Sander Bakker

Given Sander’s long-held interest in the built environment and its part in the zeitgeist, the outcome of his professional journey was practically a foregone conclusion. He would go on to receive a bachelor’s degree in build environment from the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences and a master’s degree in architecture, urbanism and building sciences from the Delft University of Technology. Sander’s role at Paul de Ruiter Architects is primarily to do with large-scale, inner-city residential developments.

“I joined the firm because of its emphasis on innovative sustainable design. Sustainability is a broad but critical area of conversation in the discussions regarding new developments at the moment. Of these developments, it’s the ones involving inner city housing issues that interest me the most. I’m a typical city dweller, so I identify with these issues. Increasing urbanization has made urban accommodation too quite topical. Half of the world's population now lives in urban areas and the proportion is only expected to grow. The phenomenon is actually a good thing with respect to the future of the planet, but it raises complex issues. And man is right at the heart of them all, given our strong connection with place. This makes it not only an environmental issue but also a social one. I can see myself exploring solutions to the phenomenon for years to come, and Paul de Ruiter Architects is undoubtedly the ideal place for that.”