Jacob Borren and André Staalenhoef are modern masters of architecture. Passionate and persevering.
Borren Staalenhoef are determined to tackle every aspect of the spatial task; to oversee a large degree of complexity and to reduce it to clear, layered structures. Their ultimate objective is the act of building: the creation of a tangible object that speaks through the details. Their solutions are the result of a long series of consistent decisions and elaborations: diagrams and matrixes, sketches and artist’s impressions, ground plans and sections, construction models and working drawings. It is in this method of working that the mastery and strength of this architecture lies. Utilitas (utility), firmitas (strength) and venustas (beauty), the three aspects of architecture as defined by Vitruvius, form a harmonious whole.
Jacob Borren (1960) and André Staalenhoef (1961) have worked together for twelve years now, from their office on Europaplein in Leeuwarden. As you might expect of ‘master builders’, their portfolio of over 90 projects covers a broad spectrum, from architecture to modest landscape designs, from housing to a hockey club pavilion, from newbuild to renovation, from installation art to a bus stop. Diverse commissions that have generated a wide range of designs.