Vision

Lively places are steeped in history

Coherence and local identity contribute greatly to the experience of a place. Is the architecture recognisable, does it fit in with its surroundings, and does it tell a story about the neighbourhood or city? In our designs, we provide that cohesion and identity. For example, in Turfstraatin Arnhem, where we brought back the characteristics of post-war housing in a clear grid of façades. The three wine silos on the roof of Harbour Club are a reminder of the former use of the site. In Omloop, Utrecht, we are preserving that real Berlage-feeling while intensively compacting and greening.

Meetings make a neighbourhood

A nice home does not begin and end at the front door. You want to feel at home in the street, at the entrance and in a courtyard garden. You want to meet your neighbours in pleasant places. That is why we provide spacious entrances with lots of light and homes on the street, like in De Bocht. In Kroon, we are taking account of the informal walking route through the neighbourhood. And in a tower like Binck Blocks, nice meeting places are a must: we are introducing an outdoor playground on the 27th floor.

Everyone benefits from a good process

A beautiful built environment can only be created if it is based on healthy cooperation. That is why we invest in our collaborations: from long-term partnerships to new friends. We can quickly switch between familiar methods where necessary and innovative approaches where possible. This also applies within the team: our diversity makes us strong and we learn from old and new. We set the bar high for ourselves, and therefore also for others. But always with an eye on the whole chain.

CO2 reduction is always possible, if you know which dials to turn

Every task is different. Yet there is always an opportunity to reduce emissions. For years, we have been developing intelligent solutions for energy and water consumption: the St. Ignatiusgymnasium and the Sustainable Depot Friesland were ahead of their time. Nowadays, it is impossible to imagine our projects without thermal energy storage units, heat exchangers, passive house insulation, scaffoldless construction, sunlight utilisation, passive cooling through intelligent design, and so on. All small steps that together produce big results. And sometimes we come up with unconventional solutions: the façade of Echte-Stein consists of leftover bricks. When new opportunities present themselves, we, of course, seize them, with bio-based in the forefront.

Make only what you need, and use what you already have

We design for the long term and believe in not making what is not necessary. That calls for beautiful architecture, efficiently and flexibly built, well embedded in a living environment, and an integral view of each task. At the same time, demolition and scrapping offer opportunities. In Harbour Club, we transformed old wine silos into stand-up dwellings. In De Loods, the original steel trusses now support the new roof. And at Bensdorp, we restored the historic buildings and chimney of the old chocolate factory.

We make living environments green and healthy

A key intervention in many urban projects is to free up above-ground parking spaces for greenery. That is why, for example, in Klaasje and De Binnenbocht we provided underground and indoor parking with a serious substrate layer above it. With that trees can grow where cars used to stand. Residents can now garden or cool down there. There is room for an insect hotel. Rainwater can drain away well. From the traditional inner areas with tiled gardens in Omloop, we now create shared gardens with rich planting. Especially in Russia, swapping cars for trees is a big deal. But everywhere, it is one of the most important contributions to keeping cities liveable in increasingly extreme weather conditions.

Our designs are actually information models

We are a full-service BIM bureau with over eleven years of experience. We build our models in ArchiCAD as early as the sketching phase. We can immediately present our design proposals spatially. During all phases, we or our chain partners extract the data that is precisely needed: the developer easily assesses the surface areas, prefab detailing is easily extracted and, after completion, the model is input for MPG calculations or a materials passport. We have been pushing the boundaries for years. Data-driven design is the new forefront.

Construction methods add up

We see the need for prefab and modular construction. Provided it is applied correctly. It certainly comes into its own in our high-rise projects with complex stacks of programme, floor plans and façade architecture. In De bocht and Stepstone, we use sandwich elements. Complete with window frames and ventilation. In Binck Blocks, the elements can be completely dismantled. Scaffoldless construction not only saves space, but also transportion and thus emissions. Modular construction is also a solution: fast, efficient and possibly more sustainable, especially if they are made of wood. For each project, we look for the best application. We do make it feasible.

We embrace the materials revolution

Materials last longer than buildings. Therefore, we use materials that will remain valuable forever, such as the centuries-old brick. We prefer to design in such a way that individual materials can easily be harvested from a building. That applies, for example, to the aluminium in the prefab elements of Binck Blocks. But the ceramic facing bricks of Podiumlocatie can also be reused in this way. We are looking for the materials of the future, such as compressed earth blocks, bio-based alternatives like wood and resysta. We also invest in developing the system for the entire chain. For example, through the MIA grant that helps producers register in the national environmental database. Only when everyone has access to the best materials will we be able to make progress together.