Explore Beyond Architecture UNS

Author : Purcell Poe | Published On : 25 Oct 2025

Nesting boxes will be placed on and around the building to provide a safe haven for birds and insects. In this way, SAWA connects to the existing ecological structures in the city and increases the biodiversity of the neighbourhood. The Markthal is a sustainable combination of food, leisure, living, and parking, a building in which all functions are fully integrated to celebrate and enhance their synergetic possibilities. A secure, covered square is nestled beneath a large arch, conceived as an entirely new take on a typical market square and its surrounding buildings. Our design features a new 150-meter tower that will rise towards the rear of the Postkantoor and straddle the existing open courtyard at the Rodezand wing. The vaulted plinth of the tower will greatly enhance the experience of the courtyard, coupling it with the Great Hall of the Postkantoor.

This makes it accessible to all income groups to live in SAWA, including the group of middle-income people for whom it is increasingly difficult to find an affordable home in the city. In cooperation with city ecologists and biologists, SAWA was designed to be nature-inclusive. For example, there are fixed flower and planters on the terraces and balconies. The planting is site-specific (depending on the orientation to the sun and the height in the building) and chosen in such a way that the plants provide food for the animal species.
In 2011 she started her studies of Architecture and Urban Planning at the Technical University Gdansk. During her studies she was active in an architectural student organization with projects such as organizing architectural competitions and student workshops. In 2015 she spent a semester at The Czech Technical University in Prague through the Erasmus program. In 2016 she started an Erasmus internship at RDVA and since then the lunch break never had any silences again.

“Cornucopia”, by artists Arno Coenen and Iris Roskam, shows massively enlarged images of food products alongside flowers and insects, in reference to Dutch still-life paintings from the 17th century. The entire work is over 11,000 square meters in size, with a resolution comparable to a glossy magazine. In order to achieve this sharpness, the image was rendered by Pixar software and printed onto perforated aluminium panels, which were then attached to acoustic panels for noise control. In contrast, the exterior façade, the floor of the market hall, and the surrounding public space are all clad in natural grey stone, helping to emphasise the colourful interior that is the building’s centrepiece.
We work together with residents of the neighborhoods where generic concepts and standard typologies are never directly applied, they change depending on the specific context. This approach results in an intensive design process in which communication and interaction between client, users and design team are essential for the success of the project. Tim Reekers is an architect and urban designer with a broad background in designing buildings and urban structures.
Yannick, a passionate individual with a love for architecture, discovered his passion for the field back in fourth year of high school. His creative mind is constantly fueled by inspiration from the world of design and construction. In 1999 he moved to Belgium and has since worked as a freelance designer for Stephane Beel in Gent, Xaveer De Geyter in Brussels and the Office for Metropolitan Architecture in Rotterdam and New York.
In addition, it is an excellent building material because, compared to concrete, it is lighter, faster, safer, more durable and also reusable. Because of this location, by creating places in the design for encounters and by connecting to existing local initiatives, SAWA will be of added value for the entire district. The plinth of the building will contain various facilities, and the deck will act as a green connector between the building and surrounding green spaces (such as the neighbourhood garden), adding value for both residents and neighbours. OMA is an international practice operating within the traditional boundaries of architecture and urbanism. AMO, a research and design studio, applies architectural thinking to domains beyond. After growing up in Weimar, Berlin, and Bremen, she moved to the Netherlands where she began her studies at the Faculty of Architecture at TU Delft.