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...

It is well-known that the indoor environmental quality (IEQ) at schools affects the health, comfort and performance of school children. Considering the need for a more effective way to improve both the IEQ in primary school classrooms and children’s satisfaction, along with the positive potential of individual control, this thesis aimed to propose a new way - individual control - to improve the IEQ in classrooms of primary schools and to increase children’s satisfaction in the Netherlands.

First the main IEQ problem in classrooms as well as IEQ perceptions and preferences of the school children were identified through literature and field studies. The outcome showed that noise was the main IEQ problem in classrooms of Dutch primary schools, children could be clustered in according to their IEQ perceptions and preferences, and the reported IEQ-improving actions of the teachers could not effectively improve the IEQ for each chil...

This dissertation focuses on Industrial Heritage Reuse practice in Europe, with special emphasis on the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Spain and Greece. This vastly complex yet fascinating topic has not been studied holistically under the circumstances of the contemporary era. In the 21st century, Industrial Heritage Reuse is required to be more responsive, more sustainable, more inclusive and more value-driven than before. An enhanced approach for the transformation of industrial relics is...

In this booklet, the architectural theorist and Professor at York University Abidin Kusno discusses two lectures given by two influential professors in the former Dutch colony of Indonesia. The first one, ‘The aesthetics of architecture and the art of the moderns’, was given by C. Wolff Schoemaker in 1930. The second, entitled ‘Towards an Indonesian Architecture’, was delivered by Vincent Van Romondt in 1954. Schoemaker and Van Romondt held different views on the challenges of archite...

The research aims to provide an understanding of an urbanizing delta in which different scales, times, and domains are related to each other; and to examine how this understanding can be used in a planning and design process in a rapidly urbanizing delta. A mapping method is developed according to the key notions in the understanding of urban deltas, namely its systems, scales, and temporality. The systematic mapping approach was used to organize and analyze both short-term and long-term...

Cities never function in isolation but as nodes in overarching systems characterised by flows of goods, people, and information. To fully understand the evolution of cities, a relational approach is needed, which investigates cities in relation to other cities and urban regions. While a significant part of urban system research has focused on aspects such as the concentration of populations and economic activities, the understanding of the actual networks connecting cities and their impact is...

With increasing advancements in information and manufacturing technologies, there is an ever‑growing need for innovative integration and application of computational design and robotic fabrication in architecture. Hybrid Intelligence in Architectural Robotic Materialization (HI-ARM) provides methods and frameworks that target this need. HI-ARM introduces methodologies and technologies that incorporate computational, fabrication and material intelligence in integrated design-to-robotic-produ...

The starting point of the research is the need to refurbish existing residential building stock, in order to reduce its energy demand, which accounts for over one fourth of the energy consumption in the European Union. Refurbishment is a necessary step to reach the ambitious energy and decarbonisation targets for 2020 and 2050 that require an eventual reduction up to 90% in CO2 emissions. In this context, the rate and depth of refurbishment need to grow. The number of building to be renovated...

Climate change can no longer be ignored. It is globally recognised that the evidence for climate change is unequivocal and that action needs to be taken in order to address its negative effects. These effects, such as warmer and drier summers and more extreme rainfall, may threaten the quality of life of those living in urban environments. To limit these threats, a number of climate change adaptation measures can be taken to pre-empt the negative effects of climate change.

The challenge of in...