Oliver Hadi, architectural engineer 

During his 5-year undergraduate studies at New York City College Of Technology, Oliver supplemented his required courses with specialisations in sustainability, environmental analysis and detailing. He completed a year-long internship with facade specialist Walter P. Moore. At cepezed, Oliver's interest in sustainability and technical orientation converge.

For his graduation, Oliver designed a prototype for improved social housing in the Bronx, New York. The main design principles are to encourage social interaction between neighbours, beautiful architecture that is affordable, and sustainability in terms of water safety, solar and wind. The result is a 'super block', or 'Vertical Village', with functions such as shops and community spaces in addition to housing. The modular block is easy to build with prefab elements.

Oliver chose cepezed because of the agency's multi-faceted approach. 'The multifunctionality of the designs appeals to me enormously. cepezed makes clever, ingenious constructions that look almost industrial. At the same time, they are well thought-out designs from the user's point of view, with pleasant materials and clear organisation. Furthermore, most designs aim to reduce material use and promote circular use.'

At cepezed, his projects include the police headquarters the hague, one of the largest and most complex buildings in cepezed's portfolio, and - given the spaciousness of the design and the dynamics that can arise in the building - he looks forward to the completion of the building. His favourite cepezed project is the small pavilion The Green House, which Oliver considers 'exemplary' in every way for those who want to build circularly. 'And if you think from the perspective of the future of mankind, that is the way to go.'