Many research programs focus on one specific topic in one specific context. This brings us very accurate though specific knowledge. The DeSIRE program has a holistic perspective; it researches and designs complex social-technical-environmental systems. Within this program, focus is on water, energy, urban areas, agriculture and transport. These topics are being researched as one integrated system.
The research within the Built Environment part of DeSIRE deals with the big future challenges with regards to climate change and response to climate change in terms of climate mitigation and adaptation. Solutions need to be coordinated with the challenges/interventions for energy transition, liveability, electrification in mobility and ongoing digitization.
Resilience
In dealing with these changes, resilience is one of the key concepts. There is a paradigm shift from robust design and failsafe solutions, into resilient designs that are safe to fail. The starting point is in the understanding that there are feedbacks in complex adaptive social-technical-environmental systems, that may lead to cascading effects. To change these systems, much research is done with a research through design methodology to eventually create desirable and resilient future environments.
Open Source: Urban Resilience
The DeSIRE programme has recently developed an open community with findings on the topic of Urban Resilience from an engineering perspective.
It addresses all these challenges and enables teaching of students but also professionals as part of their lifelong learning.