Transforming housing heritage

In 2011 the RMIT-department of the Faculty of Architecture of TU Delft formulated the ambition to be structurally involved in the transformation of urban neighbourhoods in both research and education. This was decided upon because of the complex social, spatial and physical issues that many districts in large cities are facing and the urge to react on these issues with research based design within the awareness of the cultural significance of those threatened areas. The mentioned complexity fits perfectly in the mission of RMIT, i.e. aiming at multidisciplinary research, product development and knowledge transfer in the fields of modification, intervention and transformation of the built environment. By linking academia with professionals in the field RMIT aims at innovation in both education and research. Therefore RMIT and Veldacademie joined forces and started a graduation studio on Transforming Housing Heritage of Feijenoord and Lombardijen. The ambition of the studio was to gain an insight in origin, history, past of interventions, the actual situation and the future possibilities of a variety of typologies in the existing housing stock as a base for intervention strategies. To connect with the real world, stakeholders such as housing corporations and local authorities were involved in the organisation of the studio. The collaboration with Veldacademie and the input of experts resulted in a multidisciplinary approach. In this book, the following projects are discussed: ShopHouse Transformation in Feijenoord, by Aman Poon Simonsterrein - A social project, by Theodora Chatzi Rodopoulou Diversity: ideas and embodiment, Zinkerblock, by Alexandra Vlasova Liveability in residential urban neighbourhoods, Oranjeboomstraat, by Eirini Gallou De wijkgedachte 2012: Collectivity and individuality in Molièrebuurt West, by Mark Radstake Green spaces in post-war areas, Lombardijen-Oost, by Donghwa Kang Self-identification Issues in Post-war Neighbourhoods, Loss of Identity in Lombardijen district, by Irakli Melkadze