Joyce Bakker

Joyce entered the Academy of Architecture in Amsterdam in September 2022. This 4-year course combines both theory and practice and she hopes to obtain her architectural degree in 2026. In addition to her education, Joyce has been working as a Junior Architect at Paul de Ruiter Architects since August 2022.

During her pre-master, Joyce designed the "TMBR house," a building consisting solely of wood. This eventually led to a great interest in timber construction: "Buildings made of wood can be designed identically to concrete buildings in terms of sturdiness, but the use of wood is much more sustainable. I, therefore, feel that the future in sustainable construction lies in wood construction."

Currently, Joyce is also involved in how ecological systems can be integrated into modern technology. "Sustainable innovation is feasible on both a structural and financial level. For this, we need to look at what indigenous systems can tell us about what is needed in current technology to make good and strong structures similar to concrete structures without having a big impact on nature and thus being a lot more sustainable," Joyce explains.

Joyce enjoys being part of the team: "From the beginning onwards, I am treated as a fully-fledged teammate. You also get assigned certain responsibilities right away." For Joyce, who is from Friesland, the Paul de Ruiter Architects team feels like a "Mienskip," a Frisian term for a sense of community, where people want to achieve the same values and common goals. In addition, sustainability, combined with sleek and modern projects is something she identifies with on a design level.