Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment

Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment

Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment

Blended modifiers reduce salt damage in lime mortars

Lime-bound mortars are vulnarable to damage caused by salt crystallisation, but this can be remedied. PhD researcher Sanne Granneman discovered crystallisation modifiers mixed in with the mortar can prevent them from breaking down.

Patterns and forms show fragmentation Chinese city



Spatial integration of new buildings in an existing environment is food for much discussion. However, this subject is not about words. Studies should focus on forms and patterns, if the goal is to achieve historical continuity in an urban design. This concludes Jiaxiu Cai in her PhD research.

How to integrate the river corridors of a grey and car-addicted city

Many cities form on the banks of rivers, but that does not mean that city and water are integrated by definition. PhD researcher Claudiu Forgaci investigated how better designed river corridors can contribute to a more resilient and more liveable city.



Delta policies: assess spatial quality first, then find the best solution

Spatial quality is still too often neglected in interventions to keep the water out. That is unnecessary, concludes PhD candidate Anne Loes Nillesen. First list the technical possibilities, then develop an integrated solution in consultation with all relevant parties.

Enabling web access to geodata calls for compromises

Geodata open up opportunities for countless new applications, but the true potential remains untapped. Open datasets from the geo-world are not sufficiently compatible with standard search engines or access to them is restricted. According to PhD candidate Linda van den Brink, there are both technological and social obstacles that need to be overcome.

Every climate requires its own solar cooling

The cooling of buildings slurps energy and is primarily aimed at combating the effects of the sun. Can solar energy and heat not be used for cooling? PhD candidate Alejandro Prieto Hoces discovered that solar cooling offers opportunities, but it rarely is a final solution. Just start with good sunscreens.

Democratic design wanted for post-colonial Malaysia

Malaysia has not been a colony since 1957, but this is not reflected in public space. Just like the British time, urban planning is all about controlling the masses, says PhD candidate Nurul Azlan. It’s time for urban designers to become independent, too.

Research stories