As a senior project architect, Martin is involved from initial sketch through to completion, continuously steering the further development and safeguarding of design quality. For Martin, this is not only about solving complex challenges, but above all about developing a clear identity and character that respond to the location, the client and the ambition of the project. “Every project asks for something different and has its own opportunities,” says Martin.
Martin’s cepezed portfolio varies in both scale and typology, but is characterised by a clear structure and great spatial richness, in which routes and places enhance the way the building is used. This is clearly expressed in the Inholland building in Amsterdam. Here, the atrium forms a clear, organising route that brings spatial openness into the building. As the backbone of the internal organisation, it connects various functions while at the same time creating a diversity of places. This combination makes the building not only efficient, but also pleasant to spend time in.
This is also evident in the Laan op Zuid educational building, where a university of applied sciences and a secondary school share one building in a prominent location on Laan op Zuid. The two schools are organised in layered form within a single building, each with its own distinctive routing and identity, while also seeking connection with one another.
Martin values the extensive knowledge and expertise present at cepezed and feels strongly connected to the firm’s down-to-earth and consistent approach to design, in which great attention is also paid to sustainability and detailing. “We work together on a wide range of, above all, ambitious projects at a high technical level.”
For Martin, this came together beautifully in the Van Maerlantlyceum project, which is characterised as a “spatial journey of discovery” through its wide variety of types of places. Here, reuse and new-build have been carefully balanced, with respect for the listed building. The clear set of design principles underpinning the project recurs throughout the design and reveals just how precisely and thoughtfully the building has been developed. “If you look closely, you can see that every choice has been made deliberately,” says Martin.
