KAAN Architecten

KAAN Architecten keeps moving forward with special nominations! Architectenweb has now nominated the Netherlands American Cemetery Visitor Center for Best Public Building of the Year. The project continues to demonstrate KAAN Architecten's dedication to thoughtful design and technical excellence. We are honoured to be recognized alongside three remarkable projects based in the Netherlands: https://lnkd.in/eWrwmGDQ Looking forward to the ceremony on November 6 at the Keilepand in Rotterdam! Congratulations to the other nominees, and thank you to Architectenweb for this recognition! Explore the project page: https://lnkd.in/grQFpH9 📷Simon Menges #Architectenweb #KAANArchitecten #Architecture #CulturalBuilding #NetherlandsAmericanCemeteryVisitorCenter

The Netherlands American Cemetery Visitor Center in Margraten by KAAN Architecten has been shortlisted for the Dezeen Awards 2024 in the Civic Building category! We’re pleased to be listed alongside four other remarkable projects from around the world. The winners will be announced at the Awards Ceremony in London this November, and we look forward to celebrating this achievement with the global architecture community. Congratulations to all the other shortlisted projects, and thank you to Dezeen for this recognition! Dezeen's page to the project: https://lnkd.in/egN9ByKR Discover all the nominations to the Civic Building category: https://lnkd.in/ewa2Kyu4 #DezeenAwards #KAANArchitecten #Architecture #CivicBuilding #NetherlandsAmericanCemeteryVisitorCenter 📷 Simon Menges

The Netherlands American Cemetery Visitor Center, designed by KAAN Architecten, has been nominated for the "Betonprijs 2024" by Betonvereniging in the "Utiliteitsbouw" category. The jury praised the project for its use of concrete to craft a strong, iconic, and poetic architectural expression. The layered in-situ cast concrete reflects remarkable craftsmanship, offering both a sense of protection and openness. The technical achievement of lifting this massive concrete block post-casting, without joints, was described as "sublime." Looking forward to November 21, when the ceremony will take place at the Van Nelle Fabriek in Rotterdam! Discover more about the nomination: https://lnkd.in/e2BPxtAa Explore our project page: https://lnkd.in/grQFpH9 Client: American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) Collaborators: Karres en Brands Landschapsarchitecten B.V., Pieters Bouwtechniek BV, SmitsRinsma, hp engineers, DGMR, B3, iNeX architecten, Declerk-Throesch Engineering & Land Surveying & Partners, C.T. de Boer, Deltha, Maris, Dirix. Main contractor: groep Van Roey #KAANArchitecten #Betonprijs2024 #NetherlandsAmericanCemetery #ArchitecturalInnovation #Craftsmanship #PoeticArchitecture 📷 Simon Menges

Education Centre University of Groningen: an innovation hub and study landscape. Located just outside the historic city, adjacent to the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG), the Healthy Ageing Campus unites students and researchers from the Medical Sciences Faculty. KAAN Architecten has designed the first education centre in a planned series of shared facilities to support clinics, research and industry on the Healthy Ageing Campus. The project reconnects the campus to Groningen’s historical city centre after extensive development in the northern area of the UMCG. Along with the integration of patio gardens at various levels and high-quality public spaces designed by Felixx Landscape Architects & Planners, the new Education Centre connects several UMCG facilities, enhancing the direct connection and fluid circulation throughout the buildings. At the core of Healthy Ageing is the creation of a health-promoting environment. The Education Centre's design emphasises comfort, natural light, and ventilation to support physical, mental, and social well-being. It invites students to engage with the campus beyond classes, offering various spaces for collaboration, study, and relaxation. From open group workstations to sheltered individual areas, the Centre fosters knowledge sharing among students, faculty, and visitors. Its welcoming facade and vibrant program give the campus a fresh identity. Ease of access, high comfort levels, sufficient daylight, and green views ensure a healthy and sustainable environment. A range of sustainable materials with low environmental impact is utilised throughout the building’s life cycle. These natural materials are chosen for their ability to change over time and age gracefully. “The new Anda Kerkhoven Education Centre will bring a fresh identity to this part of the campus while connecting and reinforcing the surrounding buildings, a new public space comes to life,” concludes Vincent Panhuysen, founding partner of KAAN Architecten. We are grateful to the design team, client, and all collaborators for their invaluable contributions to this exceptional project! Client: University of Groningen (RUG) Collaborators, construction and design team: Felixx Landscape Architects & Planners, Aannemingsmaatschappij Hegeman B.V., De Groot Installatiegroep, abtWassenaar | Inventief met techniek, WMR, Harwig Installatietechniek - Uitblinkers in techniek, Sweegers en de Bruijn, Peutz, ZRi, B3 bouwadviseurs bv Find more information on our website: https://lnkd.in/gQgqN54F Photo 1: Marcel IJzerman Photo 2,3,4: Sebastian van Damme

Last week our founder Kees Kaan presented his thought-provoking lecture, "Après la Nuit, Devant le Ciel," to the students from TU Delft's master’s program in architecture. Originally delivered in French at the Académie d'Architecture in Paris, the lecture delved into the relationship between architecture, urban spaces, representation and monumentality, palaces and public buildings, and their origin from being forms for social interaction. Kaan opened with the determination that one of the most iconic architectural monuments of the Netherlands is a factory, namely the Van Nelle Fabriek, showing functionalism, pragmatism, and social engagement are important values in Dutch architecture. Then he put the spotlight on a Jérôme Touron artwork inspired by the famous Paris' green park chairs, that represent liberty, equality and freedom of using these very formally designed public spaces to encourage creativity and social connection. This sparked a conversation on how future architects can design spaces that foster human interaction. Through examples and their differences of urban planning in Paris and Amsterdam, Kaan demonstrated how cities are like "super-palaces"—environments where public and private lives are carefully balanced and rational architecture supports the cultural values dominant in these urban concepts. Paris with its boulevards, monuments and palaces a city of grandeur and representation, a city for the ‘flaneur’, Amsterdam a city of water, efficiency and pragmatism. The students were challenged to think about what these very different conditions offer for architecture. Kaan also shared insights from several KAAN Architecten projects, including the Supreme Court of the Netherlands, the Amsterdam Courthouse, and the Netherlands Forensic Institute (NFI). These examples showcase an interpretation of classic representation and monumentality balanced with contemporary transparency, functionality and openness. He closed by reminding students that being an architect means more than just creating buildings—it involves mastering the art of collaboration and dialogue. As Kaan said, "The future of architecture isn’t just about constructing spaces; it’s about shaping the narratives that define our cities." What spaces inspire you to think differently? Let us know in the comments and continue the conversation.

Kees Kaan, founding partner of KAAN Architecten, joins the first episode of the AI Blocks Podcast with Seyran Khademi to discuss AI's impact on architectural design and research. Follow the YouTube link for the interesting conversation.

Reflecting on JUMP – Insights from French managing architect Marylène GALLON.   As we look back on JUMP, we reflect on the vision and dedication that shaped its development. Marylene Gallon, managing architect of our French office, shares her thoughts on how we approached the challenge of designing a building that goes beyond mere functionality to foster connection and resilience.   “JUMP was a classic order for an office and hotel project, with a pre-2020 tertiary market 'capacity,' in short: a Play Time order—a nod to Jacques Tati’s film. With metro line 12 next to the site, we immediately asked ourselves: how can we surpass the 'métro-boulot-dodo' building that is only functional to create a relational architecture?   The challenge was to move beyond a building designed for working and sleeping. Instead, we envisioned a space where people could meet, talk, listen, explore, search, concentrate, relax, lunch, and celebrate. The hotel is a place for resting, dreaming, making love, working, and dining.   In addition to achieving environmental certifications (the HQE Bâtiment Durable Excellent, BREEAM New Construction Excellent, E+C- level E2C1, and the BBCA Performance Label), we are committed to designing buildings that were both functionally and humanly hyper-resilient. By resilience, I mean the ability to defy the passing of time, crises, trends, and the transient nature of things. Chateaubriand summed up this stance well: "Man resists storms less than the monuments erected by his hands."   For JUMP, the proposed solution was to create a robust and lasting building designed to suit both the program and its context while being adaptable to the needs of today and tomorrow. The construction is deliberately "rustic": the façade serves as the load-bearing structure, and this framework allows for flexibility in the layouts. There is no cladding or multiple layers of materials, each with its own function, cost, and carbon weight to ensure functions such as waterproofing, fire resistance, structure, acoustic quality, identity, and relationship to the context. Instead, it is "simply" composed of concrete, insulation, and plasterboard. This simplicity is not a mere reduction, but quite the opposite—it demands significant effort, expertise, perseverance, and flawless execution.”   Learn more about the project: https://lnkd.in/gFcksYg   Picture by Sebastian van Damme

The Netherlands American Cemetery Visitor Center has been longlisted for the Dezeen Awards 2024. From over 4,130 entries from 82 countries, Dezeen has announced the 277 projects longlisted for this year’s Dezeen Awards. The Netherlands American Cemetery Visitor Center in Margraten is longlisted in the Civic Building category. We look forward to the shortlist announcements in October. Explore our project page: https://lnkd.in/eNMq7HKr Discover more about the other longlisted projects: https://lnkd.in/etz6UnXP

Antonio Ortiz (Cruz y Ortiz Arquitectos) is leading the course "Interventions on Existing Buildings," a professional gathering at Universidad Internacional Menéndez Pelayo organized by the Santander Fundación. The course will take place from September 2–4 in Santander, Spain. Kees Kaan will be a speaker at the event and will deliver a presentation in which he will discuss the importance of heritage from different perspectives. He will join a distinguished panel that includes David Chipperfield (David Chipperfield Architects), Rafael Moneo (RAFAEL MONEO ARQUITECTO SL), Jordi Garcés (JORDI GARCES ENRIC SORIA ARQUITECTES SA), Gabriel Cabrero and Román San Emeterio-Pedraja. Find more information about the event and tickets in the following link: https://lnkd.in/dSiVkbG9

We are looking for a Dutch-speaking Medior BIM Architect. For our Rotterdam office (Netherlands), we are looking for an experienced architect with good detailing, communication and BIM skills to work at medium and large scale projects in the Netherlands and abroad. Requirements: – Master’s degree in architecture – 3-5 years of experience in design development. – excellent computer skills with demonstrable experience in Revit (documenting BIM model extracts through all design stages is a plus) – experience in later design stages (DO, TO) is required – fluency in written and spoken Dutch – strong verbal and written communication skills and ability to work in a team – pro-active and motivated – in possession of a valid permit and work visa What we offer: – a dynamic position in a creative team – opportunities to develop yourself both personally and professionally – International working environment To apply, please use our online application form: https://lnkd.in/eb7crGGZ