The Jaarbeursplein situated adjacent to the country’s busiest train station has a rich public-transport history. Once a bustling bus station with multiple modes of movement, it now plays a crucial role in Utrecht’s vision of expanding its city centre.

Utrecht takes pride in being a pioneer in promoting Healthy Urban Living and wants to reflect this idea at this prominent location.

The design for Oopen takes this commitment to a new level by focusing on creating a healthy building. However, it goes beyond that. Utrecht is a melting pot of different nationalities, yet this diversity is not always visible in its city centre. The design of Oopen aims to celebrate this diversity and provide meaningful spaces for all the people of Utrecht. Rather than being a building, Oopen is a collection of cogs, expressing movement and also diversity of programme, spaces and scale.

One of the design’s key features is the dual use of these spaces, which opens up possibilities for a wide range of activities within the building. This flexibility and adaptability not only cater to the diverse needs and interests of the city’s inhabitants but also stimulate the synergy of different activities. It creates an environment where individuals from various backgrounds can interact and learn from one another. As a result, each visit promises to be a unique experience, making visitors eager to return time and again.

The Noordwest cluster has been a hidden part of the Utrecht Science Campus, tucked away behind a row of buildings and concealed by the motorway. Over time, it has become cluttered with infrastructure, parking facilities and technical amenities. However, this cluster is home to high-level research facilities, including the Faculty of Earth Sciences and prestigious research institutes like TNO.

How do we successfully merge the cluster back into the campus’s overall structure? And how can we enhance the landscape so that it becomes a welcoming space to linger and enjoy?

Our solution involves introducing a key feature called the ‘Loop’. It serves as the central point in the public space, providing clear navigation within the area. Its user-friendly and highly practical shared-surface design not only gives a distinct identity to the Noordwest cluster but also effectively manages pedestrian and cyclist access. In this arrangement, vehicles are restricted to service logistics and emergencies, while the Loop seamlessly connects the cluster with its green surroundings.

The future densification strategy is based on the idea of connecting new building volumes to outdoor spaces and establishing addresses along the Loop. These addresses take the form of entrance gardens, which serve as transitional zones that smoothly link indoor and outdoor areas. Their purpose is to inspire individuals to step out of their buildings and actively engage with the campus.

The R13 building has a dual function. It serves as the campus’s prominent showcase and a vital link between the campus and the city, as it becomes the main entry point for visitors.

Our design concept draws inspiration from this intriguing contextual condition.

We have designed an interesting interplay of volumes for R13, with the aim of actively engaging the campus users. An eye-catching single-storey segment intersects the building perpendicularly, lending a human scale to the design. Oriented towards one of Eindhoven’s major entrance roads, this element highlights the ‘Explorelab’ and doubles as the primary entrance serving both city and campus. The element also incorporates lush greenery and tiered seating, linking the campus landscape with the building’s interior, and as a result making a striking impact on the campus environment.

Within the building, a welcoming atmosphere is created by a spacious wooden atrium flooded with natural light. This wooden heart connects both atria, encouraging social interaction across floors. The home bases for the 5 different studies are located around the heart on different floors and each has its their own recognisable colour. These intimate home bases reflect the engagement between students and teachers, ensuring a sense of belonging and ease for all occupants.

The area surrounding the Brainport Industry Campus (BIC) is characterised by a variety of outdoor spaces, including dense forests, extensive agricultural land, and valuable natural landscapes. The challenge we faced was the integration of a substantial 225,000m2 high-tech manufacturing plant in this setting, while also enhancing the competitive edge and innovation potential of the next step for Brainport Industry Campus: BIC Cluster 2.

Our approach to this challenge focuses on respect for the landscape, to help plants and animals thrive, combined with a strong commitment to provide the users with abundant natural light and access to the lush green surroundings.

The design proposal is a complex composed of modular stripes, each approximately 25 metres wide and 200 to 350 metres in length. These stripes, which reference the traditional industrial shed, boast ample overhead daylight, creating an ideal working environment. By strategically positioning and manipulating these stripes, the building responds to the protected natural areas. It also allows BIC Cluster 2 to seamlessly accommodate companies of varying sizes and requirements. We have intentionally left out three stripes, allowing the green to come into the heart of the factory.

The combination of a healthy, green workspace boosts productivity but also transforms the environment into an inviting place to be that promotes collaboration between the various users and acts as a catalyst for innovation. This synthesis of architecture and nature respects the landscape and enhances its qualities, and creates a vital ecosystem for businesses and individuals alike.

The PATCHWORK project is located in the emerging Sluisbuurt neighbourhood in Amsterdam. Currently an undeveloped sandy site, the aim is for it to become a 600,000 m2 lively built-up city area. We believe that cities thrive on diverse, surprising human interactions and that encounters with ‘the unexpected’ and ‘the other’ add vibrancy and intrigue. The challenge is to create an engaging city extension here with these qualities and a vivid urban atmosphere.

To contribute to a captivating part of the city, we prioritised diversity in both architectural form and usage. Additionally, we focused on embracing fluid design principles to create dynamics and spaces that are adaptable to changing needs and functions.

The first design decision involves the creation of low and medium-rise volumes, introducing a mid-sized, human dimension to the Sluisbuurt cityscape. This choice encourages small-scale initiatives, and enhances adaptability, both key factors for urban resilience.

The true identity of Patchwork is that the design revolves around movement and transition. This creates opportunities for diverse individuals to interact and be surprised within the flow of their daily routines, be it returning home, commuting to work, or heading to the gym.

We have achieved this through a deliberate spatial organisation that emphasises the convergence of movement within the building. The best illustration of this concept is the Red Carpet: a combined entrance route for cyclists and pedestrians. This is the first residential development in the Netherlands where it is possible to cycle from the public street through the main entrance up to the central Bicycle Heart on level 1. And then pass the collective roof garden before entering your private home.

The ‘In de Bogaard’ district in Rijswijk, situated near the train station, is currently undergoing a significant transformation. It is evolving from a zone solely focused on shopping into a dynamic, mixed-use district. Our role includes introducing new functions to ignite this renewal. We are tasked with designing a residential block at a prominent location, to serve as a beacon for this ambitious urban renewal.

The design proposal makes maximum use of the dynamics and all-round character of the spot. The building stands out as a distinct sculpture, characterised by the setbacks that spiral around the building and respond to the heights of the surrounding buildings.

A contrasting palette of aluminium and triangular balconies is applied at each setback, bringing extra dynamics. It also creates a variety of outdoor areas, including loggias and deep terraces, offering residents rich and diverse living experiences. The expressive green brick of the base façade provides a distinctive appearance. The different stacked blocks share a single colour palette, but the variation of smooth and contrasting rough-ribbed bricks gives each block its own identity and breaks the scale of the volume.

The result is an eye-catching silhouette that varies when viewed from different angles. It appears dynamic from a distance and invites tactile exploration up close.

The Fontys Campus in Eindhoven, positioned on a principal access route to the city and adjacent to the TU campus, underwent a transformation with the circular demolition of the large R1 building and the need to accommodate 5 new institutes. Originally, it was a gated campus, with a layout predominantly focused on parking. The transformation has opened up a wealth of opportunities.

For us, this presented a challenging opportunity to reintegrate the campus into the city and the city into the campus.

Instead of advocating for a single, large, introverted building, our approach focuses on enriching the campus atmosphere by dispersing the 24,000 m² of programme across three building volumes. This creates a compelling urban arrangement where the new buildings, in harmony with existing ones and the landscape, create a permeable and welcoming campus setting.

The strategy also makes it possible to invite the landscape into the campus, generating a seamless connection between interior and exterior spaces. At the heart of the campus, a central square features an architecturally striking meeting point. This square serves as the focal point, providing a sense of gravity to the campus, a place where people come together and connect. Our design approach not only creates a dynamic campus but also encourages well-being by motivating individuals to enjoy the outdoors while transitioning between these buildings.

The high-rise typology is frequently linked to social isolation, where residents may not know their neighbours. How can we create a journey for residents from the tower’s communal entrance to their private homes that fosters a sense of community? This was the question we placed at the core of CasaNova’s design philosophy.

Our answer involves a spacious atrium situated within the tower’s five-storey base, which serves as the main arrival point for residents. Rather than providing direct access to apartments from the parking area, residents are encouraged to gather in this communal hub initially. A substantial roof window on top of the plinth establishes a visual link between the atrium and the expansive rooftop terraces, allowing glimpses of the sky and the tower above. This design solution enhances the overall entrance experience and promotes neighbourly interactions.

The tower itself has a distinct triangular shape, which has been carefully crafted to harmonise with the adjacent tower, The Muse. This deliberate choice preserves scenic views and respects the privacy of residents in both towers. Inside the apartments, the unique triangular configuration creates great spatial quality, optimising exposure to sunlight and providing a 300-degree panoramic city view. Our CasaNova design prioritises the resident’s experience from entry to living space, ensuring a unique and thoughtful architectural journey.

The ‘Gele Scheikunde’ site holds a significant historical legacy and stands out by its distinct architectural style, which is characterised by a typical yellow brick and the use of interlocking volumes that break down the scale of the large complex.

When we were tasked to transform and repurpose this site, we took it as our challenge to use this language. To create balance between preserving the site’s unique character and ensuring that it harmoniously integrates with both the small-scale of the immediate surroundings and the larger urban context of the university district.

The resulting design exhibits three distinctive aspects. Firstly, we selected the historic buildings which will undergo complete transformation. We accentuated their rich historical significance and combined this with new qualities. Secondly, we introduced a cluster of ground-level houses in a characteristic urban housing style, which aligns seamlessly with the Juliana neighbourhood. Lastly, we incorporated several high-rise blocks that bridge the gap between the intimate scale of the city centre and the expansive scope of the TU district. These larger elements deliberately employ the language of interlocking, providing them with an invitingly varied scale and allowing them to be big and be small.

The ‘Gele Scheikunde’ complex’s overall atmosphere is elevated through the incorporation of a green collar and the consistent use of a harmonious material and colour scheme. Additionally, we have introduced delicate architectural elements at points where people come in contact with the buildings, further enriching the sense of location.

The Central Markethall in Amsterdam has undergone an amputation. The clock tower that was once an integral part of this imposing building has been demolished. Now there are ambitions for new usage of the Markethall, and it is therefore time for revival. We were asked to design a clock tower to mark this new era.

In collaboration with artist Gabriel Lester, we searched for a design that provides an answer for the future while also referring to the past. Bridging past and present.

The new tower’s design echoes a memory of what has been. It traces the volume of the past, and expresses this, but stripped of all mass. The result is a fragile and elegant structure of bars, which form the veins of the bell tower. Resting upon the sturdy historic foundation, the transparent modern structure creates a captivating juxtaposition. Depending on the viewer’s perspective, the veins form an endless series of architectural abstractions. From wherever in the city you look at the tower, a dynamic spatial image emerges.