SeARCH

Profile of SeARCH, headquartered in Netherlands. Seven projects submitted by SeARCH have been published on Architecture News Plus (ANP).

: [L-R] Bjarne Mastenbroek and Uda Visser – © SeARCH

Principals

Bjarne Mastenbroek
Uda Visser

Brief description

SeARCH stands for Stedenbouw En ARCHitectuur (Urban Planning & Architecture). Our projects are conceived as landscapes - the most essential and generous element. Without boundaries, landscapes are endless and open; they connect architecture with the urban, interior with exterior. Through the emphasis on landscapes, SeARCH promotes a high degree of sustainability and environmental awareness within their projects. Being Dutch, we are well aware of the scarcity of land and believe strongly in using this resource more intelligently in order to give ‘nature’ more space to survive.

Inspiration:

When it comes to ideas, everyday life is a ‘horn of plenty’. Our strategy is pragmatic; we assemble information and forms and establish novel relationships between them. The outcome is a collection of highly specific buildings that dovetail with history and function. In our opinion the context, i.e. that which already exists, is a starting point, not an authoritative guidebook. We want to free our architecture from superimposed rules and regularities, making it unpredictable and at the same time self evident.

Innovation:

Architects must focus on creating spaces and cities that are democratic, sensible, long-lasting and tolerant. It sounds simple and obvious, but it isn’t. SeARCH questions the merits and banalities of modern civilization, so well exhibited by the contemporary city. We try to (re)connect cultural artifacts with genuine natural elements. Design teams collaborate with different disciplines to experiment and test the results of collective design sessions, in order to give an opportunity to innovative proposals. In order to find you have to SeARCH.

What sets SeARCH apart?

Architecture that strengthens the surrounding landscape, rather than dominating or ignoring it.
Spaces that are dramatically transparent, light filled, welcoming, and clear about their function.
Our ability to revitalize, redefine and expand existing buildings and neighbourhoods.
Innovative techniques, like double ground use, hiding and intertwining buildings and traffic flows, that increase the usable space on a site, making larger functional and public spaces possible.
Cultural and special buildings that create environmental awareness and encourage sustainable behaviour.

Published projects

: Posbank Pavillion by de architectengroep Rijnboutt Ruijssenaars Hendriks van Gameren Mastenbroek The aim was to make this tea house a model of energy efficiency and at the same time completely transparent to the surrounding natural environment. The...

: Dutch Embassy in Ethiopia by de architectengroep Rijnboutt Ruijssenaars Hendriks van Gameren Mastenbroek The compound of the Dutch Embassy consists of a five-hectare wooded area that slopes steeply towards the city. The design task was to situate the five...

: Villa Vals by SeARCH + CMA Shouldn’t it be possible to conceal a house in an Alpine slope while still exploiting the wonderful views and allowing light to enter the building? Surprised...

: Wolzak by SeARCH How can the historical and spatial qualities of an old farmyard, with all its various outbuildings, be retained when the new function is that of a family...

: Roombeek Culture Cluster by SeARCH The destruction caused by the fireworks explosion of May 13th 2000 resulted in a number of Enschede’s industrial monuments becoming so badly damaged, that...

: Novo Nordisk Conference Centre by SeARCH The conference centre is an extension of ‘Favrholm’, a monumental Danish farm that originates from the 14th century. The complex contains an auditorium,...

: Synagogue LJG by SeARCH Synagogue annex Community Centre Progressive Jewish Congregation of Amsterdam Is true architecture the design of emptiness; the space between walls, floors and...