Be the Future
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Dutch Design Today
Foreword
Martijn Paulen
Essay
Marcus Fairs
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Habitat
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Communication
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Civic Architects 14 MVRDV 18 22 NL Architects & XVW architecture Ensemble of studios, designers, citymakers and institutes 26 Sander Breure & Witte van Hulzen 30 34 We Are Here & Stichting Noodzaak Product 39 Fatboy The Original 40 Miniot 44 Sheltersuit 48 Quooker 52 Bugaboo International 56 Mevis & Van Deursen Richard Niessen Studio Puckey, Moniker Michiel Schuurman Jeremy Jansen
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Be the Future
Service & Systems
Me You and The Robot Ermi van Oers ChloĂŠ Rutzerveld Richard Vijgen
Fashion
Das Leben am Haverkamp Sies Marjan United Nude
Best Client Award
Royal FloraHolland Koninklijke Mosa Nationale Opera & Ballet
Design Research
Envisions Atelier NL Babette Porcelijn XML
Young Designer Award
Das Leben am Haverkamp Frank Kolkman Super Local
Piet Zwart Award
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LUST
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Colophon 173 Partners 175
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Dutch Design Today
STRETCH: no change without motion
Designers are, by nature, out of balance. They lean forward, like athletes at the start of a race. They are stubborn and optimistic. They run against the wind with their chin held high. (A chin that’s strong, because leaning forward requires them to endure.) But they’re also viable and flexible. They dodge, duck, fall and get up. They continually find their way – a new way. The times we live in, an era in which fiction can so easily be turned into reality, offer countless opportunities. New developments succeed one another at an ever-increasing pace, while at the same time everyone feels the weight of the world’s pressing issues. Designers leap at new opportunities enthusiastically – stretching, bending and blending them from their inventive, previously unseen perspectives. In the end they even recreate the context from which they set out, naturally building on the foundation of our country’s rich design history while doing everything they can to bring about motion and change.
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Martijn Paulen 03-10-17 12:24
Be the Future
Getting to know the nominees for this year’s Dutch Design Awards, I was positively surprised. Hope is the word that came to mind. The agility of thinking that fuels these designers is very necessary, as well as very present. It’s a matter of history: are you going to affirm it by repeating established patterns, or are you going to rewrite it – on whatever scale or however close to home that may be? Whether it’s through aesthetics, functionality, an element of surprise or critical reflection: imbalance is being sought and caused. The wheels are set in motion. Our zeitgeist is being moulded and massaged – sometimes in naïve or charming ways; sometimes practically or harshly. And thus we enter the future better prepared. As a designer, you want to be and remain out of balance, pulling along those that bask in their comfort zone. Flexible, that’s what you have to be. That’s not an attitude; it’s an identity. Be the future. That’s what our finalists are – the future! Martijn Paulen Dutch Design Foundation Foreword 252208_DDF_08_2017 UITGAVE BE_176P_170x240.indd 5
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Be the Future
There are six finalists:
Civic Architects MVRDV Ensemble of studios, designers, citymakers and institutes NL Architects & XVW architectuur Sander Breure & Witte van Hulzen We Are Here & Stichting Noodzaak
Design and furnishings for the private or public space that improve quality of life. This includes interior designs (cultural, such as museum exhibitions, or commercial, such as retail concepts), infrastructure, public squares, streets, parks, signage, street furniture or furnishing elements for temporary manifestations.
The committee: Carolien Ligtenberg Eline Strijkers (Chairman) RenĂŠ Boer Ulf Hackauf
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Dutch Design Today
Willem II Passage
The Willem II shopping arcade is a new public space that connects the inner city of Tilburg with De Spoorzone, an area undergoing extensive regeneration to its north. Civic Architects, together with Bright, produced a design for the arcade that brings together public space and architecture, heritage and traffic circulation. Located under the railway tracks – below a former NS Dutch Railways workshop complex – the arcade is now a major public connection and an inviting gateway that opens up a previously inaccessible area. The catalyst for the development of De Spoorzone was the combination of its renewed function as a shopping area and a location for cultural events. For the arcade, Civic Architects developed a strong but elegant glass brick façade, produced in collaboration with Van Tetterode Glass Studio and Philips Lighting. Approximately 30,000 LED lights were integrated into this wall. LUSTlab created a unique algorithm for the application, controlling the lighting at pixel level so that colour and intensity adapt to the time of day, weather conditions and the flow of pedestrian traffic. The Willem II shopping arcade is dynamically lit and socially safe. www.civicarchitects.eu
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Civic Architects
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Willem II Passage, photo: Richard Boerop
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Dutch Design Today
Close-up arcade, photo: Kees Hummel
Willem II passage, photo: Roderick van Klink
Close-up arcade, photo: Stijn Bollaert
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Civic Architects
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Be the Future
How was the design for Tilburg’s Willem II Passage thought up? Looking back, could the outcome have been any different? The idea resulted from our design method, which combines logical, analytical thinking with associative “free” creativity – a form of Paranoid-Critical design, if you wish. So yes, the outcome could have been different, because the role of serendipity is important to us, but the result would be similarly attentive to the context, publicly relevant and sensorial.
What is Civic Architects? We’re a team of four partners. We started Civic Architects because of our drive to improve cities. We like to think that we can contribute to that goal by making better public buildings and public infrastructure. How do you see your role in society? To create durable buildings that matter – functionally and aesthetically. What does “design” mean to you? Do you consciously consider the relevance of your designs? Design is a way to turn theoretical ambitions into physical reality. Design, like no other discipline, can merge different perspectives and social purposes. Good design solves problems; exceptional design combines this with the sublime – in the sense that it is unimaginably beautiful, delirious, sensual, Brobdingnagian or thought provoking. We don’t stop until our design is good and therefore relevant; occasionally we are lucky enough to create something exceptional.
How does this work relate to Civic’s overall oeuvre? The four main themes in the selected design – public significance, innovative craftsmanship, sensorial atmosphere and the forward-looking reinterpretation of the past – reverberate in all our works. Or at least, this’s something we strive for. What does design mean for the world we’re living in? Will it perhaps fulfil a new or different role in the future? Design represents stuff that “works” but transcends the strictly practical. It can bridge the gap between economic pragmatism and autonomous art and therefore has an important part to play in the world. We certainly hope this will remain the case, for the future would look bleak without it.
What’s the message your work aims to communicate? The public realm matters, public buildings matter. The way they are designed matters. Communities only work if people have free access to public places to encounter other people and ideas. The way these places look, feel, sound and function matters.
Can you describe your hopes for the future of design in three words? Even less – remain relevant.
What’s the most exciting challenge you face as design professionals today? Timeless quality. Buildings nowadays are designed with an expiration date of 30 years. We prefer to think in terms of the extensive lifespan of the city and strive for buildings that resonate with the past, while unfolding an unforeseen future. The building industry (and its short-term efficiency drive) tends to be a little less ambitious.
Glass production
How would you describe the essence of Dutch design? Avant-gardism meets functionality.
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Dutch Design Today
Vluchtmaat
Vluchtmaat is a striking social prototype for an inclusive society. Its physical form is a redeveloped vacant office building where undocumented refugees, artists, start-ups, relief organizations and activists come together and collaborate. Undocumented refugees whose applications for asylum have been rejected are often unable to return to their country of origin. Vluchtmaat shows that a living environment can be created where they are part of an active community rather than being left in limbo. Before its redevelopment, a community of squatters occupied the office building on the periphery of Amsterdam. Talks took place with the owner to agree on a situation that offered both parties greater security, following which the building’s management was entrusted to Stichting Noodzaak. The result is an economically indepen dent model; the rental income from the business units covers all the fixed amenities for the building, including gas, water, electricity and maintenance. The concept for Vluchtmaat was developed as part of New World Academy #2. (2013), in collaboration with Jonas Staal and the refugee support group We Are Here. www.vluchtmaat.nl
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We Are Here & Stichting Noodzaak
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Vluchtmaat, photo: We Are Here & Stichting Noodzaak
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Dutch Design Today
Lamzac® The Original 2.0
Proving that innovative technology needn’t utilize electronics, the Lamzac® The Original 2.0 is an air-filled “beanbag”, designed by Marijn Oomen, that does not require a pump – and makes no claims to “smart” status. The Lamzac® is inflated via a simple wave movement, causing it to fill in a matter of seconds. Big (with a 200kg load capacity) and comfortable to lounge in when inflated, when empty it folds into a light, small package (7 X 4 inches, to be precise). Thanks to the unique filling method and the strong, sustainable nylon riptop material, the Lamzac® can be used time and time again. In a pleasing “end-to-end” production approach, the offcuts of the high-quality fabric are given a waterproof coating and used to make a matching bag. www.lamzac.com
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Fatboy The Original
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Lamzac® in use, photo: Fatboy The Original
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Lamzac® in use, photo: Fatboy The Original
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Be the Future
How did you become a designer? It all started by accident. When I was young I was always busy inventing new things. When I couldn’t find time for an ordinary office job as a water specialist in my mid-twenties, I submitted an idea to the TV program Het Beste Idee van Nederland [The Best Idea of the Netherlands] in 2010. I had nothing to lose; doing anything was better than doing nothing. That went very well and I ended up in the finals, where I showed my product on live television to a million people. I got inspired to go on with my adventure, inventing and designing cool products. Can you describe Lamzac® The Original 2.0 in one sentence? The ultimate lightweight air lounger that inflates by catching air.
How important is breaking new ground to you? It’s extremely important. I want to have impact in the world; just creating something nice is not enough. People need to be fascinated by the product, so they’ll share their experience on social media, which then hopefully results in a viral wave. That’s what inspires me: affecting the masses with a creation. Can you describe your hopes for the future of design in three words? Sustainable. Functional. Joy.
Instruction how to use the Lamzac®, photo: Fatboy The Original
Where did the idea come from? It all started from the idea of a portable ham‑ mock with an airframe that could be filled by catching air. I ended up making an efficient and aesthetically pleasing product, which got worldwide attention.
As a design professional, how do you see your role in society? My role in society has become very clear to me after my Lamzac® success. Before that I often asked myself, “What can I bring society?” I couldn’t fit into an ordinary office job and ended up doing jobs that didn’t challenge my talent. I now realize I should use my talent to create new things that bring joy and excitement to people’s lives. Not only with products, also with music, books and movies.
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Be the Future
There are three finalists:
Das Leben am Haverkamp Sies Marjan United Nude
Fashion, in which wearability is not a requirement. This includes collections, unique pieces, performances (online and offline), textiles, tapestries, shoes and accessories.
The committee: Iris Ruisch Joost Alferink (Chairman) Milou van Rossum
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Dutch Design Today
A Pretentious, Swaggering Display of Courage
Design collective Das Leben am Haverkamp is characterized by its unpolished exploration of the boundaries between (art) disciplines. The four designers behind the collective – Anouk van Klaveren, Christa van der Meer, Dewi Bekker and Gino Anthonisse – intended to find a four-pronged approach that would provide an appropriate way to present their individual collections. The resulting autumn/winter 2017 collection and presentation are characterized by a unique aesthetic that juxtaposes beauty and the abject. Performance is an important part of the disconcerting and absurd immersive experience, which the collective uses to completely remould the “fashion show” medium. www.daslebenamhaverkamp.com
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Das Leben am Haverkamp
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Das Leben am Haverkamp, photo: Iris van der Zee
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Das Leben am Haverkamp, photo: Imke Ligthart
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Das Leben am Haverkamp, photo left: Lisandro Suriel, photo right: Verena Blok
Be the Future
Why and how did you decide to become designers? Unfortunately designing is our only talent. We express our talent in crispy couture flavours. Can you please describe your Bravado collection in ten words? Swaggering. Performance. Quirky. Unpolished. Inflatable. Origami. Stripes. Gold. Collective. Individual. How does this work reflect your identity as designers? Bravado brings our latest individual projects together in a collective show. Das Leben am Haverkamp is a collision of both individual and collective projects, in which we reflect on fashion. Presenting at fashion week is a great honour, but fashion shows in general aren’t a natural choice to us. We took this opportunity to create an alienating experience, merging performance and fashion. We like to create an absurdist atmosphere. Celebrating the non-
functional is something that can be found in all of our projects. To what extent is breaking new grounds a starting point for your work? Fashion has a despicable and conventional side to it that is a big trigger for us to develop new projects. This system is not something we’re light-hearted about, but we’re reflecting on it in a humorous and playful way to shake up expectations. How would you describe the essence of Dutch design? We’ve heard it’s unsexy and conceptual. We think that’s great.
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Royal FloraHolland
In 2015, Royal FloraHolland (RFH), market leader in wholesale cut flowers and plants, challenged Vandejong Creative Agency to design a strategy focused on new consumers. As Royal FloraHolland’s field of activity began to shift from the renowned auction in Aalsmeer to the digital arena – within the scope of its innovation programme, 2020 – the company sought new ways to position itself as a brand and to stimulate sales. Based on research and strategic planning, Vandejong developed Let it Grow, an inspiration and innovation platform that focuses on the cutting edge of conscious consumers in European cities – resulting in a fluid team comprised of people from Vandejong, Royal FloraHolland and Let it Grow. In this way the new organization is still closely connected to the initiating parties, and the client remains involved in the development of content that fits the overall vision. www.royalfloraholland.com – www.letitgrow.org – www.vandejong.nl
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Royal FloraHolland
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Let it Grow’s Greenhouse Festival, photo: Maarten Nauw
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Das Leben am Haverkamp
Fashion collective Das Leben am Haverkamp comprises young designers Anouk van Klaveren, Christa van der Meer, Dewi Bekker and Gino Anthonisse, who also each have a label of their own. Alter egos, transformation and status symbols often inspire their designs. In contrast to the traditional fashion system – where collections are launched in rapid succession, in line with predetermined fashion weeks – the Das Leben am Haverkamp designers determine their own calendar, always on the lookout for alternative presentation formats that push the boundaries of the fashion discipline. Das Leben am Haverkamp do not shy away from unfamiliar territory, and this is clearly visible in their inventive performances and presentations. www.daslebenamhaverkamp.com
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Das Leben am Haverkamp
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Das Leben am Haverkamp, photo: Sanja MaruĹĄic
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Das Leben am Haverkamp, photo: Sanja MaruĹĄic
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Looking back on the past 15 years of Dutch design, which projects stand out? Studio Bertjan Pot’s Masks (nominated in 2012) and the Calvé Snacksauzen by Mountain Design (nominated in 2003) are two of our favourites.
How would you define the importance of “design”? It’s important to us that design is playful and not just about functionality. Das Leben am Haverkamp has its own aesthetics, formed by the collision of beauty and the abject. By mixing various themes – like the alter ego, transformation, folklore and status symbols – an alienated and absurdist atmosphere arises. With our conceptual and unpolished way of working we explore the role of fashion in today’s society.
In your opinion, what has design meant for the world we’re living in? Do you think design will fulfil another role in the future? Design used to shape daily life, but in many aspects “couture” fashion and “fast” fashion have lost their connection with the practical aspect. People own more clothes than they can wear. As a collective we like to explore the discourse of fashion design in a playful way, and choose to focus on artistic expression rather than practical and commercial relevance.
Do you intend to send a message through your work? Das Leben am Haverkamp collectively disagrees on the imaginative borders created between disciplines. Together we create the novel context necessary for our unrestricted way of working and thinking. By collaborating with other artists and by working in various media, we like to widen the view of our discipline. It allows us to playfully reflect on the “fashion show” concept and shape it in our own way.
Can design save the world? If aliens do arrive here, we can at least try to design something to have fun with them.
Das Leben am Haverkamp, photo: Sanja Marušic
As young design professionals, how do you see your role in society? We speak and discuss the current state of affairs of something we delightfully – but often problematically – call “fashion”. Again, we want people to question the value of fashion within contemporary society.
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Frank Kolkman
Frank Kolkman is a critical designer and speculative researcher interested in exploring the social, economic and aesthetic implications of current and future technologies. The nature of his work is experimental, deconstructivist and systematic. Kolkman disrupts the system through confrontational prototypes, interactive installations and scenarios on contemporary themes such as technological access and ownership. These are common themes in his projects Open Surgery (a do-ityourself surgery robot), Designs for Flies (a kit allowing patients to develop their own medicine for rare illnesses), Black Gold (for the preservation of endangered species) and Outrospectre (on dealing with death with the help of technology). www.frankkolkman.nl
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Frank Kolkman
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Outrosprectre, photo: Waag Society Creative Commons
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Close-up Designs for Flies, photo: Juuke Schoorl
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Be the Future
Why and how did you become a designer? My drive to design originates mostly in a deep sense of curiosity towards the inner workings of things and a desire to question why things are the way they are. I therefore quite naturally developed an interest in objects and (industrial) production processes. Over the last few years, however, my interests have gradually expanded to also include increasingly complex technologies and the more socio-political aspects of design. My aim is to use design as a medium to investigate and challenge the implications of current and near-future technologies on everyday life. How would you define “design”? To me, design is a means of investigation and experimentation, enabling me to freely move across different media, themes and contexts to develop and conceptualize alternative ways of doing and experiencing. This ranges from the purely pragmatic to the more imaginative. Does your work carry a message? Yes, that design and technology have agency. Thematically a lot of my work addresses contemporary issues of technological access and ownership. Although most of my works can be seen as practical projects that could be implemented, their main aim is to investigate and question the politics of making. They expose how control can be used and misused – and what might be done about it. What’s the most interesting challenge you face? As ever more diffuse technologies continue to penetrate into many areas of our lives, it goes almost without saying that without proper design the prospect is terrifying. Rather than rejecting these technological mediations as a designer, however, it attests to a sense of responsibility to try and give them a desirable and meaningful form.
As a design professional, how do you see your role in society? By using design scenarios and moral imagination I seek to experiment with new ideas and different values that could make us reconsider our current existence in the broader context of a technologically mediated society. Instead of solely obsessing over the technical or formal requirements, designers could adopt a more confident position in their roles as “cultural engineers” or “curators of technology” to question the social and ethical implications of technologies before they enter the marketplace. In your opinion, how has design impacted today’s world? As it has clearly demonstrated in the past, design has the potential to solve problems, improve lives and do good. However, as equally demonstrated, it also has the power to do the opposite – either by intent or through unforeseen implications. Currently we all have to deal with the consequences of (design) decisions and choices made in previous eras, when the world was an entirely different place. It is therefore crucial that we keep reflecting upon the image of design as a solely positive force. How do you think this will develop in the future? As design branches out into ever more areas and previously untouched fields, it is only logical to expect it will continue to find new roles and applications. It’ll be hard to predict what these might be, and this is precisely what makes it so exciting.
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