Public Real Estate

The Chair of Public Real Estate focuses on the challenges of managing public real estate portfolios by building theory on improving decision-making processes and finding new concepts for the built environment.

The chair’s profile

University campuses, hospitals, schools, and city halls are just some examples of built environments that support public goals and have a large impact on society. Managing these buildings – often heritage on iconic locations – is never the primary task of the institutions that use them. However, they need to set an example to society and have a responsibility to implement public policies, resulting in meaningful, functional, affordable, and sustainable built environments.

Managing Public Real Estate is about connecting four variables in every decision: public goals, financial resources, people and buildings.

Public Real Estate supports owners of the built environment in achieving public goals. The research field connects both theories and practical references from other scientific disciplines in the built environment ranging from design, technological innovation and transformation of heritage buildings to interior architecture and urban development.

The chair’s mission

Prof. dr. ir. Alexandra den Heijer: "My mission is to support organisations’ decisions about (managing) their public real estate portfolios, resulting in (more) inspiring, meaningful, functional, affordable, resource-efficient and sustainable built environments."

The chair’s legacy: university campuses

Professor Alexandra den Heijer is internationally renowned as an expert on campuses for higher education, having studied the future of (managing) the university campus for many years, working with universities all over the world. Her legacy and knowledge about university campuses are the foundation by which the expansion of the research field will be grounded, applying her knowledge to other owners of the built environment. She has made it her challenge to serve as a connector and interpreter in management and design processes. 

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