Staydium 2020

René van Zuuk studied building production technology at the Technische Universiteit Eindhoven, where he graduated in 1988. Directly after receiving his engineering diploma, he started working at the office of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill in London and Chicago (1988–1989). In 1989 he won the competition “Ongewoon wonen II” (Unusual living II) in Almere, with the design for his own house “Psyche”. After realising the project in 1993, René van Zuuk started his own architectural office in Almere. In the past twentyseven years years, his office, René van Zuuk Architekten bv, has created a portfolio with a large variety of designs. Underlying in all the designs is the continuous search for methods to create a building as interesting as possible, with minimised costs. René van Zuuk's aim is to unite a maximised degree of ‘particularity’ of the final product with simplicity in manufacturing. The main principles behind the designs can be place in three categories, structure, production technology and construction. The Arcam building is a direct result from transforming blob architecture into well thought-out architecture that is based on production methods. De Verbeelding is derived from construction methods used by the first farmers on the new lands of Flevoland. Block 16 is a result of playing with Dutch construction principles.

Carlos Banon is co-founder of Subarquitectura Architects alongside with Andrés Silanes and Fernando Valderrama. He is Assistant Professor of Architecture and Sustainable Design at the Singapore University of Technology and Design, and co-founder of AirLab @SUTD. He holds an M.Arch. with Extraordinary Distinction. He also held visiting professorships at MIT Massachusetts Institute of Technology and at EPFL, and was invited to lecture by a number of universities, including ETSAM Madrid, UIC Barcelona, KEA Copenhagen and PUPR Puerto Rico. His research projects span from Geometric Exploration for Sustainable Space Making (GESSM), 3D Printing applied to actual building components, Artificial Intelligence applied to high-rise developments, and Affordable Housing prototypes. He also implements his research and teaching methodologies in Design Studios where he applies Parametric Design, into actual buildings through his architectural practice. He was awarded with the Design of the Year Prize by the London Design Museum, received international recognition with the Golden Medal given by the International Olympic Committee, the Spanish Biennial Prize and the Mies Van der Rohe Prize nomination, and he a recipient of two SG Mark Awards and SDA Finalist in two categories in Singapore, and Winner of the German Design Award 2020