The very first thing I learned as I was preparing for the Architectural University exam was the fact that any line you draw in a floor plan has a reason behind. Artist might can get away with saying “I just felt like doing that!”, but architects can’t. And that’s the way it supposed to be! […]
Architectural Ponderings
Are we building smart?
As both The Hague and Eindhoven have announced the intent to add large numbers of residences in the following years, the topic of building smarter and better cities is a hot one. The Hague has announced 50.000 new houses by 2040 while Eindhoven plans on adding 20.000 in the next 10 years. These are not […]
Architecture is about and for the people
This is something I have been wanting to write for some time and the collaboration with ImpactCity – The Hague Innovators served as a catalyst. I don’t believe in just taking things as they are. We are the ones that create our own worlds through the choices we make on a daily basis. And so, accepting […]
Open Monumentendag Amsterdam
Open Monumentendag is a cultural event that takes place in the second weekend of September throughout the Netherlands. An impressive number of monuments open their doors for one or both days. And if some of them can be visited other times of the year, some, such as private homes or offices, are open to the […]
To TV or not to TV
I haven’t turned on the TV in months. In fact I don’t even know if I did this year. We exchange glances every once in a while as I use it as an unofficial mirror, but that’s kinda it. As a kid, our very first TV was a tiny box. It had two big turn […]
The Walkway, the Front Door and the Justus van Effen Complex
The walkway as a method of accessing apartments is one of the most common systems in the Netherlands. It allows for multiple layers of houses on the same piece of land without a central distribution point and the illusion of less vertical circulation points. It results into long and narrow balconies which are promoted as […]
Human Nature, Psychology and Architecture
We are influenced from the very first moment in one way or another by everything that surrounds us. Mothers are aware that food, environment, stress and emotions have a major impact on a baby. Education, home environment and more get added to the list once the child is born. The amazing thing is that more […]
The Power of Hand Drawing and How to Draw a Perspective from Scratch
With the amazing technological development of the last decades, hand drawing has been pushed back. The opinions are split. Many ask why should one learn to draw when there are so many programs that can do that for you. I may be bias in the mater as I took intensive classes in order to pass […]
About Innovation, Awareness and People
This week at the Building Holland event, Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute had its Built Positive Workshop. They introduced their view on the world and their approach. Successful cases both abroad and already taking place in the Netherlands were presented and people from various fields brainstormed together. In short and in their words: “The Cradle-to-Cradle Products Innovation Institute is […]
Variety, Variation or Just an Illusion?
During my graduation year I was a young enthusiastic and rather timid architect to be. I was not yet sure of my foothold and of how high I was to “raise” my voice. My graduation internship was on new ground: being abroad (cultural and social novelty) and in the largest architectural office environment to that […]