Tijmen Smith, architectural engineer 

Tijmen pursued his entire study career in Delft, where he completed the bachelor of architecture and the master of architecture at the Technical University. During his master, Tijmen specialised in Architectural Engineering. Besides his studies, he and fellow students organised an International Design Seminar on Datascape. They invited Norman Foster, Patrick Schumacher and Kim Herforth Nielson - speakers who had inspired Tijmen for some time. His graduation research concerned the evolution of modular construction since the 1960s. In this context, Tijmen designed a modular stadium with varying temporary functions. By doing so, he reused not only the infrastructure, but also the logistical planning of a harbour. The design is actually a statement against the construction of permanent stadiums for temporary events.

Within architecture, Tijmen prioritises circularity through reuse, relocation and transformation. This explains his intrinsic match with cepezed. He sees a large overlap in cepezed's vision and the aspects he values. Tijmen works at cepezed from the motivation to improve the world little by little. 'By working in an adaptive and adjustment-oriented way, we are moving in the direction our society needs.'

The project Tijmen is designing, the cultural centre in Oss, appeals to him enormously. 'The circularity of this project goes a long way, more than 70 percent of the design consists out of reused materials. And that in a totally new design.' In this project, too, the methods are efficient - another aspect Tijmen appreciates about cepezed. 'I see in the cultural centre the simplicity and honesty of cepezed's architecture. Partly because of that, I feel at home here.'