KCAP is an international design firm, a team of over 125 people and 25 nationalities who share a common mission. With offices in Rotterdam, Zurich and Shanghai we specialize in urban design, architecture and landscape architecture, taking care of the lifecycle and transformation processes of buildings, neighborhoods and regions. But at heart, we design with a free-thinking state of mind to improve the liveability of urban environments with the human dimension as our focus. Together we create conditions for freedom.KCAP was founded in 1989 by Kees Christiaanse and over the years grown into a well-known international design office with seven Partners; Xavier Blaringhem, Jeroen Dirckx, Ruurd Gietema, Anouk Kuitenbrouwer, Irma van Oort, Ute Schneider and Edward Schuurmans.

KCAP

KCAP is an international design firm, a team of over 125 people and 25 nationalities who share a common mission. With offices in Rotterdam, Zurich...

KCAP is een internationaal ontwerpbureau, een team van meer dan 125 mensen en 25 nationaliteiten die een gemeenschappelijke missie delen. Met kantoren in Rotterdam, Zürich en Shanghai zijn we gespecialiseerd in stedenbouw, architectuur en landschapsarchitectuur, waarbij we zorg dragen voor de levenscyclus en transformatieprocessen van gebouwen, buurten en regio's. Maar in wezen ontwerpen we met een free-state-of-mind om de leefbaarheid van stedelijke omgevingen te verbeteren met de menselijke maat als onze focus. Samen creëren we voorwaarden voor vrijheid.KCAP is in 1989 opgericht door Kees Christiaanse en in de loop der jaren uitgegroeid tot een bekend internationaal ontwerpbureau met zeven Partners; Xavier Blaringhem, Jeroen Dirckx, Ruurd Gietema, Anouk Kuitenbrouwer, Irma van Oort, Ute Schneider en Edward Schuurmans.

KCAP is een internationaal ontwerpbureau, een team van meer dan 125 mensen en 25 nationaliteiten die een gemeenschappelijke missie delen. Met...

KCAP ist eine internationale Designfirma, ein Team von über 125 Personen und 25 Nationalitäten, die eine gemeinsame Mission teilen. Mit Büros in Rotterdam, Zürich und Shanghai sind wir auf Städtebau, Architektur und Landschaftsarchitektur spezialisiert und kümmern uns um den Lebenszyklus und die Transformationsprozesse von Gebäuden, Stadtteilen und Regionen. Aber im Grunde entwerfen wir mit einer frei denkenden Geisteshaltung, um die Lebensqualität städtischer Umgebungen zu verbessern, wobei die menschliche Dimension im Mittelpunkt steht. Gemeinsam schaffen wir Bedingungen für Freiheit.KCAP wurde 1989 von Kees Christiaanse gegründet und hat sich im Laufe der Jahre zu einem bekannten internationalen Designbüro mit sieben Partnern entwickelt; Xavier Blaringhem, Jeroen Dirckx, Ruurd Gietema, Anouk Kuitenbrouwer, Irma van Oort, Ute Schneider und Edward Schuurmans.

KCAP ist eine internationale Designfirma, ein Team von über 125 Personen und 25 Nationalitäten, die eine gemeinsame Mission teilen. Mit Büros in...

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Zurich/Paris, July 5, 2023 - KCAP and V2S have won the international competition for Altiplano, an iconic complex for living and working in ZAC Aerospace - a new neighbourhood on the edge of Toulouse, designed by David Mangin from Agence Seura. The design comprises a high-rise with co-living apartments and a lower volume with offices and co-working spaces, connected by a 25 meter wide arch. This arch serves as the visual completion of a historical runway, the Piste des Géants, which is being transformed into a linear urban forest. The complex’s facade will be constructed in lightweight wood, an explicit wish of both client Linkcity and KCAP. The result is a sustainable landmark that fits the location, a symbol for the city’s history as a place for innovation. Toulouse is an important centre for aviation, research and education; the city is home to Airbus and a number of major universities, and wants - and needs - to expand. The municipality has earmarked Montaudran, an industrial...

KCAP and V2S win international competition for Altiplano, a sustainable living and working complex in Toulouse

Zurich/Paris, July 5, 2023 - KCAP and V2S have won the international competition for Altiplano, an iconic complex for living and working in ZAC...

Zurich/Paris, July 5, 2023 - KCAP and V2S have won the international competition for Altiplano, an iconic complex for living and working in ZAC Aerospace - a new neighbourhood on the edge of Toulouse, designed by David Mangin from Agence Seura. The design comprises a high-rise with co-living apartments and a lower volume with offices and co-working spaces, connected by a 25 meter wide arch. This arch serves as the visual completion of a historical runway, the Piste des Géants, which is being transformed into a linear urban forest. The complex’s facade will be constructed in lightweight wood, an explicit wish of both client Linkcity and KCAP. The result is a sustainable landmark that fits the location, a symbol for the city’s history as a place for innovation. Toulouse is an important centre for aviation, research and education; the city is home to Airbus and a number of major universities, and wants - and needs - to expand. The municipality has earmarked Montaudran, an industrial zone to the southeast of the centre, for transformation into an urban neighbourhood. Although the area is on the outskirts of the city, it has great historical value: Montaudran was home to one of Toulouse’s former airports, which dates back to the pioneering days of aviation. So although the area lies at some distance from the centre, it is at the heart of European aviation, and of Toulouse as a hub for aeronautical industries. The former airport runway - the so-called ‘Piste des Géants’, where aviators like Antoine de Saint-Exupery flew for the famous Aéropostale company - serves as the backbone of the new district and will be transformed into a 2 kilometre long linear forest. Altiplano is located exactly at the end of this runway: a prominent, symbolic location which requires a landmark with an ambitious, iconic design. Therefore, KCAP conceived a tower to serve as a marker, flanked by a lower, horizontal volume. The tower, however, is not positioned directly in the axis of the runway. Instead, the Piste des Géants is concluded by a 25 meter wide monumental arch which connects the tower to the low-rise volume, and which spans a staircase that connects the runway to the adjacent, uphill neighbourhood. The challenge was to create an architectural statement that is monumental but also sustainable, embedded in the city and functional. The mixed-use program consists of co-living apartments with support services - which are housed in the tower - as well as offices and co-working spaces - located in the low-rise and the arch. For the co-working spaces, KCAP created an attractive, large open plan office with a loggia that offers stunning views of the linear forest, making the most of its unique setting. The co-living apartments, small units for young professionals, researchers and starters, share a rooftop terrace that overlooks the neighbourhood and the city centre. “This makes for generous outside spaces and great views for all the users,” explains Xavier Blaringhem, partner at KCAP. “Our office has a strong drive to create liveable cities. Seeing how the brief called for a monumental gesture, this presented us with another challenge. Our solution was to look for the human scale: in the dimensions of the arch, and also in the design of the ground floors - especially those of the lower volume”, explains Xavier Blaringhem. The building volumes are adjusted to their location and the way they’re approached. For example, the road directly behind the complex - rue Tarfaya - is on a higher level than the runway. The road sees heavy traffic, and access to the building here is less easy to read. But rue Tarfaya is also where the bus- and metro stop will be located - so it was all the more important to adjust the ground floor to the human scale. The staircase underneath the arch connects the Piste des Géants to rue Tarfaya, covering the height difference. The staircase, however, is not merely used for circulation, but also serves as an inviting collective space where people can spend time together, sit in the shade, have lunch. It is lushly planted and acts as an extension of the linear forest. This doesn’t just benefit the users, but also helps animals in bridging the barrier between the runway and rue Tarfaya: it is more than a visual or urban intervention, but also has an important ecological function. As an additional measure, the arch’s roof, which is not accessible, acts as a lifted ecosystem and a catalyst for urban biodiversity. Toulouse, as a city, is very aware of the effects of climate change; not only does the town regularly suffer from heatwaves, but the municipality is also conscious of the need for higher sustainability and a lower carbon footprint - in all fields, including the building industry. With Altiplano, KCAP aims to set the example, especially in their façade design, to improve the performance and reduce the carbon footprint of our projects. There is a direct connection between the choice of materials and climate mitigation. The façade will be executed in lightweight wooden prefab elements, which have only been applied a handful of times at this height in France; the wood will be covered with metal cladding, which adds texture to the building. For this cladding, KCAP decided to use a light colour instead of the ‘classical’ pink of Toulouse. Xavier Blaringhem: “Altiplano confirms Toulouse’s historical role as a centre for innovation. For this reason, the city decided to present the project at MIPIM this year. In addition, the project is a milestone for KCAP, emphasising our international presence as architects - so we’re proud to showcase it to the world.”

Zurich, May 4, 2023 - With the ‘Quarter of the Dancing Couples’ KCAP (urban design and architecture), Studio Vulkan (landscape) and Raumanzug (sustainability) win the competition for a new residential neighbourhood with 279 apartments in the vicinity of Zurich. Wangen-Brüttisellen is a fast-growing municipality which is planning to densify. One of the plots designated for redevelopment is the Erni-Areal, a former industrial estate located close to the railway station. The aim was to create a dense and liveable neighbourhood in a contrasting, almost cacophonous context.

The ‘Quarter of the Dancing Couples’ by KCAP - urban transformation of an industrial estate in Wangen-Brüttisellen

Zurich, May 4, 2023 - With the ‘Quarter of the Dancing Couples’ KCAP (urban design and architecture), Studio Vulkan (landscape) and Raumanzug...

Rotterdam/Zurich, March 9, 2023 - As a project of national importance for Iceland, we are proud to announce the official launch of the K64 Keflavík Airport Area Masterplan. The masterplan has been developed by a multidisciplinary team led by KCAP, including WSP, FELIXX, MIC-HUB, VSO Consulting, Buck Consultants International, Buro Happold, Base Design, Maurits Schaafsma, and Kanon Arkitektar.

Launch of the K64 Keflavík Airport Area Masterplan

Rotterdam/Zurich, March 9, 2023 - As a project of national importance for Iceland, we are proud to announce the official launch of the K64...

Rotterdam, February 16, 2023 - February saw the festive completion of the Hogekwartier in Amersfoort, the Netherlands. In 2008, KCAP designed the masterplan for this new city district, commissioned by housing corporation De Alliantie and the Municipality. The neighbourhood had to meet a number of requirements: the partially built-up site had to be transformed into a residential area with various types of affordable rentals and owner-occupied houses, surrounded by public spaces and greenery; in addition, there was a clear wish to provide Amersfoort with a proper ‘entry’, to create a local hub and improve the traffic flow between the city centre and the A28 highway. Furthermore, the masterplan was part of a larger operation to sustainably renovate and renew the existing social housing stock in Amersfoort.

Hogekwartier Amersfoort: an affordable, lively and sustainable city district after a masterplan by KCAP

Rotterdam, February 16, 2023 - February saw the festive completion of the Hogekwartier in Amersfoort, the Netherlands. In 2008, KCAP designed the...

Rotterdam, January 19, 2023 – KCAP and Kraaijvanger Architects transformed the Stationspostgebouw, a former postal sorting centre next to the Hollands Spoor train station in The Hague, into a sustainable and social work environment for the 21st century while respecting the original architecture. Renovation of the national monument was commissioned by LIFE, SENS real estate and PostNL, the national postal service and former occupant. The building is home once again to PostNL, now serving as its headquarters.

KCAP and Kraaijvanger Architects transform iconic Stationspostgebouw The Hague

Rotterdam, January 19, 2023 – KCAP and Kraaijvanger Architects transformed the Stationspostgebouw, a former postal sorting centre next to the...

Rotterdam, 24 November 2022 - October saw the completion of The Twins, a residential ensemble designed by KCAP. The project consists of two robust volumes set around a communal courtyard garden. Stepped green balconies, combined with the sturdy materialization and luxurious detailing, makes for a sensorially rich ensemble, like a three-dimensional oasis right in the middle of Amsterdam.

The Twins, a residential ensemble like a green valley by KCAP

Rotterdam, 24 November 2022 - October saw the completion of The Twins, a residential ensemble designed by KCAP. The project consists of two robust...

Shanghai, October 27, 2022 - KCAP was awarded first prize in the competition for the International Coastline Conceptual Design for the Yantai Economic and Technological Development Zone in China that took place in June. Objective was to transform the underused coastal area bordering the city of Yantai into a vibrant, international urban district with a beautiful natural coastline. KCAP’s vision, Yantai Seafront Garden, spans several scales and is rooted in the city’s evolution from North-eastern China’s historical open gateway to an Economic Development Zone.

KCAP wins first prize for Yantai Seafront Garden

Shanghai, October 27, 2022 - KCAP was awarded first prize in the competition for the International Coastline Conceptual Design for the Yantai...

Rotterdam, July 4, 2022 - On 30 June, the Katwijk City Council approved the zoning plan for Valkenhorst, a new town on the site of the Marine Vliegkamp Valkenburg in Katwijk, the Netherlands. The transformation of the former military airfield is one of the largest residential developments in the Randstad, and makes an important contribution to the demand for housing in the Netherlands. With 5.600 homes for approximately 13.000 inhabitants, it is the size of a new village.

KCAP designs new town for 13.000 inhabitants

Rotterdam, July 4, 2022 - On 30 June, the Katwijk City Council approved the zoning plan for Valkenhorst, a new town on the site of the Marine...

Rotterdam/Delft, June 13, 2022 - Over the past five years Droogbak, an iconic 19th century building next to Amsterdam Central Station, has been transformed into an office space for the 21st century. KCAP was commissioned by Allianz Real Estate, together with consulting engineers ABT, and was responsible for the spatial transformation of the listed building; Fokkema & Partners drew on this in their interior design for law firm Clifford Chance. Focal point was to create a future-proof monument that enables a new way of working.

Droogbak, a perfect fusion of past and present

Rotterdam/Delft, June 13, 2022 - Over the past five years Droogbak, an iconic 19th century building next to Amsterdam Central Station, has been...

Rotterdam/Hamburg, April 21, 2022 - KCAP and K+H, in collaboration with Transsolar KlimaEngineering, PML Lange and WTM Engineers have won the first prize in the competition for a sustainable residential tower in Hamburg, Germany. The project is one of three 'Wasserhäuser' that are to be built in the Baakenhafen, which is part of the HafenCity master plan by KCAP/ASTOC - currently the largest inner-city development in Europe. One of the main objectives was to design a tower that is part of its context but also has a clear identity of its own, and makes maximum use of its location.

KCAP and K+H win competition for sustainable residential tower in HafenCity, Hamburg

Rotterdam/Hamburg, April 21, 2022 - KCAP and K+H, in collaboration with Transsolar KlimaEngineering, PML Lange and WTM Engineers have won the...

Rotterdam/Ghent, November 30, 2021 - KCAP in cooperation with evr-architecten have completed the residential tower Zuiderzicht in Antwerp, Belgium. It is one of the new buildings of the Antwerp Nieuw Zuid development, a new residential area along the River Scheldt in the South of Antwerp. The 80 metres tower with integrated hotel stands out for its iconic double façade and dialogue with its surroundings. Developer Triple Living commissioned the Dutch-Belgian team after their design had been awarded first prize in an international competition in 2014. Bureau Bouwtechniek supported the architects with the technical elaboration and site supervision.

Zuiderzicht Antwerp by KCAP with evr-architecten

Rotterdam/Ghent, November 30, 2021 - KCAP in cooperation with evr-architecten have completed the residential tower Zuiderzicht in Antwerp...

Rotterdam, December 7, 2021 - KCAP has completed the housing block The Grid in the new residential neighbourhood Aan het IJ along the river IJ in Amsterdam North, facing the Central Station. The project is part of the transformation of the former industrial site Overhoeks into a diverse district for living and working. Within the development of the district Aan het IJ, The Grid presents itself as an all-sided, stacked living world with 68 spacious apartments around an interior green courtyard. KCAP designed The Grid in commission of Amvest, Amsterdam.

The Grid in Amsterdam by KCAP, a building made out of balconies

Rotterdam, December 7, 2021 - KCAP has completed the housing block The Grid in the new residential neighbourhood Aan het IJ along the river IJ in...