MVRDV was established in 1993 by Winy Maas alongside partners Jacob van Rijs and Nathalie de Vries to address architecture, urban studies, and landscape design. Born in Schijndel in 1959, Maas has developed a career spanning design practice, academic research, and the management of urban development projects across the Netherlands and internationally.
Academic Background and Teaching
Maas pursued studies at RHSTL Boskoop, graduating as a landscape architect, before completing a degree at the Delft University of Technology in 1990. His academic career includes serving as a visiting professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and holding a professorship in architecture and urban design at the Delft University of Technology. He has previously held teaching positions at the Berlage Institute, Yale University, and Ohio State University. In 2008, he established The Why Factory, a research institute dedicated to future city planning integrated into the Faculty of Architecture at the Delft University of Technology.
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The MVRDV studio produced early projects that gained significant attention, including the Dutch Public Broadcasting Company VPRO headquarters and the Wozoco senior citizens' residences in Amsterdam. The latter project earned the J.A. van Eck Prize from the Dutch Architects' Association. Subsequent international work includes the Dutch pavilion for Expo 2000 in Hanover, the Logrono Eco-City in Spain, and the Gyre building in Tokyo. Beyond traditional buildings, Maas has engaged in curating events such as Indesem 2007, designing stage sets and individual objects, and managing urban developments such as the Bjørvika project in Oslo.
Research and Publications
Maas has contributed to architectural theory through numerous publications that examine capacity, data, and urban evolution. His editorial work includes titles such as FARMAX, published in 1999, and Metacity/Datatown, released the same year. Further contributions to the field include Reading MVRDV (2003), Spacefighter The evolutionary city game (2005), KM3 Excursions on Capacities (2006), and Skycar City (2008). He maintains a presence in professional discourse, notably delivering a keynote address at the 2004 Holcim Forum held at ETH Zurich.
Professional Honors
Maas is a member of the architects register of the Netherlands and serves as the president of the spatial quality board of Rotterdam. His contributions to the field have been recognized with national and international honors, specifically as a Knight of the Order of the Netherlands Lion, received in 2015, and as a Knight of the Legion of Honour.
Fast facts
- Born: 1959, Schijndel, Netherlands
- Citizenship: Kingdom of the Netherlands
- Education: RHSTL Boskoop; Delft University of Technology
- MVRDV Co-founder: 1993
- Knight of the Order of the Netherlands Lion: 2015
- Languages: English, Dutch
Questions readers ask
What does MVRDV stand for?
It is an acronym formed from the initials of the three founding partners: Winy Maas, Jacob van Rijs, and Nathalie de Vries.
What is The Why Factory?
Founded by Maas in 2008, it is a research institute focused on the study of the future city, operating within the Delft University of Technology.
Achievements
- Knight of the Order of the Netherlands Lion
- Knight of the Legion of Honour
- Trained at Delft University of Technology
