Biography

Marc Koehler (1977) is a young Dutch architect, based in Amsterdam since 2005. His studio is
involved in a wide range of activities and interests crossing the fields of architecture,
urbanism and cultural analysis. His recent work contains three built villa’s in the Netherlands,
a polemic analysis of the current socio-economic context of Dutch architecture, and texts
on the shifting role of architects in the development of contemporary public spaces. He
recently participated in the winning team (1st prize) of the Oporto Riverine waterfront
competition. received a prestigious grant from the Dutch Foundation of Visual arts, Design
and Architecture, exhibited his design work in the Amsterdam Architecture Institute
(ARCAM) and ABC Architecture Centre in Haarlem and was the chief editor of DAXmagazine
No 17. His IJburg house project was nominated for the “Golden A.A.P
(Amsterdam Architecture Prize) and it has been nominated as well for the Dutch Facade
Design Award 2008, Fritz Hoger Preis 2008, the most beautiful house 2008, WAN best house of
2008 award. The house won an Honorable mention in the World Architecture Festival Award
2008. His studio has been selected by architecture critic Hans Ibelings for the prestigious Top
10 list of Dutch Architects under 40 (newitalianblood.com) and is selected for the book “44
architects 2008”. Recently, the office has been nominated as eight out of five hundred
entries for the prestigious TU Delft “Building for Bouwkunde” Competition for the residence of
the Faculty of TU Delft. Currently the office participates in two exhibitions in the Netherlands
Architects Institute and designed the visual concept of the dance performance
'behavioural patterns' from choreographer Juanjo Arques and Het Nationale Ballet.

The strength of MK’s studio is the capacity to integrate different fields of knowledge in a single project, connecting abstract thought with practical reality. By combining the activities of design, writing, teaching and research, and by teaming up in flexible coalitions with artists, designers, engineers, academics and consultants, the studio combines the advantages of a small organisation (personal, powerful and flexible) with those of a large one (multidisciplinary, diverse and integrated expertise and competences).

Characteristic of the studio is an open minded, site-, program- and client specific approach towards concepting and design and a critical attitude towards the profession. Fundamental to each project is an intensive context- and impact analysis and the participative role of the client throughout the design process, using a scenario-based method of design-decision-making.

The studio continuously aims at rediscovering meaning in architecture by confronting questions emerging from contemporary socio-cultural phenomena found in the everyday reality of the projects at hand. As a result, the studio develops a powerful and flexible range of concept-, design- and building strategies, applied to a diverse range of programs, spaces, forms, materials and images.

Within this wide scope of approaches, the studio develops a continuous and recognisable line of thinking and design. The question of the role of architects as mediators between the private and the public realm, between individual and collective spaces and the search for design-authenticity in the context of mass-culture and mass-production are repeating themes in every project the studio takes on.

Marc Koehler also works as a staff member at TU Delft, Faculty of Architecture and is a guest teacher at the Amsterdam Fashion Institute and the Unit Built Environment of the Hogeschool van Amsterdam. His projects and essays have been published in a book on contemporary ecological architecture, OASE, de Architect, Items, DAX-magazine, +Arquitectura magazine het NRC, BOUW, Bauwelt, Architecture Today, Baby Mgz., Bouwwereld, Stedebouw, Stedebouw en Architectuur and elsewhere.