The Ministry of Make is an inter-ministry consisting of design firms, researchers, experts and government agencies spread throughout the Netherlands. This self-proclaimed ministry aims to contribute to the radical transformation of the Netherlands by providing concrete solutions to the housing shortage, energy transition and the effects of climate change.On June 16, 2022, ZUS, MANN and the International Architecture Biennale Rotterdam founded the Ministry of Make: one ministry of collaborating parties that thinks ahead, plans, builds and thus realizes the needed 1 million additional homes in a sustainable and responsible manner with respect for future generations.
The initiative of this ministry started with a call upon 100 designers and experts to use their collective knowledge and imagination to come up with new designs for the Netherlands. In doing so, the Ministry of Make aimed to contribute to the radical transformation of the Netherlands and offer concrete solutions to the housing shortage, energy transition and the effects of climate change. In addition, the Ministry of Make encourages critical reflection upon how existing government structures deal with this.
The main goal of the Ministry is to bring together in a spatial approach the solution to various social challenges, for example: the consequences of climate change, subsidence, rising sea levels, the nitrogen problem and energy transition. Very specifically, the Ministry wants to work responsibly on the housing task of 1 million additional climate-proof homes. In addition, solutions must be found for conflicting regulations and the need for alternative forms of society and financing.
The Ministry therefore came up with a concrete assignment for 100 designers, requesting to research and design 10,000 climate-proof homes within a self-chosen area within The Netherlands. The designers and specialists received a Test Kit containing all necessary supplies to complete this assignment. Each design team then made concrete local proposals that would ultimately serve to create a spatial whole on a national level.
All spatial designs were brought together to form the largest Dutch model ever during the 10th edition of the Architecture Biennale Rotterdam. They could be viewed as a collective between October 14 and November 13 in the Ferro; an old natural gas holder in Rotterdam. Here, the Ministry of Make showed how together we can - and will - literally "make" the Netherlands once more.
Of course, striving to find sustainable solutions to various social issues, prompting reflection on existing government structures and contributing to the radical rebuilding of the Netherlands requires more than an exhibition in itself. The Ministry of Make is therefore eager to continue the dialogue in the form of future debates, partial exhibitions, media appearances, collaborations and ministerial meetings.
IABR
The design power of architecture is essential to tackle the major challenges of our time, such as our energy transition, water issues and climate-adaptive building. The International Architecture Biennale Rotterdam wants to contribute to the transition to a sustainable future by connecting parties to the agenda of transition in spatial design, by positioning the discipline of spatial design, by bringing together design strengths and parties around spatial tasks and by inspiring and offering perspectives for action through the imagination of promising solutions.
ZUS
Led by the duo van Boxel and Koreman, ZUS works on solicited and unsolicited design and research in the fields of architecture, urban planning and landscape design. The firm, based in Rotterdam and founded in 2001, consists of an international and multidisciplinary team. For ZUS, the imaginative power of landscape design is at the forefront of the process of shifting boundaries between the private and public, between long-term and short-term, between temporary and permanent. By working within these contradictions, truly progressive projects can emerge that take on long-term responsibility while inviting public engagement. ZUS' projects are thus never stand-alone statements, but always anchored in the city, the public domain and the long tradition of spatial design. For more information: www.zus.cc
MANN
is a creative agency founded by Stephan Petermann and Marieke van den Heuvel. Both have an interdisciplinary background in architecture, research and design. MANN develops and initiates the creation of innovative content within and beyond architecture. MANN has developed hands-on master plans and strategies for cultural and financial institutions and companies. MANN works for companies, public institutions and foundations looking for new and creative insights and designs that help them in their development.
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