2012-04-26 Melkwegbrug | Decks installed!
The construction of the bridge continues. On April 25th, the two rotating decks were successfully installed. These parts of the bicycle bridge are made out of steel and were produced on the wharf in Rotterdam. Both elements were then shipped to the location in Purmerend.
The next part in constructing the bridge, will be the installation of the big arch. This is planned for the beginning of June.
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2012-03-29 NEXT at the longlist for the 21 for 21 awards!
Outstanding, forward-thinking people and organisations who have the demonstrable potential to be the next 'big thing' in the architectural world....NEXT architects has been longlisted for the WAN AWARDS 21 for 21 Award 2012. This award is an initiative aiming to highlight 21 architects who could be the leading lights of architecture in the 21st Century.
Shortlisted architects include MAD, KCAP, Klein Dytham, Neil Denari and Rojkind arquitectos.
2012-03-23 Hestia Daycare | Honorable mention BNA Gebouw van het Jaar 2012 award!
The jury of the Northwest/center region has awarded the recently completed day-care center Hestia with an honorable mention at this year’s BNA Building of the year award.
More info and your vote in the audience award here:
--> cast your vote for Hestia!
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2012-03-20 40 youth dwellings | Residents visit for first time
Building corporation De Goede Woning organized a meeting for the future residents of Oosterheem, a new urban development within the city of Zoetermeer (NL). During the meeting, the future residents got a chance to meet their neighbors and visit the construction site together with Edo Haan, municipal executive councilor of Zoetermeer.
Oosterheem will consist of 40 youth dwellings, spread out over 4 building blocks. Each block has its own unique character and a communal garden. Residents will share their thoughts on the arrangement of the communal gardens surrounding the buildings. NEXT architects is responsible for the design of the residentials. Construction will be completed halfway throughout 2012.
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2012-03-17 Architects from NEXT design for Amstel Bridge competition
The Physical Planning Department of Amsterdam (PPD) praised the design of Jurriaan Hillerström and Thomas Heyer (architects at NEXT) for the international design competition ‘Amstel Bridge’. The purpose of the competition, organized by Architectural competition/Concours d’Architecture (AC-CA), was to design an iconic pedestrian bridge in the heart of Amsterdam. The PPD shared the vision that Amsterdam is not in need of more bridges, but in need of leisure on and around the canals.
The bridge designed by Hillerström and Heyer can be seen as a destination, instead of merely a connection. The construction is built up from seemingly randomly stacked platforms. This creates a variety of leisure zones, all orientated towards the sun and surrounding views points. In the middle of the asymmetric cross-section, a rolling platform opens up to water traffic. The bridge thus changes shape as boats pass by.
The program is an integral part of the bridge and partly located below water level. From the café, visitors will have a unique view on the functionality of the bridge. The edges of the platforms includes lightning that accentuates the sculptural form of the bridge.
Hillerstrom and Heyer worked on the project together with Vivian Scheepers, Mia Tsamis and Susheela Sankaram from Arup Amsterdam.
2012-03-09 You Can't Change, China Changes You available in English
The English edition of You Can't Change, China changes you is available! Order the book online in English or Dutch. Read the rave book-review on archined.nl in English or Dutch or listen to the one hour interview on Kunststof Radio (Dutch). Also available in specialized bookshops around the world.
(...) You Can’t Change China contains the right combination of adventure and anecdote, a facile pen and an intriguing theme. It grabs you right from the start and reads like a novel. (...)
(...) What Van de Water adds is the perspective from within — not simply out of curiosity as a journalist would record it, but as a conversation between Western and Chinese values on architecture, culture and society. This conversation, which Van de Water also conducts with himself, is apparent amidst all the adventures and anecdotes and makes it such an exciting book. (...)
more info:
--> 010 Publishers (dutch)
--> 010 Publishers (english)
2012-03-01 Living on top | Hui Long Guan, Beijing | 2011 Shenzhen & Hong Kong Bi-city Biënnale Organizer Committee Special Award
The Netherlands Architecture Institute (NAI) has won the ‘2011 Shenzhen & Hong Kong Bi-city Biënnale of Urbanism/Architecture Organizer Committee Special Award’ with the exhibition ‘Housing with a Mission’. The exhibition won the award because it was considered most meaningful for the Chinese architecture practice.
The exhibition displays design solutions for affordable housing that were developed as part of a joint Dutch-Chinese project.Participating offices are NL Architects, Arons en Gelauff architecten, NEXT architects, KCAP and BARCODE Architects and the five Chinese architecture firms Urbanus, Standard, NODE, O-Office and CAFA University.
The housing is intended for a group of people in China that is often overlooked: graduates with a low income, also known as 'ant tribe'. The starters, who often live in poor conditions, are actually very important for society because they constitute a large group of highly educated people who are not afraid to speak up. China 's future is in their hands.
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2012-02-21 Hestia | Vote for Hestia Building of the Year 2012
--> Follow this link and vote for Hestia by liking the project on facebook
Hestia Day Care Center has been nominated for Dutch Building of the Year. Everyone can vote through facebook, so visit the webpage Hestia for Building if the Year and click on the Like button!
"The Hestia Day-Care Centre follows the philosophy of Reggio Emilia, which contains a number of explicit statements on architecture, which have been translated into a spatial concept for the new building.
The building becomes a collection of different spaces in which the children can discover new places all the time; may go on a voyage of discovery. All of the spaces are connected to each other just as they are in a real city and you can go from a big room to a small one, from a high room to a low one.
Different scales can be experienced as a result of the subtle use of height differences between the rooms themselves. In the central space, the large scale is perceptible because of the way the group spaces are separated, a smaller scale is perceptible because of the height and an even smaller scale is perceptible because of the sheltered spaces.
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2012-02-17 Book review 'You Can't Change China, China changes You' by Hans Teerds. Some excerpts:
'... The beautiful aspect of Van de Water is that he writes without self-conceit or compassion. He is and remains astonished though. In the concluding chapter, he states that it is exactly this astonishment that kept him focused all these years in China'.
'... Van de Water adds [to the existing literature on China] a perspective from the inside - not solely out of curiosity like a journalist would write, but rather as a dialogue between Western and Chinese architectonic, cultural and social values...'
--> Read the full review in Dutch in 'The power of astonishment' (link opens in new window).
2012-02-01 Archilecture China changes you and interview
John van de Water will be interviewed for Radio Kunststof 15th February from 19:00 to 20:00. The interview will be broadcasted live.
On 16th February he will lecture at Eindhoven University of Technology, (lecture organized by Eindhoven Center for Architecture, Casa Vertigo and TU/e) Both events are connected to the recently published book ‘You Can’t Change China, China Changes You’
2012-01-20 Melkwegbrug | under construction
The construction of the Melkwegbrug is at speed. With the removal of the formwork, the final appearance of the concrete parts of the lower bicycle bridge is displayed. Completion of the foot- and bicycle bridge is scheduled for the end of this year.
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2012-01-13 Now for sale : the modern architecture game
After a successful launch at the office of NEXT Architects, The Modern Architecture Game is now available in exclusive bookshops worldwide.
SINGLE GAMES (up to 5):
The Modern Architecture Game is now available for €45,- in exclusive bookshops and through NAI Booksellers and Architectura & Natura (ISBN: 9081513214 ).
Single copies can also be picked up at the office of NEXT architects in Amsterdam (€45,- each), but give us a call first so we know you're coming. NEXT is unable to send single copies of the game by mail.
DISCOUNT FOR MULTIPLE ORDERS (+5):
Companies and individuals seeking for 5 games or more can order directly at NEXT architects: info@nextarchitects.com for the price of €40,-* per game.
* €40,- excl. porto; games can also be collected at the office of NEXT - Paul van Vlissingenstraat 2-a Amsterdam.
For more information on the game, or conditions on ordering via NEXT, go to the Game Page or email info@nextarchitects.com.
2012-01-12 Start renovation Huygens'Dok
A fresh start in 2012 with the renovation of the Huygens'Dok. Step by step the building will be stripped, window frames replaced and finally the facade. Last but not least the big intervention in the structure will be made at the entry. This is scheduled early spring.
2012-01-01 NEXT architects wins the Architect of the Year Audience award 2011
Last weekend NEXT won this years Architect of the Year Audience Award, earning a check for 2500 euros, which can be spend on a chosen activity in the Materia Inspiration Centre. NEXT was also nominated for the jury award with Dutch architectural practices Faro, Kempe Thill, Zecc and M3H.
The Architects of the Year Award aims to highlight – alongside the already established high architectonic qualities of their realized works – the professionalism and innovative qualities of Dutch architectural firms to clients, the press and the public. The professional jury for 2011 consisted of Lucas Verweij, Anne Luijten and Alex van de Beld.
2012-01-01 De Groene Kamer: two first prizes!
With first prizes in the categories Blok and Haak, a second prize for the Solitaire and a third prize for the Campus typology, the team of NEXT, B+B, Brink Groep and Mobius consult made a successful entry in the restricted competition for De Groene Kamer, a 30 hectare mix of eco-retail, ‘edutainment’, leisure program and nature just outside the city boundaries of Tilburg.
The proposals by the NEXT team present a conscientious refinement, from the big gesture down to the minutest details, according to the jury, chaired by Ton Venhoeven.
Realization of the project, based on a masterplan by .Fabric and Lola landscapes, is scheduled to start in 2013.
2012-01-01 Modern Architecture Game officially launched
December 16th marked the launch of the Modern Architecture Game, an architectural boardgame created by NEXT. To celebrate this event, a tournament was held. Winner of the evening was Hans Ibelings, a Dutch architectural critic. He was named the first official Dutch Allround Architectural expert 2011.