MVRDV’s Post

In the pursuit of sufficiency, embracing a lifestyle within planetary boundaries means finding balance — having enough without excess and respecting, rather than exploiting, our environment. But what does this look like in urban planning? How can we design neighborhoods where sustainable choices are easy? As part of Keilecollectief, Cityförster Rotterdam explored the history of Dutch building culture, analyzed its current state, and envisioned future scenarios. These efforts culminated in our exhibition: "HOW DO WE WANT TO BUILD M4H 2030?" As part of our ongoing research, Carbon-Based Urbanism, we examined four historical typologies from Rotterdam, placing them in a national-historical context that includes economic trends, regulations, and socio-political developments. This approach offers a multi-layered perspective on the relationships between urban planning, lifestyle, and our ecological footprint. The Merwe-Vierhavens (M4H) area in Rotterdam is transforming into a dynamic live/work district with circularity at its core. To realize this vision, we must collectively answer the question: how do we want to build? Want to visit the exhibition? Send us a message, we look forward to showing you around! Date: June 15, 2024 – September 15, 2024 (closed from July 14, 2024 – August 20, 2024) Opening hours: Wednesday-Saturday from 12:00 to 17:00. Location: Keilezaal, Keilestraat 7-9, 3029 BP Rotterdam HOW DO WE WANT TO BUILD M4H 2030 is an initiative of the Keilecollectief with contributions by Happel Cornelisse Verhoeven, De Urbanisten, CITYFÖRSTER, GROUP A architects | Carbon Lab and StudioADAMS. The exhibition is supported by Stimuleringsfonds Creatieve Industrie, Gemeente Rotterdam (Cultuur), M4H Rotterdam, AIR - Architectuur Instituut Rotterdam , Vandersanden, Cordeel Group, Dura Vermeer Bouw Heyma B.V. , DGMR, Aveco de Bondt, ABT bv, Concrete Blossom and Adviesbureau Lüning.

Please join us on November 29 for ULI Poland Places+Spaces: The Future of #Buildings - Convert or Tear Down. This insightful event will explore the challenges and opportunities related to #converting existing structures to different #functions and how does such conversions impact #sustainable urban development. What are the primary advantages and disadvantages of converting existing buildings compared to demolishing and constructing new ones? What are the possibilities and challenges associated with transforming an office building into a residential property? What factors do play a role in determining whether a conversion is viable or not? https://lnkd.in/gMTErfxK #ulipoalnd #uli ULI Europe

Yesterday, the Poznań City Council adopted the local area development plan for the part of the city where we are revitalizing tye Stara Rzeźnia area. We believe it is now all set out to become a hallmark of Poznan architecture. Workspaces, apartments, as well as commercial, service and cultural facilities will be arranged in the renovated historic buildings and in the newly constructed ones. In the vicinity, the city has also planned a new city park and the Wielkopolskie Uprising Museum. - Stara Rzeźnia is an area with huge potential that needed a local plan. I would like to thank the councilors for adopting it. Now this inaccessible post-industrial area will be able to gain a new quality and be opened to Poznań residents - said Jacek Jaśkowiak, mayor of Poznań. According to the assumptions of the plan, St. Wojciech Hill will be connected by a green belt with the park and green zones in Stara Rzeźnia. In the area of the former meat processing plant itself, the share of biologically active area will be at least 30% and the area of the green zone that we want to arrange there will be over 5,600 m2. The plan also includes a pedestrian connection with tall greenery, leading from the Hill through the new park to the area of Stara Rzeźnia. The plan also confirmed that there is no threat to the existing line of trees along Grochowe Łąki Street and indicates the approximate route of trees along other roads. For more information about our investment, read: https://lnkd.in/d83M7aBX #ProjectbyVastint #stararzezniapoznan #VastintPoland #Poznan In the photo - a mock up of Stara Rzeźnia - with restored monuments and beautiful greenery

🚀 Did you know that the New York cultural center, 'The Shed', is able to change shape? The design of the building was inspired by the railway 🚂. Learn more about this fascinating construction in our #FerrovialBlog! ⤵

New post on my Substack blog about old Amsterdam, and my very positive experience with the De Pijp neighborhood, highlighting some of the city's unique urban design elements that make it stand out. #urbanism #urbanplanning #amsterdam #depijp

I came across 'Bloki' just yesterday, and I cannot remember the last time a documentary gripped me like this. “Bloki” is an extraordinary documentary that offers a comprehensive exploration of residential housing development in Poland from 1956 to the present. This film isn't just about architecture; it's a narrative of Poland's post-war transformations, encapsulated through its housing. The documentary features insights from prominent Polish architects like Henryk Buszko and Aleksander Franta, critics, and historians who shaped and witnessed these changes. But what truly resonates with me is the blend of perspectives - from the first occupants of these blocks to young families in modern developments, illustrating how housing has been a dream for some and an escape for others. As an enthusiast of post-war architecture, I'm particularly fascinated by its austerity and monumentality. "Bloki" showcases this through examples like the Osiedle Tysiąclecia in Katowice. The film contrasts the views of current residents in these iconic buildings with those committed to 30-year mortgages in modern neighbourhoods. This documentary is a testament to Polish history and a reflection on what we've inherited from the PRL era. It raises important questions about our urban legacy and what we'll leave for future generations. It is also a vivid portrayal of the challenges Polish architects faced - the constraints (both in terms of lack of resources but also government policies) that pushed them to innovate within limits, leaving a unique imprint on Poland's urban landscape. For anyone interested in architecture, design and modern history, "Bloki" is a must-watch. I leave a link in the comments in case you're curious.

How did Berlin transform a stigmatised neighbourhood into a thriving and diverse urban space? The transformation of a wasteland around the Jewish Academy in the former flower market followed the ideal of the mixed city: facilitating the coexistence of different actors and using a co-creative approach. The aim was to integrate Berlin's flourishing new creative community into a neighbourhood where migrant population live, without triggering social conflicts, displacement, or gentrification. Today, the flower market hall is framed by attractive architecture with mixed programmes and welcoming public spaces. Three new buildings contain flats, ateliers, commercial spaces, shared workspaces, offices, workshops spaces, seminar rooms, guest accommodation, a summer kitchen, an event space, a gallery, a café, shops, and a restaurant. Find out more about the project in the Living Spaces catalogue: https://lnkd.in/e6-kYEag Join the peer learning visit of Berlin on 11-13 March! https://lnkd.in/eik7DPQJ #LivingSpaces is the European peer-learning scheme on high-quality architecture and built environment funded by the Creative Europe programme and implemented by Eurocities and the Architects' Council of Europe (ACE-CAE). #architecture #urbanplanning #cities #regions #CreativeEurope #europe4culture #sustainablecities #SustainableArchitecture #UrbanDevelopment

For our 30 years anniversary, we look back at the 30 years that have made MVRDV what it is today. We started by taking a closer look at some key projects, now it’s time to get to know MVRDV family members! We carry on with antonio luca coco, Senior Associate and Head of Visualizations, who started at MVRDV in 2012. Your MVRDV journey in 3 words? Marvellous unexpected rollercoaster! Your favorite MVRDV project and why? The Stairs to Kriterion. I am interested in Ephemeral Architecture for its temporary and transitory nature and The Stairs to Kriterion is a great example of this kind of Architecture. It was a temporary and sustainable installation made of scaffolding in Rotterdam. The Stairs connected a contemporary icon, The Central Station to the roof of a historical monument, the Groot Handelsgebouw. The installation conveys a daring message, to think about a direct connection between two elements of the city, which for their nature are not connected: the ground and the roofs. Underlining the high potential of the unused roofs which can become a “second layer” that makes the city more livable, sustainable, and biodiverse, it give a new and unexpected perspective on the city. An interesting fact about the country you are from? I am from Sicily, an island in southern Italy, a crossroad of several cultures. Most of the influential cultures from the past left traces and took root in Sicily, through Syncretism and Re-elaboration: Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Arab, Norman, French, and Spanish cultures. A place, at first glance isolated, that is in fact quite the opposite, an exchange place of different Cultures and Ethnic groups. Sicily is really an example of Multiculturalism and Syncretism, a melting pot also in architecture! Read more on The Stairs to Kriterion: https://lnkd.in/ef6Zp8Zz

What advantages do renovation projects offer over new builds? And what challenges do they bring? These are the questions our 1st panel will be discussing on September 13th at an event we are putting on as part of Oslo Urban Week. The theme for this year's Oslo Urban Week is "CRISITUNITY", and rehabilitating existing buildings definitely represents an exciting opportunity in response to the climate crisis. There are 2 main reasons why: 🌲 Sustainability: Rehabilitation projects have lower embodied carbon because existing materials like CO2 intensive concrete are often reused in the new development. 🏛 Aesthetics and cultural heritage: By preserving an existing building, perhaps with a new architectural interpretation, urban regions maintain their unique identities and keep hold of their architectural heritage. However, upgrading older buildings to meet modern performance standards is a major challenge. Take the Dronning Mauds Gate 15 project by DARK Arkitekter that we completed last year. To create the façade for this project, we had to: - find design solutions to navigate the steel reinforcements and beams that get in the building envelope’s way,  - recreate the effect of the existing building's continuous window bands and repetitive modules, while at the same time improving the performance of the building envelope, - and complete this work while the building was still occupied. We believe the results were worth it, and so do the architects. According to Silje Widing, Architect at DARK Arkitekter, "we succeeded in creating a façade with the desired functionality, which simultaneously ensured the balance between preservation and renewal in the appearance." We are delighted that Silje will be one of the panellists for our discussion. She will be joined on stage by Ellen Hole from Oslo's Cultural Heritage Management Office, and Tomas Bucas, our Sales Director for the Nordic Region. Moderating the conversation will be Geir Rognlien Elgvin, Project Director at Grape Architects. We look forward to sharing our experience of the Dronning Mauds Gate 15 and other renovation projects, and diving into the broader questions of building rehabilitation projects. To join the event at VIA (BoConcept Store, doors open at 10.00), which also features a discussion on wood in building façades and a tour of the VIA building, register here: https://tin2.no/KB5BkQV #staticus #oslourbanweek #refurbishment #sustainablebuilding #facadeengineering #facadedesign

MODERNISM WEEK in Palm Springs Long a destination for lovers of mid-century and modern architecture, design and culture, Palm Springs has earned its reputation as the Modernism capital of the world. That is never more apparent than in the month of February when what began as a neighborhood effort including home tours, cocktail parties and education events coinciding with the Palm Springs Modernism Show, grew into what today is known as Modernism Week. Celebrating its 18th year, this year's confab of all things avant-garde will take place February 16th to 26th. For more information and tickets visit Modernismweek.com Checkerboard Squares: Fee versus Lease Land    With over 23,000 residential properties in the Coachella Valley occupying Indian-owned land, the terms lease land and fee land are typically part of any real estate transaction. For those confused or intimidated by the Valley's checkerboard distribution of land parcels consisting of lease land (where you own the structure, but rent the land on which is stands) and fee land (where you own both the land and the structure), knowledge is power.    Let's start at the beginning: In the 1860s in an attempt to ensure that the Southern Pacific Railroad would complete the building of the transcontinental railroad, President Ulysses S. Grant created a land grant consisting of a checkerboard pattern of 36 alternating square miles to extend 10 miles north and south on either side of the rail line. The odd-numbered squares were given to the railroad that could keep or sell them, and the leftover even-numbered squares were given to the Agua Caliente tribe, creating Palm Springs' unique pattern of fee and Indian land. Nearly all Indian land leases are administered by a third party with the majority of them administered by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. These administrators collect the rents from the lessee who, during the term of the lease, has rights to the land. All leases are long term and are traditionally negotiated and renewed many years in advance of their expiration dates.    There are benefits for buying a home on lease land. More often than not, they can be purchased for 10-15% below the cost of a home on fee land. An added benefit is that the homeowner is usually taxed on the value of the home itself, not the land. Subject to the remaining length of the lease, it is traditionally as easy to sell or bequeath a home on lease land as it is on fee land.   ***   NEW VACATION RENTAL GUIDELINES  Visit my blog to learn about the new rules for vacation rentals. LUCAS SCHELKENS REALTOR®|Lic# DRE #02091232 (310) 422-8797|http://www.ps-lucas.com 2905 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way Palm Springs, CA 92262