Photographer: Sebastian van Damme | ArchDaily

Matchbox / KAAN Architecten

Cristina Popescu — Thu, 13 Aug 2026 06:00:00 +0000

KAAN Architecten has completed Matchbox, a compact timber mixed-use building in Eindhoven's Strijp-S district. Designed as a calm landmark within the former Philips industrial site, the project offers a sustainable alternative to conventional concrete construction. Built almost entirely from timber, Matchbox combines offices, social rental housing, and shared outdoor spaces within a clear modular design.

Ferro Offices / GROUP A

Nina Vuga — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Ferro Offices is a radical transformation of a former industrial headquarters in Rotterdam's evolving Merwe-Vierhavens (M4H) harbor district. Originally built in 1969, the building was revitalized by architecture studio GROUP A for the Port of Rotterdam into a future-proof multi-tenant workplace for innovators shaping the future port economy. Combining adaptive reuse, contemporary architecture, and sustainable design strategies, Ferro Offices demonstrates how former industrial port buildings can be re-imagined as dynamic environments for innovation, work, and urban life.

When Façades Become Habitats: Architecture Making Room for Other Species

Daniela Andino — Sat, 13 Jun 2026 07:30:00 +0000

When we think of façades, we rarely think of them as habitats. We see them as the elements that separate interior from exterior, regulate temperature, reduce noise, and protect buildings from external conditions. They give architecture its visual language, but they are also expected to keep the outside world at a distance. In doing so, façades have often been understood as barriers: surfaces that define where human comfort begins and where the environment is meant to remain outside.

KAAP - Residential District and Circular Pavilion / Powerhouse Company + Orange Architects + NEXT architects

Andreas Luco — Thu, 21 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Where Grasweg meets the Amsterdam-Noord waterfront, KAAP occupies a prominent position on the IJ. Once an industrial harbor area, this part of the city is being reworked into a new district as part of Cityplot Buiksloterham, the urban plan by Studioninedots and DELVA Landscape Architects & Urbanism. Commissioned by AMVEST and COD, with buildings designed by Powerhouse Company, Orange Architects, and NEXT architects, KAAP combines 70 apartments across five residential buildings with ground-floor commercial spaces and a circular hospitality pavilion, set within the future Oeverpark along the IJ.

No Solid Ground: Three Approaches to Building Below Sea Level in Rotterdam

Olivia Poston — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 07:30:00 +0000

Architects carefully calibrate their relationship to the earth, adjusting foundations to soil, groundwater, climate, risk, and culture. Driven timber piles, rammed-earth platforms, and poured concrete slabs are each a response to a specific set of ground conditions, and each shapes the architecture that rises from it. The way a building meets the earth determines its durability and its limits because foundations are among the most consequential design choices an architect makes.

Light House / Studioninedots

Pilar Caballero — Wed, 01 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Made of stacked boxes, Light House reimagines the home as a vertical landscape of light and air. A couple with two children, long rooted in Amsterdam, approached us with a simple yet generous request: design a home defined by connection — between themselves and their children, while also interacting with the surrounding environment. From that single ambition, they entrusted us with an almost complete carte blanche.

World Day of Social Justice 2026: Labor Rights, Spatial Equity, and Resource Governance

Reyyan Dogan — Fri, 20 Feb 2026 07:30:00 +0000

Today, 20 February, the United Nations marks World Day of Social Justice under the theme "Renewed Commitment to Social Development and Social Justice." This year's observance takes place in the aftermath of the Second World Summit for Social Development in Doha and the adoption of the Doha Political Declaration, renewing the commitments first articulated in the 1995 Copenhagen Declaration: poverty eradication, full and productive employment, decent work for all, and social inclusion as interdependent pillars of development. At a moment defined by widening inequalities and accelerating environmental and technological transitions, the 2026 commemoration calls for translating political affirmation into measurable, cross-sectoral implementation.

Bunker Tower / Powerhouse Company

Hadir Al Koshta — Mon, 16 Feb 2026 04:00:00 +0000

Powerhouse Company, RED Company, Being Development, and DELVA Landscape Architecture & Urbanism have just completed a remarkable reinvention of Hugh Maaskant's Brutalist Bunker building in Eindhoven. The meticulously restored horizontal concrete structure has been transformed by the addition of a new 100-meter-high residential tower. Before the ambitious adaptation, the original and much-loved Bunker was long the center of student life in the city. Now preserved for the future, the Bunker Tower and the beautiful surrounding park are additions that effectively energize the entire area.

Muziekwerf Rehearsal and Concert Venue / Powerhouse Company

Hadir Al Koshta — Tue, 03 Feb 2026 13:00:00 +0000

Powerhouse Company, appointed by the philanthropic foundation Droom en Daad, proudly completes the transformation of Rotterdam's last Mennonite church into Muziekwerf. It is the first permanent rehearsal and concert venue in the Netherlands dedicated to the youth. Situated behind the bustling Hofplein, this sober 1951 church building has been transformed into a vibrant space for youth orchestras, pop choirs, and other musical talents.

Octavia Hill / Studioninedots

Pilar Caballero — Fri, 30 Jan 2026 04:00:00 +0000

With the completion of Octavia Hill, a bold new residential building now takes its place at the heart of the Hyde Park Hoofddorp development!

Building Optimism: Lessons from Climate Adaptation in 2025

Olivia Poston — Sun, 21 Dec 2025 08:30:00 +0000

Climate risk is a shared global condition, marked by intensifying heat, water scarcity, flooding, and ecological loss that no border can contain. In 2025, these pressures sharpened a collective awareness that government pledges and international agreements are not keeping pace with lived realities. Across geopolitical contexts, the tension is immediate and structural, revealing gaps between policy ambition and material change. This moment has exposed a growing reliance on disciplines outside formal structures to respond quickly, intelligently, and with accountability.

Why Sit by the Dock of the Bay? Designing Thresholds to the Water

Olivia Poston — Wed, 24 Sep 2025 07:30:00 +0000

Boat docks and harbors are liminal spaces where the shore marks the meeting of land and water, and serve as a space for the convergence of culture, industry, and community. For those who work at sea, from commercial fishers to marine freight operators, the dock is a threshold between labor and rest, between oceanic uncertainty and terrestrial stability. For others, the dock serves as a gateway to recreation, sport, and adventure, accommodating everything from rowing clubs to family sailing trips. And for many who never board a vessel, the dock offers a powerful connection to the marine environment where one can pause, observe, and engage with the rhythmic tides.

5TRACKS Mixed-Use District / Shift Architecture Urbanism + Powerhouse Company

Pilar Caballero — Wed, 10 Sep 2025 12:00:00 +0000

With the completion of 5TRACKS, Breda gained a new mixed-use district right next to Central Station, commissioned by Synchroon and J.P. van Eesteren and designed by Shift architecture urbanism and Powerhouse Company. In three expressive buildings, offices, housing, and a hotel come together above a lively plinth filled with hospitality and commercial facilities – marking the final piece in a large-scale redevelopment that transforms this previously overlooked area near the train station. 5TRACKS embodies contemporary urban living while strengthening Breda's international standing.

Primary School Lux / EVA architecten

Hadir Al Koshta — Sat, 19 Apr 2025 11:00:00 +0000

The school building of SO Lux on the Stauntonstraat in the Utrecht district of Zuilen was realized in 1973 and no longer meets the current wishes for special education in terms of spatial and functional aspects. In addition, the building is very outdated. It has been decided to renovate the building. The current school is characterized as a single-storey building that extends over the entire location in two wings. Due to these low buildings, the function of the building is difficult to read, and there is no clear recognition of an entrance. In the school, the group rooms are adjacent to long corridors without a 'heart' or meeting space. The design was developed from the existing cross-section. The corridor zones on Stauntonstraat are lower than the adjacent group rooms. By organizing all the new installations here, we can reach both the corridor zones and the group rooms and the insulated shielding of these creates a new façade that we use for the architecture.

Education Centre University of Groningen / KAAN Architecten

Andreas Luco — Wed, 02 Apr 2025 12:00:00 +0000

KAAN Architecten unveils the Education Centre University of Groningen: an innovation hub and study landscape. KAAN Architecten has completed the Education Centre University of Groningen (Anda Kerkhoven Centre). The 12,000 m² building forms the new heart and main entrance of the Healthy Ageing Campus. It is designed to support learning, promote health, and foster social interaction. The architecture embodies these principles, creating a space that prioritises the well-being of its users.

Cityplot Buiksloterham / Studioninedots + DELVA Landscape Architecture

Andreas Luco — Tue, 01 Apr 2025 03:00:00 +0000

Studioninedots & DELVA's Cityplot Buiksloterham: a pioneering, new urban district built on sustainability and collaboration. In Amsterdam's Buiksloterham, a former industrial harbour is being converted into a circular, mixed-use urban district. Designed in collaboration with DELVA, we introduce Cityplot Buiksloterham — one, a pioneering approach to urban, landscape, and social regeneration. Initiated during the last global crisis, Cityplot Buiksloterham is an innovative kind of urban planning. Instead of adopting a rigid top-down master plan, we focused on a flexible, collaborative way of thinking, aiming for a resilient urban system that can constantly adapt to the shifting needs and desires of the community.

JUMP Building / KAAN Architecten

Pilar Caballero — Fri, 28 Mar 2025 03:00:00 +0000

KAAN Architecten has completed JUMP in Paris, a vision of urban vitality and sustainable design principles. JUMP is located at the intersection of diverse urban areas in Aubervilliers, Paris. Commissioned by Icade, KAAN Architecten designed a building that connects two green zones, "Place du Front Populaire" and the urban forest of "Parc Icade des Portes de Paris". With its colossal landing, JUMP has established itself as the central point of convergence in the area. The building integrates a hotel, offices, retail spaces, and parking. The design embraces the area's eclectic architecture and enhances the dynamism of this urban area served by Metro Line 12.

Transforming Industrial Heritage: Design Strategies for Creating a New Atmosphere in Cultural Spaces

Paula Pintos — Fri, 21 Mar 2025 07:30:00 +0000

Creating an atmosphere that enhances exhibitions and enriches the visitor and user experience requires a thoughtful balance between preserving a space's unique character and adapting it to meet the needs of artistic and cultural production. The challenge lies in maintaining a building's industrial atmosphere while accommodating the specific requirements of exhibition design or the various uses the new building will require. This delicate task involves careful consideration of spatial layout, material choices, and lighting solutions, all of which play a significant role in shaping the new environment.