Transforming housing heritage

In 2011 the RMIT-department of the Faculty of Architecture of TUDelft formulated the ambition to be structurally involved in thetransformation of urban neighbourhoods in both research and education.This was decided upon because of the complex social, spatialand physical issues that many districts in large cities are facingand the urge to react on these issues with research based designwithin the awareness of the cultural significance of those threatenedareas.The mentioned complexity fits perfectly in the mission of RMIT,i.e. aiming at multidisciplinary research, product development andknowledge transfer in the fields of modification, intervention andtransformation of the built environment. By linking academia withprofessionals in the field RMIT aims at innovation in both educationand research. Therefore RMIT and Veldacademie joined forces andstarted a graduation studio on Transforming Housing Heritage ofFeijenoord and Lombardijen.The ambition of the studio was to gain an insight in origin, history,past of interventions, the actual situation and the future possibilitiesof a variety of typologies in the existing housing stock as a basefor intervention strategies. To connect with the real world, stakeholderssuch as housing corporations and local authorities wereinvolved in the organisation of the studio. The collaboration withVeldacademie and the input of experts resulted in a multidisciplinaryapproach.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 AlexandraVlasova Liveability in residential urban neighbourhoods, Oranjeboomstraat,by Eirini Gallou De wijkgedachte 2012: Collectivity and individuality in MolièrebuurtWest, by Mark Radstake Green spaces in post-war areas, Lombardijen-Oost, by DonghwaKang Self-identification Issues in Post-war Neighbourhoods, Loss ofIdentity in Lombardijen district, by Irakli Melkadze