We are Powerhouse Company, an award-winning architecture office based in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Our story begins in 2005. Newly founded back then, we operated from kitchen tables in Rotterdam and Copenhagen. We have since grown into a multidisciplinary office of around 100 professionals, with international studios in Beijing, Oslo and Munich. Along the way we have won a number of prizes, including the Dutch Design Award, the Maaskant Prize and the AM/NAI Award.
Some things don’t change however. We are still led by founder Nanne de Ru, these days along with Paul Stavert, Stijn Kemper, Stefan Prins, Sander Apperlo (Munich) and Johanne Borthne (Oslo).
Our mission is to create meaningful spaces that enhance people's lives.
We shape our projects through the collective intelligence of our dedicated team, plus our in-depth research into the historical and future context. We love to be close to our clients, thinking along with them so that we can embrace their social, economic and sustainability goals. Our multi-disciplinary team and collaborative ethos allow us to take full responsibility for any project, from sketch to construction.
We pride ourselves on the sensorial richness of our work, which results from our constant search for the sweet spot between constraints and possibilities. This process enables us to make conscious design decisions that enhance the subconscious design experience. Our approach to function is based on our belief that every inch in and around a building should enrich the overall sensation it creates. This is how we intertwine context, aesthetics and function. The outcome is the serene clarity that people sense in all our projects.
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