High Rise Podcast

Medium: Podcast
Publisher: Architectenweb
Year: 2021 - 2026
Research lead: Daan Roggeveen
Team: Lieven Heeremans (Production), Job Roggeveen (Music)

Language: Dutch
Partners: Architectenweb, Stichting Hoogbouw
Link: Listen to all episodes on Spotify

How does one make a real good high-rise building? That’s the quintessential question which is the basis for ‘Tower of Babel’, the podcast series on Dutch high-rise.

The series is initiated by architect Daan Roggeveen, who lived in Shanghai for over a decade, where he got fascinated by high-rise. In this series, he interviews designers, developers and other experts on the issues of high-rise and inner-city densification.

The monthly series – currently in its sixth season – addresses various topics ranging from proper floorplan design to façade engineering, sustainable high-rise engineering and the impact of wind on high-rise design. Supported …

How does one make a real good high-rise building? That’s the quintessential question which is the basis for ‘Tower of Babel’, the podcast series on Dutch high-rise.

The series is initiated by architect Daan Roggeveen, who lived in Shanghai for over a decade, where he got fascinated by high-rise. In this series, he interviews designers, developers and other experts on the issues of high-rise and inner-city densification.

The monthly series – currently in its sixth season – addresses various topics ranging from proper floorplan design to façade engineering, sustainable high-rise engineering and the impact of wind on high-rise design. Supported by the Dutch Highrise Foundation, the series aims to develop the knowledge about high-rise and inner-city densification.

But the series also gives a personal insight in the people behind all these high buildings. How did they manage to get to work on all these complex plans? What kind of ambitions did they start their carreers with? And what’s next?

HOW DOES ONE MAKE A REAL GOOD HIGH-RISE BUILDING? THAT’S THE QUINTESSENTIAL QUESTION WHICH IS THE BASIS FOR ‘TOWER OF BABEL’

Architect Erikjan Vermeulen, partner at Concrete, discusses the firm’s work in the United States and the development of its Urby residential concept. Focusing on Jersey City and its high-rise towers, he explores opportunities for urban densification and compares the approaches to high-rise design in the Netherlands and the US, highlighting what Dutch architects can contribute to American cities.

In this episode, landscape architect and urban designer Kristian Koreman, co-founder of ZUS, explores the complex relationship between urbanism and high-rise development. From the experimental beginnings of ZUS and its work on Rotterdam’s Schieblock to the award-winning Flow Town plan for Rijnhaven, he discusses social impact, urban transformation and how to preserve a studio’s original ambitions while shaping the city’s largest developments.

Architect Alexander Pols discusses how high-rise development can contribute to the transformation of existing cities. From tower proportions and housing layouts to urban planning strategies and the relationship between buildings and public space, he reflects on the challenges of building tall in The Hague. He also looks back on his longstanding collaboration with Hans Kollhoff and their shared architectural vision.

Charlotte Griffioen, architect-director at MVSA Architects, discusses the challenges of delivering complex high-rise projects, including Wonderwoods, The Pulse and the European Medicines Agency headquarters. She explores how collaborations between architectural firms work, how expertise is shared across projects, and how architects and contractors can work more closely together to improve the design and delivery of high-rise buildings.

Denise Koeleveld, architect and concept developer at housing corporation Ymere, discusses the role of high-rise housing in addressing Amsterdam’s growing need for social housing. She explores how to maintain residential quality as homes become smaller, and how thoughtful floor plans, building entrances, orientation and shared spaces can contribute to liveable, inclusive neighbourhoods and a high-quality urban living experience.

How has China’s rapid urbanisation transformed its cities, and what can we learn from its bold approach to building at scale? In this episode, John van de Water, co-founder of NEXT Architects, reflects on more than two decades of working in China, from establishing NEXT Beijing to navigating the cultural exchange between its Amsterdam and Beijing studios. Drawing on his new book, Re-connecting with China – Architecture for Common Ground, he explores the forces behind China’s high-rise boom and how architecture can bridge different ways of thinking about the city.

Can denser cities help us live more sustainably? Martin Sobota, architect and founding partner of Cityförster, explores how urban form shapes our lifestyles and carbon footprint. Drawing on research into carbon-based urbanism, he challenges assumptions about sustainable city-making. He also discusses Cityförster’s high-rise projects in Tirana, where flexibility, collective living and changing urban dynamics shape the future of the city.

How can Amsterdam grow denser and taller while creating a liveable, diverse and sustainable city? Mirjana Milanovic, chief urban designer at the City of Amsterdam, discusses Sluisbuurt, the ambitious high-rise district reshaping the city’s urban future. Drawing on her book Sluisbuurt: The Plan, the Debate, the Construction, she reflects on a decade of planning, the controversies that challenged the vision, and the lessons this new neighbourhood offers for Amsterdam’s next phase of urban growth.

What does it take to design a high-rise office that rethinks the way we work? In this episode, Florian Idenburg, co-founder of SO–IL, discusses The CubeHouse, the first building on Amsterdam’s Zuidas with a timber structure. He explores the future of office design, the potential of spaces between inside and outside, and how his residential towers in New York create opportunities for diversity, community and a richer experience of vertical living.

Architect, developer and builder Nanne de Ru, co-founder of Powerhouse Company and RED Company, discusses how to deliver high-rise projects from concept to completion. From landmark towers in Amsterdam and Rotterdam to integrating development and construction, he explores how to safeguard architectural quality, streamline delivery and apply Dutch expertise to international high-rise markets, including New York.