Amsterdam Base for Pioneers of New Industrial Revolution
William McDonough + Partners, the American architecture firm that has pioneered the ‘new industrial revolution’ known as Cradle-to-Cradle (C2C), has opened its European office in the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area.
McDonough in Amsterdam Area
The firm is associated with several projects already built or under construction in the Netherlands; the Nike European Headquarters in Hilversum, the IBM headquarters in Amsterdam, and the world’s first generation C2C office park, Park 20/20 in Hoofddorp (part of Amsterdam Area).
Big in the Netherlands
The European office has started with three staff and aims to spend the first few months getting fully acquainted with the Dutch market, and growing to 9-10 people.
Although they are already busy on projects in Spain, France and Germany, “we’re best known in the Netherlands,” said Kees Noorman, Office Business Developer. “A VPRO TV documentary in 2006 really put the ideas out into society; people discuss these issues a lot here.
Need to be here
"There are a lot of opportunities in the Netherlands for C2C and you have to be here to keep on top of the discussions,” said Noorman. “People talk about it, but it has to be done in the right way.”
“We have already had a lot of discussion with the city council and the province, we are part of projects in Almere and Hoofddorp, so it was more than appropriate to make Amsterdam our European base.”
Amsterdam Metropolitan Area a genuine hub
As well as local interest, location is another of the reasons for setting up here. “Amsterdam is a genuine hub,” said Noorman.
Another important factor was the high calibre of technical staff with knowledge of sustainability issues, thanks to the local universities, and the general culture. He also cited the logistics expertise, language skills and international mindedness of the population. “These all help Americans feel at home.”
Cautious optimism
Noorman is cautiously optimistic about Amsterdam’s ‘sustainable’ credentials. True, carbon trading and carbon neutrality is important and the city is making big efforts, but C2C is much broader than that, he says.
“The idea of no waste, of genuine re-use rather than downcycling (which is what is practiced at the moment), no landfill, seeing all resources as finite: this is much more difficult to introduce than simple carbon neutrality.”
Rethinking what, why & how
“This will involve whole new ways of thinking about what we build and why, as well as how, of building according to anticipated future needs. C2C is above all a design philosophy, meaning you think about these issues before you build.”
Amsterdam is investing in thinking and visions, said Noorman, “but most cities are claiming to be aiming for carbon neutrality; ultimately, you have to look at what they really do.”
Related topics
William McDonough + Partners
Sustainable Vision Becomes Reality
Towards one Planet Architecture
Investing in the Environment
The Next Industrial Revolution
