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Our office was initiated in 1983, two years
after Pim Hienkens finished his education at the faculty of
Architecture of the Delft University of Technology. The education
there was very modernist and when he finished school with
a masters degree he still had the feeling there was something
missing. In the period around 1981, the economy was very bad
and het couldn't find a job. He then used the lake of free
time to read as much as possible about classical architecture,
a field of knowledge the school of architecture in Delft never
touched upon during his education. In 1983 he got an assignment
for a restoration which was the defacto start of his office.
Slowly it grew and after some years he employed his first
designer. Most of the assignments were designs for the change
of houses and shops in the old town of Delft, a nearly perfectly
preserved city that was rebuilt after the great fire of 1536.
Most constructions date back to that time, Although there
are many newer facades from the ages since, the separating
walls, the floors and many roofs are still that old. This
work helped him develop skills in classical detailing. Add
to that the many European trips and vacations to Italy, France,
Germany, England and other countries where he studied the
classical architecture with a special interest in the Renaissance,
the Baroque and the Georgian Period and you will understand
the affinity of this office.
Usually the office is busy with 10 to 15 larger and smaller
projects with building costs of between 0,3 and 5 milion USD
and up. The type of client is in majority private and small
business. However, we have also worked on some schools, showrooms
and a few very nice restaurants. At least 30% of the work
concerns restoration of filed monuments (houses and buildings
which are in the national register of monuments).
The office is housed in an old canalside house in the inner
city of Delft which has details dating back to just after
the fire. In these fitting surroundings, we work on many different
projects. While working on existing buildings, we study its
proper style and change and add to the building as much as
possible in its own style. Sometimes we like to create contrast
by implementing high tech details, but whenever possible we
simply try to restore as much as possible without it showing
signs of being restored. Just old buildings in mint conditions
is what we are after and whenever necessary we equip them
with the technical abilities of today to provide comfort of
a modern standard. Working on designs from new to already
built houses and buildings, we like to propose to the client
that we design it in a Classical style whenever it seems appropriate.
At the moment our office employs 4 persons:
ir. W.E. (Pim) Hienkens, owner, architect, designer
ir. C.A.M. (Tineke) Meerman, architect, designer
ir. Sabine Linnebank, draftswoman, designer
ir. Josine van Gulik, draftswoman, designer
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