Materializing Identity

The graduation thesis "Materializing Identity" focuses on utilizing inherent urban identity as a main design factor in the inner city regeneration of Rotterdam. The aim of the project is to solve the imbalance between the relevance of economic aspects of town planning over the socio-cultural aspects. To this end research is conducted on the workings of a so called ‘problem-neighbourhood’, among which its socio-cultural setup and the available amenities; determining the positive qualities and subsequently enhancing such inherent qualities spatially and programmatically in order to spearhead an improvement in the quality of life.