Interview
there have been a few defining moments. In 2006,
A Holistic
Approach
Towards
Architecture
Roger Tan and Erik van Eck interviewed by
Kavitha Varathan and Michael Maminski
Todays architecture practice is strongly sub-
jected to changes and market developments due
to the recession. On the other hand, the reces-
sion has also proven to be an effective climate
for focusing visions, redefining capabilities and
stimulating new developments. Archiprint spoke
to two board members of the Rotterdam-based
architecture office Broekbakema about their past,
their current situation and future visions and de-
velopments in architecture.
A firm like Broekbakema with its rich history
must have adapted often over the years. In the
context of the crisis we are now in the middle of,
can you walk us through Broekbakemas past?
Roger Tan: Well, as you can see, Im not as
old as the firm itself (laughs)! Broekbakema is
more than 100 years old and indeed, in that time
it has been subject to many changes, including
the two World Wars.
About the interviewees
Roger Tan has been an executive director at Broekbakema
since 2010. Under his management the firm underwent a
major innovation in that same year.
Erik van Eck has been with the firm as an architect since
1997. He joined the management board as architect
director in 2002.
In more recent history, say the last ten years,
a clear and distinct interest of Broekbakema.
well before the crisis, Broekbakema merged with
the relatively young and small architecture firm
SAAS and Aldo Vos and Seibold Neijenhuis (of
SAAS) joined as directors. The next defining mo-
ment was the start of the crisis in the financial
sector in 2008 that spilled over to the building
sector in the Netherlands in 2009 to 2010. So
in 2010, we had to rethink the firm. The volume
and the size of the commissions were rapidly
changing decreasing. In the 2000s, a large
project in the company would have been some-
where between 40,000 and 50,000 m2. Currently,
a large project is maybe around 15,000 m2 or
less. This is a significant difference that impacts
the decisions for the teams that we need to have
available for projects or the people we employ.
How has Broekbakema responded to the
crisis?
RT: In 2010, we critically rethought the firm
to cope with the new situation for the short term
and the long term. Thats when we changed our
emphasis and introduced the two pillars Sus-
tainability and Process Innovation into our design
process. Our aim was to create a firm that is able
to flexibly cope with the crisis. We dont know
how long the crisis will last, but we want to be
ready to take off when the crisis ends with new
competencies, as a new kind of architecture firm.
The old Broekbakema was quite traditionally
organized with separate departments for almost
all separate functions technical design, drafting,
project management, architecture with very
strict borders between the departments. We
wanted to break through that because, quite
simply, if you have a smaller project you want
the same people to wear different hats.
In recent years, sustainability has emerged as
You mentioned that this was also a strategic
response to the crisis. In what way?
RT: In response to the crisis, we needed
competencies for a new market and sustain-
ability emerged as a clear and distinguishing
factor. Erik van Eck had already been involved
with sustainability for many years on a low level
and we decided to bring it to the forefront. We
want to be one of the top five sustainable ar-
chitecture practices in the Netherlands in, lets
say, five years. This is quite difficult to achieve
for many reasons. The way people look at your
firm is directly related to the kind of buildings you
have delivered. It takes time to achieve a really
authoritative portfolio in sustainability.
We do a lot of things within the firm to drive
it. For example, we have one dedicated sustain-
ability manager within our firm who is certified in
different credentials like BREEAM, GPR (used
by the Dutch government), etcetera. We have
expanded that to other employees. Other efforts
include a Quickscan on sustainability in each
phase of the project. Its based on the BREEAM
system and provides a kind of score, which helps
create a dialogue on sustainability with the client
throughout the project.
So is it fair to say that your clients have
changed since you adopted sustainability as
your central focus?
RT: They are slowly changing. Sustainabil-
ity is a definite driver for us with regards to our
clients. Interestingly, our enhanced sustainability
profile gets us clients who want more than the
basic or basic-plus level of sustainability. One
good example is the Rijksuniversiteit Gronin-
gens Energy Academy, which wants a building in
the vision of the discipline a net zero emission
building. That means all of the emissions must be
compensated by climate measures in the build-
ing such as PV (Photo-Voltaic) cells not only
those released while the building is in use, but
also the emissions released during construction.
Its very ambitious, especially considering that
even energy-neutral buildings are not common
right now. Its a step up for us, were working on
the final design now and its looking very good!
What do you think particularly triggered the
sustainability tide in recent times?
Erik van Eck: Al Gore put it back on the agen-
da. Personally Ive worked with sustainability for
more than 17 years, long before it was widely
accepted. There was a period when everybody
was talking about sustainability but nobody was
willing to act on it. Now we see that many com-
panies are also acting. Its like oil spreading on
water, slowly covering a larger and larger area.
People are more willing to listen now and the next
time if not this time they may act. In the mean-
time, it helps us gain knowledge and deepen
our understanding of sustainability. So it works
both ways!
Talking about deepening your understanding
of sustainability, tell us about your research
project on the topic the Green Living City.
EvE: In the future, I see a world population Do you think the vision of the Green Living
that is increasingly centralized in areas or cities City is realizable?
with higher levels of economic activity. Its not
sustainable to shelter people the way we have EvE: Yes. However, it is fundamentally differ-
in the past. It is really necessary to look for an ent from our cities because the Green Living City
alternative sustainable urban environment. With is entirely public. This is a completely new type
Green Living City, instead of growing cities in a most of the time these dense, vertical structures
horizontal direction, we decided to grow a really are buildings. You can close a building and check
urban, dense and green city vertically. who is occupying it, but when its a part of the city
We created what we call Super Floors you cannot. You have to define ways to filter and
green floors where anything you find in the city operate. There are other issues like the allocation
can be accommodated. They adapt to all kinds of of responsibilities. In flat city development, the
functions or the mood in society. For example, if government looks after streets, lighting, etcet-
in the future people tend to work more from home era. However, when you organize a city vertically,
or need more working space, they can adapt. The who is responsible for these things? So there are
Green Living City responds to every eventuality. real issues to be addressed before the Green
There are also cultural or social issues. Young Living City is realized.
people like to live in the city, but young couples
with children tend to move to the suburbs. We Concepts such as the Super Floors versus
want to create an environment that can shelter temporary structures are particularly architec-
diverse user groups. tural responses to sustainability, different from
We combined this sustainable idea with all material or energy choices. Are they already
kind of sustainable measures into a future con- used in your current projects?
cept. For instance, the really permanent Super
Floors are set against timber frame structures EvE: Yes, I always think about architecture
that can easily change with the programme. Its like that Generic and Specific. I try to make a
not really a future concept for in ten or twenty generic structure, which accommodates more
years that depends on how fast we adapt. It is than the present functional requirements. The
about creating tomorrow. specific need of the time is something that
Erik van Eck (left) and Roger Tan.
Photography by Archiprint.
can change easily. Of course there are budget
limitations, but we try to convince the client to
spend the extra money on things that are really
permanent.
RT: Our firm takes a holistic approach to-
wards sustainability. One of the phases is archi-
tectural, but there are other people involved like
insulation advisors, MEP advisors, who we in-
novate with. A study like Green Living City helps
us think about new concepts on different levels,
some of which are integrated in current projects.
Do you have to sometimes compromise the
quality of architecture in terms of experience
of space for instance in favour of a sustain-
able decision?
EvE: How to define sustainability? In the
end sustainability is about so many things and
we shouldnt talk about it as a separate issue.
For me, its an issue that is fully integrated with
architecture. Thats perhaps my limitation, but
for me its natural.
RT: Things like PV cells are often set onto
buildings as an afterthought. What we are trying
to do is to integrate them from the start, so that
we make not only sustainable buildings but also
beautiful buildings.
But sustainability is usually a parallel argument
to architecture in many universities, firms, and
so forth. Do you see it as an integrated new
movement in the future?
EvE: Fifty years from now, we may not talk
about sustainability anymore. Itll be grounded
in design thinking. Now, we talk about saving
energy. When thats achieved, we may talk about
smart materials. Therell always be new sustain-
ability goals. Like architecture good architec-
ture always changes with society.
8
Does this acceptance and practice of change
have to do with the legacy of the office? Jaap
Bakema and Jo van den Broek were import-
ant protagonists of the structuralist movement,
which can also be detected in the Super Floors
we discussed earlier.
EvE: Perhaps, I know I started working at
Broekbakema for that reason. Not in a very con-
scious way but its in the DNA of the office. You
have to develop it though. Bakemas ideas have
not crystallized, rather they have evolved.
RT: Our long heritage is a strength. Its not
only the current generation that is moving ar-
chitecture forward, there are layers of history
beneath that live on in our projects.
Has the new management change refocused
your interests?
RT: Of course it has. The last big manage-
ment change was last year, when two of the
somewhat older partners, who led the firm for
25 years, moved out of active management. It
let the new management change its focus to be
more flexible, which is needed in these times.
Besides sustainability, process innovation has
been significantly emphasized recently. Tell us
about integrating BIM (Building Information
Model).
RT: We first started experimenting with 3D
in 2006-2007. Since 2010, we have switched
completely to 3D modeling in Revit. Now, were
gradually including other parties into the design
and construction process. With BIM, the quality of
the design, efficiency and the value for the client
increases. Put simply, we can make mistakes
in the process but not on the construction site.
Secondly, we integrate all parties early on with
BIM and it becomes a model of communication.
Problems become clear at an earlier stage, so
solutions are found earlier. Finally, BIM provides
a digital model for discussions and solutions. The
client has more insight into the project and in-
ternally its a more efficient process because it
allows an easier coordination.
EvE: What is significant about BIM is that not
only architects are BIM-ing, but all of the other
parties involved in the process are too!
What was it like to transform the whole office
to BIM?
EvE: That costs energy (laughs)! Its all
about change, as humans we dont like to
change, but we have to!
RT: We used the crisis we invested in
Revit software, in server hardware and training
employees. We are able to provide the central
server onto which all the different advisors log in
and coordinate in BIM and thats something not
a lot of architects do! We want to be at the fore-
front of this innovative process. We even have a
dedicated BIM manager! BIM is now integrated
into the firm, just like sustainability.
How do you think BIM will evolve in the future?
RT: Architects will start moving towards BIM
in the future. Many of them will be limited to the
traditional way of working though as it is quite
costly to gain knowledge in BIM, especially in
smaller offices.
As a firm BIM enables us to expand in other
areas. For example, were building our first pilot
with cost-management parties to do a fully inte-
grated cost management in BIM. That means
they can log on to our BIM server, link their cost
figures database and provide cost estimates sev-
eral times during the process, based on changes
in our model.
We have also moved into the space of con-
struction with BIM, where contractors usually
coordinate with different subcontractors using
2D prints but are slowly moving towards 3D. In
the future we can see ourselves play a role also
in maintenance of the building, when the building
is in use. BIM facilitates planning of scheduled
maintenance, energy conservation, etcetera
there are a lot of possibilities.
We were talking about architects evolving and
keeping up with change and new specialists
that now have their place in an architecture of-
fice a dedicated BIM manager, sustainability
manager, etcetera. How do you see yourself,
what is the role of a business director in an
architecture firm?
RT: Making sure the business is still there
in a couple of years! Architects are notoriously
bad at making profitable businesses. If you look
at the figures from the last few years, they have
not always been profitable. You have to make
profit to survive and create good architecture,
to attract good people, pay fair salaries, provide
a good environment like we have here and its
also necessary to contribute to education and
research.
Closing question, what qualities should the
future architect have?
EvE: You really have to know what you are
good at and excel in that. That is important. We
all have our strengths and in the future we have
to find ways to combine these. We should not
limit ourselves and we should focus outside our
natural boundaries and comfort zones to connect
with other disciplines. Because when society be-
comes more diverse, you have to adapt to that
in your architecture. You cant do that on your
own you have to connect with others.
Kristel Hermans
(De)contextual-
ization
Architects obviously have to consider the
context explicitly during the design process. Or
dont they? Is it possible for a building, to be
unrelated to the environment? Are buildings in
an interchangeable context always unrelated to
their context? Kristel Hermans explores the im-
portance of the context for the design (process).
I was amazed to read the description of the
Water Culture House in BIGs book Yes Is More.
In a couple of text balloons, they explain that
the design process failed because of external
factors and that the original client never had it
built. Years later, it turned out that another city
was interested in the design:
We started a strange process of retrofitting
our old concept onto the new site. We werent
really altering either program nor spaces, but
actually only the view. 1
Of course, this fragment draws only a very
limited picture of the activities and changes that
have taken place in this part of the process, but
1 Is No Longer Any Difference Between an Urn and
BIG, Yes Is More an Archicomic on Architectural Evolu-
tion (Cologne: Evergreen, 2010).
About the author
Kristel Hermans recently graduated cum laude in Archi-
tecture & Building Technology at Eindhoven University of
Technology. She is currently working on three challenging
design projects and is starting up her own business.
they suggest that a design can be moved with-
out changing either the programme or the style.
The fragment makes me wonder whether the
design was connected to its context at all. Can
a design be generic and thereby easy to project
on other locations?
The discussion about whether or not de-
signs ought to be embedded in the context is
kind of never-ending. Although I was taught at
the Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e)
to take the context into consideration, I have to
assume there are also designers that do not
subscribe to that notion: otherwise, the discus-
sion would not exist.
Context
Before we can discuss this matter in more de-
tail, we have to explain the term context more
specifically. According to Wang, the term can be
defined in at least three different ways: Firstly,
as the immediate, physical environment in which
a design assignment is carried out; secondly,
both the built and the written architectural dis-
courses; thirdly, the broader social context, in
other words: the cultural values that play a part
in design decisions.2
Decontextualization
Starting from the assumption that architecture
is related to use, it is strongly connected to
our global civilization. The global civilization
is changing; focusing on the attainment of au-
tonomy.3 Architecture reflects this by becoming
more abstract and decontextualized; it gets to
the essence of things and discards all limitations.
Decontextualization is what happens when local
and cultural influences are also seen as limiting
factors and are, for that reason, excluded.
In OASE 76, Stuhlmacher and Holtrop de-
scribe this development as: a building method
that has very little connection with here and now,
an architecture that does not derive its concepts,
2
Wilfried Wang, About the Growing Irrelevance of 9
Context in the Generation of Form, or: Why There
a Chamber Pot (eds. Mechthild Stuhlmacher and
Anne Holtrop) in: OASE 76 Context (Rotterdam:
NAi Publishers, 2008).
3
Autonomy is the Freedom to Make Your Own
Choices Encyclo. Autonomy. [Online encyclo-
paedia] Accessed on 26 July 2013, available on:
http://www.encyclo.nl/begrip/autonomie.