Lectures & conversations

cepezed stays realistic by listening to others. We know we don't have all the wisdom. The lecturers include a philosopher, architectural historian and artist. In the talks, we reflect 1 on 1 on important themes of the future. Such as materials and the building chain, but also less tangible themes such as inspiration and the ideal team.

jan pesman & alexandra runcan

cepezed's designs - inventive, light, detachable - are indebted to designers such as Frenchman Jean Prouvé (1901-1984). No design where this is as tangible as in the 'Two demountable houses under one roof' in Delft's Tanthof. At the kitchen table of the house on the right, cepezed partner Jan Pesman (72) and cepezed architect Alexandra Runcan (27) share their fascination for Prouvé.

→ talking about jean prouvé: example for cepezed

jacob voorthuis

Working towards a sustainable future is easier said than done. In his lecture, Jacob Voorthuis answers the questions that arise in this pursuit. How should you look at something that is not yet there? How do you actually imagine a future and how do you work towards this together? Where do you relate a vision of the future to? What mistakes can you make and what does doing nothing mean? With him, muddling on is not negative, on the contrary: it is the foundation with which we can tackle the complexity of the issue, it is the basis of human resilience.

→ imagining a sustainable future

paddy sieuwerts & andré kempe

Anyone working on assignments across borders inevitably encounters cultural differences. Paddy Sieuwerts discussed this with André Kempe. Together with Oliver Thill, André founded Atelier Kempe Thill in Rotterdam in 2000. Both architects come from East Germany, which partly explains their interest in cultural differences.

→ understanding europe and making europe

ieneke kastelein

Visual artist Ienke Kastelein shares with us her fascination with wunderkammers. In a kaleidoscopic lecture, she makes it clear that the wunderkammer phenomenon can produce a seemingly endless series of associations. Not for nothing is the subtitle of the lecture ‘gleaning images, texts and quotations’. Ienke gleaned images, texts and quotations for us.

→ wandering in wunderkammers with ienke kastelein

menno rubens & maarten haajer

Menno Rubbens (cepezedprojects) talked to Maarten Hajer (Urban Futures Studio) about the use of steel versus biobased material and other complex choices affecting the future. That future is uncertain they conclude, but that is not necessarily a bad thing.

→ talking about (un)certainties in architecture

door Dinand van der Wal & Lucas van der Wee

véronique patteeuw

Architectural historian Véronique Patteeuw linked a number of architectural experiments to the founding of the Club of Rome. We were left with the inspiring feeling that we are on the right track with cepezed.

→ devastating conclusions, hopeful designs

ronald schleurholts & esther mollema

cepezed's kit of parts architecture appears to be quite future-proof, but does the same apply to our corporate culture? Ronald Schleurholts (cepezed partner) spoke with researcher and consultant Esther Mollema about the ideal team composition and dealing with differences.

→ 'Don't get stuck in your own truth'

peter van assche

Architect Peter van Assche is championing change in the construction world. He is keenly aware of the story this change calls for. Because in his eyes it is not about a few practical choices but a complete culture change, he takes a critical look at a task and at the material he chooses. If necessary, he produces or develops a project or product himself. So many parallels with cepezed, but also plenty of interesting differences.

→ what does an architect actually make?

Jan Houtekamer & Willem Neeleman

Why is fragmentation in construction problematic? How do you improve the handling of interfaces? Does the ‘housing factory’ offer solutions in this context? And is there anything to learn from the automotive industry? These and other questions were addressed in the conversation between Jan Houtekamer, director of cepezedbouwteam, and construction process innovator Willem Neeleman (Tardis Innovations).

→ industrial built or a one-off?

door Noud van Alphen & Lucas van der Wee

Det van Oers & sjarel ex

At times interior designer Det van Oers runs up against boundaries. Those of her field, for instance, or the limits of the imaginable. Her conversation with Sjarel Ex meanders - vive the zigzag course! - from paternosters via Carlo Scarpa to historical doll's houses and back, all the while exploring the principle of a boundary. Det van Oers directs cepezedinterieur and Sjarel Ex is an art historian and former director of Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam (2004-2022).

→ the transition of the imagination