Studio for New Realities is a studio for strategic urban development, architecture and consultancy.

We work consciously at the same time on large and small scale projects: urban design, architecture, creating communities, living and working environments and public space. We develop clear concepts, enticing and relevant visions and powerful designs, using a radical-pragmatic approach and easy design – pleasant, human, pragmatic and low-tech.

The core of our approach is the combination of hardware + software + orgware. A layered package of spatial, programmatic and socio-economic interventions, to arrive at a working system and a development with impact. We deliver specific services and products from various roles and for various tasks, for which we work closely with specialists.

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Spatial action plan or Development strategy

Developing a “results-oriented design”, in which interventions are clearly substantiated, plotted over time and linked to investment budgets and actors.

We prefer to develop a Spatial Action Plan or Development Strategy – depending on the scale – as a concrete step for an “unmanned” master plan. These are more targeted for maximising results. We deliver evolutionary plans focused on realisations: from strategic, sometimes light, interventions to stimulate development, to larger, multi-year interventions. These are provided with clear preconditions, principles and steering mechanisms. For this we work closely with real estate strategists and/or cost consultants.

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Community and Program Strategy

Developing the user system for an area or building to be developed, with a focus on software and orgware (as a basis for hardware).

We ‘design’ the conditions for developing the programmatic package to boost the liveliness and sense of belonging of an area, to support the development of a thriving local culture and economy and to increase the attractiveness for all users. To this end, curating the programming and the use in the 'living phase' is of importance.

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System design

Deploying design as a tool for system change and performance optimisation.

We investigate spatial consequences and test optimisations and symbiotic solutions in the systems behind the spatial design. We apply systematic design solutions from different perspectives: focused on the socio-economic functioning of areas on the one hand, so that they contribute to a prosperous, inclusive city, and on the other hand aimed at improving urban metabolism in order to contribute to a responsible city.

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Strategic advice

From an advisory role, working closely with the client to determine the substantive and process-based approach to strategic development projects.

We take on various roles for this: As a reviewer for sharpening ideas. As a process strategist and quality control supervisor. Or as a source of inspiration, to broaden the perspective by generating ideas and providing principles and examples. We initiate processes and bring actors together to stimulate developments, as a mediator of interests between design, developing parties and politics/public. We make assessments in a broad context, and sharpen arguments to provide clear plans and strategies.

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Initiative and Development

Driving the development of excellent places and crucial links.