced by all involved disciplines through all phases of the design. In reality, many different people from many different disciplines work on the design during different phases of the project. The segregation of knowledge into discipline-specific fields, and the fragmented approach to bridge procurement, have resulted in a general lack of cohesion in bridge design. Critical investigation into how to pursue good integrated design is absent. Therefor the objective of this research is to identify a design approach, through all scales of the design, that leads to bridges that are well-integrated, that are integrally-designed and that are valued by societ...

Over the last half century, the Global South has faced a strong rise in the rate of urbanisation. Although this process differs from region to region, rapid urbanisation has created many challenges for countries in the Global South. Brazil is no different. The largest country in South America has jumped from an urban population of 44.67% in 1960 to 84.36% in 2010, according to the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE, 2018). While urban growth is relatively stable in Brazil t...

Space is the empty part of the building, but its volume is important for the activities of occupants. Architects define the general spatial structures of buildings mainly in the early design stages, and the spatial properties, the connection of the spaces and the boundary conditions of them are significant for the building function and performance. This research first clarified the relationship between spatial configuration of buildings, thermal environment and thermal comfort of occupants in...

This thesis explores the ways in which landscape is relevant as a concept for designing architecture. Buildings that have been designed like landscapes have become a topic in contemporary architecture. The apparent distinction between architecture and landscape is questioned in exemplary theories and new designs.

The core of this thesis is three case studies of architectural designs that use landscape strategies. The analytical model for landscape architectural composition that Steenbergen an...