Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment

Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment

Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment

Indonesian kampongs rising skywards

In most cities around the world, the residents build their houses themselves, which as a consequence are often rickety. Nadia Remmerswaal invented a CNC milled formwork system that allows the cheap, rapid and safe construction of the main supporting structure. She intends to test it in an Indonesian kampong.

Memory in Architecture

Wars, attacks and disasters that claim the lives of multiple victims are often commemorated in the form of monuments. Translating melancholy into architecture calls for particular sensitivity on the part of the designer, argues Sabina Tanović in her doctoral research on Memory in Architecture.

Viewing buildings as paintings

Interventions in historic buildings are usually preceded by cultural historical research that determines the worth of the building, but not much attention is paid to its architectural qualities and socio-cultural meaning. This is not very effective, says researcher Charlotte Emstede.

Glass stronger than brick for new Chanel

A wall of glued glass bricks that is ten times as strong as a regular brick facade. Experiments conducted by the Glass & Transparency research group proved this could be true.

More creativity with microforests

Looking for ways to make a building and its occupants perform better? Put a microforest in it. According to Giancarlo Mangone’s doctoral research, vegetation in the built environment boosts creativity and decreases power consumption.

Energy performance: we are the deciding factor

In theory it is perfectly possible to create energy-neutral houses, but in practice the residents often throw a spanner in the works. According to PhD candidate Daša Majcen, energy labels are only meaningful when they are linked to actual consumption data. She advocates creating more awareness among residents.

Icons are not created on the drawing board

Cities are increasingly constructing high-profile iconic buildings in order to put themselves on the map. Although this could be a good idea, you should first think carefully about what you want to achieve as a city by doing this, advises Wouter Jan Verheul of Urban Area Development (Real Estate & Housing).

Research stories