For my graduation project, I turned my focus to the ever-changing Afrikaanderwijk, the neighborhood where I grew up. As my sense of ‘home’ slowly began to fade, I found myself searching for ways to hold onto it. Through this process, I explored how to translate feelings of nostalgia and fragments of childhood memories into tangible 3D objects. ‘To my dear neighbourhood’ captures these emotions and the traces of a place that continues to transform and create a moment to stand still and look back. 

Construction Growing up in de Afrikaanderwijk meant growing up alongside constant change. Construction machines and lifting frames once intimidated me; they signaled transformation. Yet over time, they became familiar almost as much a part of the neighborhood as the houses themselves. The colors, structures, and shifting patterns of construction continue to unconsciously shape and inspire me as a designer.

Windows In this work, I explore the changing identity of Rotterdam-Zuid. Inspired by the 1950s houses in the Afrikaanderwijk, I transform window frames into a distorted 3D construction. The piece reflects the stories embedded in the neighborhood and highlights the tension between the old working-class homes and the rapid renewal reshaping the area. 

Publication to my dear neighbourhood.