Sylvia Hendriks

Sylvia holds a bachelor’s degree in interior architecture from the Royal Academy for Art in The Hague and a master’s degree in architecture from the Academy of Architecture in Amsterdam. She worked at a number of other practices before joining Paul de Ruiter Architects, among which were Benthem Crouwel Architects, Heren 5 Architects and Next Architects.

“I was drawn to Paul de Ruiter Architects by its vision and sense of purpose. Sustainability comprises several elements, such as one’s choice of building materials and their reuse value in a circular economy, but the element that interests me the most is the duty to create environments that provide value in meaningful ways. Buildings that inspire end users and clients alike, thereby ensuring the former look after them and the latter invest in them.”

Paul de Ruiter Architects transformed what used to be a steel workshop along the Valschermkade into the sustainable multi-tenant office building that it now calls home. The building’s interior is light and airy and festooned with plants, and the work atmosphere is equally pleasant: “People genuinely care about each other’s well-being, and the practice invests in its people, which is highly motivating and makes you better at what you do, with knock-on effects for the practice. This continually developing capacity is palpable, and reflected in the kind of clients we attract, who typically share our ambition and vision.”