Thom Hoffer

I earned my Bachelor’s degree in Building Engineering at Hogeschool Inholland Alkmaar and continued with a Master’s in Architecture at TU Delft. During my Master’s, I focused on the philosophical side of architecture and sustainability, with the central question: what is the relationship between nature and culture? This resulted in my graduation project, where I reinterpreted the function of a parking lot as a hybrid, multifunctional space where mobility, recreation, and urban experience come together. A parking lot is usually seen as a polluting, open space in the city with little use. However, such spaces are also necessary. So, I created a kind of art object that serves as both a parking area and a recreational space. After graduating, I worked as a construction modeler and later as a building engineer. I focused on technical elaborations and sustainability calculations. My conviction grew that sustainability goes beyond standard solutions like solar panels and green roofs. Sustainable building is not simply a sum of measures, but a fundamental design choice that must be intertwined with the essence and materialization of a building. We must not only strive for new architecture but also redefine the roles of architects and building designers. The ambition to integrate sustainability and technology into architectural design brought me to Paul de Ruiter Architects. Here, I can apply my construction expertise to transform sustainable ambitions into innovative and feasible solutions.