Three graduation projects into circular building systems receive awards

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Showcase ‘P-lab’: urban raw materials in a small-scale circular economy

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Ventilation guidelines for the fight against the coronavirus

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Sneak peek BK Bouwkunde

Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment

From a peculiar relationship to a clear view on the Venetian tides

If the Venetian Lagoon could talk, it would want a conversation with Amina Chouairi. She decided to listen anyway. For her Master’s thesis ‘The Operating Venetian Lagoon: The Agency of Barene’, Amina dove into the Venetian tides. Amina recently graduated from the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment with this Master’s thesis which earned her a nomination for Best Graduate TU Delft 2020 and a place in the Archiprix pre-selection.

Five principles for better design education

Seasoned lecturer Elise van Dooren has taught hundreds of engineering students the tricks of the trade. The educational aspects of her work have always fascinated her. So much so that ten years ago she decided to delve more deeply into a topic that had been occupying her thoughts for a long time: how can aspiring designers gain a better understanding of what designing in itself entails? She developed a framework of five basic concepts that teachers and students can use to embed the often complex design practice in the learning process.

Aid organisations should focus on circular construction in Africa

In developing countries, aid organisations have a preference for building houses that meet Western standards. This is a mistake, claims doctoral candidate Michiel Smits in his dissertation, because residents struggle to maintain them. However, his call for ‘self-reliant', circular housing faces opposition from local residents, who prefer their houses to be made using bricks and cement.

China needs more direction in large-scale urban regeneration

The large-scale urban renewal that China has been undergoing in recent decades is accompanied by the wholesale demolition of old buildings. According to PhD researcher Taozhi Zhuang, this is not always necessary. It is high time for clearer guidelines and a more efficient decision-making process.

Wat is the coolest tree?

On a hot, windless day, a leafy neighbourhood may feel 10 to 15°C cooler than an urban area that is more exposed to the sun. Trees thus play a key role in preventing heat stress and the design of climate-proof and healthier cities. “Although we already understand a great deal about the performance of tree species in the built environment, there is very little empirical knowledge about their cooling capacity.”, says researcher Lotte Dijkstra.

Research stories