The use of biobased building materials, particularly wood construction, has boomed over the recent years. Architects are rediscovering materials, developers and builders are slowly taking the plunge, and politicians are increasingly speaking out in favour of the use of biobased building materials. Not only houses, but also more and more offices, sports facilities and schools are made out of wood. Nevertheless, all the wonderful projects, the vast majority of buildings in the Netherlands are made of concrete and steel, so there is no real revolution currently. What should we do to start the wood building revolution? This evening we will speak with frontrunners and showcase some new wood building projects.
This programme is part of the Houtbouw XL day that takes place during the day, find more information here and register for free. Since we have one international speaker, the program will be partly in Dutch and partly in English.
The European Championship match Netherlands – Austria will be broadcast at 6:00 PM in our café.
About the speakers
Hermann Blumer is a Swiss carpenter who completed his studies in civil engineering at ETH Zurich and graduated as a civil engineer in 1969. From 1971 to 1997, he managed his father’s wood construction company, where he pioneered the digitisation of wood construction in the early days of CAD and CNC. As of today we know Hermann Blumer as a pioneer, visionary and expert on building with timber.
Robert Winkel is an entrepreneurial architect and has been the founder of Mei architects and planners since 2003. Mei architects designed SAWA, a unique residential building in Rotterdam of 50 meters high, consisting entirely of cross laminated timber and therefore the most healthy building in the Netherlands.
Bas van Dam is co-founder and CEO of real estate and project developer Being. Among other projects, Being is currently working on Mediavaert, one of the largest hybrid wooden office buildings in the world, for DPG media. 44,700 m2 of healthy and nature-inclusive working environment in which synergy between different users, functions and activities are central.
Maarten Hajer is a Dutch political scientist and urban planner. Between 1998 and 2015, he was professor of governance and policy at the University of Amsterdam. From 2008 until 2015, he was director of the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL). Since 2015, Hajer has been faculty professor of Urban Futures at Utrecht University’s Faculty of Geosciences and scientific director of the Pathways to Sustainability Strategic Theme at Utrecht University. In 2016, he was chief curator of the seventh edition of the International Architecture Biennale Rotterdam (IABR), The Next Economy.
Bob van der Zande leads the programme in the Metropolitan Region Amsterdam (MRA) to build 20% of all residential in timber. He developed the Green Deal Houtbouw in 2021 in public-private collaboration, now endorsed by 140 organisations such as municipalities, developers, housing associations, construction industry, architects and banks. As member of the board of the Built by Nature Foundation, he is amplifying the use of timber in the real estate industry worldwide. Chair of the Houtivation Foundation, that subsidizes research to scale up biobased construction. As urban strategist he is advisor of municipalities and real estate companies.
Yvette Watson is a dedicated sustainable entrepreneur and Gideon. Through her company, PHI Factory, she assists organizations in achieving their sustainability and circular economy goals, challenging market players to drive systemic change. Additionally, she co-founded The 2B Collective, a gamified learning platform designed to engage large groups in sustainable thinking and action. According to her “The key to large-scale timber construction lies in the mindset and power of change of the people in the construction sector.” To accelerate a transition we need a large-scale change in mentality. In an inspiring interactive fifteen minutes you will think about how we can shift the standard and accelerate the transition to large-scale timber construction!
Jasper van der Munckhof is a transition expert with extensive experience in programs related to social housing, private residences, office buildings, and more. He was a key figure in the establishment of Energiesprong. In 2019, Jasper shifted his focus to agricultural transition, dedicating his efforts to fostering a more regenerative sector. Currently, he serves as the program director for Building Balance.
Since May 30, 2018, Jan de Reus (VVD) has been a member of the Provincial Executive of Flevoland. Since 2019, his portfolio has included Spatial Planning, Housing, Almere 2.0, Amsterdam Lelystad Airport, Mobility, the Mobility and Infrastructure Test Center (MITC), and Personnel and Organization. He is also a member of the administrative steering committee for the MRA timber construction covenant.
Als ‘houtoriteit’ biedt SHR ook cursussen aan met elk een specifiek thema. Samen vormen ze één compacte houtopleiding. Het levert de meest essentiële vakkennis op over de hele breedte van houttoepassingen. Onmisbaar voor iedere professional die met hout(bouw) te maken krijgt. Meer informatie én inschrijven klik hier
Engineer-craftsman Hermann Blumer is the country's 21st century digital Grubenmann brother. In a fifty-year trajectory Blumer has helped top-drawer architects deliver their impossible timber designs, from Herzog de Meuron and Peter Zumthor to Norman Foster. Best known for his work with Shigeru Ban, Blumer's influence is far broader, bringing a string of digitally savvy timber tech and innovation to the table, while all through, doing so from the same Appenzell canton base as his compatriot engineers, the Grubenmann master-builders
Mei architects and planners have been commissioned by Nice Developers and Era Contour to build Rotterdam’s first fully wooden 50m high residential building, in the heart of Lloydquarter. Exceptional to Sawa is that the building will be built entirely in cross-laminated timber (CLT). Furthermore, the building is distinguished by the generous green terraces, with which the building enhances the biodiversity of the neighborhood.
Amsterdam’s emerging business district of OverAmstel is now home to Mediavaert, the new timber hybrid office of leading Benelux-based media firm DPG Media. Key elements in the design of the new office building include flexibility, innovation and creativity. In addition to workplaces for employees of media labels like Het Parool, de Volkskrant and Trouw, the building includes test labs, radio recording studios for Qmusic, meeting rooms, restaurants, an espresso bar and an appealing event location on the quay of the Duivendrechtsevaart.
