Interview with Do Janne Vermeulen in Trouw: “Creativity is changing perspectives and making connections”

Do Janne Vermeulen was interviewed by journalist Harmen van Dijk for a series about the Creative Brain in newspaper Trouw. “You don’t just design with your eyes, I have the feeling that you experience a building differently if you also use your other senses. Touching helps. It really works differently when you can hold different volumes in your hands than when you only see them on the computer screen.”

In the interview Do Janne talks about her year at the College for Art and Design in Bath, where she learned the art of sculpture. But autonomous art was not exactly what she was looking for. “I prefer to receive a question from society, so that you can solve a social or human problem in a creative way. I was afraid that as an artist I would think: who am I actually doing this for, if not for myself?” So she went to London to study architecture and became an architect.

“As an architect, you determine how the places where we live, where we all go, look. You are always involved in shaping the views of many people. That is a tremendous responsibility. I find it extremely important that architecture is done well. You can’t think, ‘Let’s just do it quickly,’ because a building will stand there for a very long time. It shouldn’t be demolished after a few decades either. That’s not sustainable.”

Her role as an architect is to be the hub where all ideas come together. Architecture is teamwork. “Ideas often emerge in a dialogue. Sometimes someone else has the best idea. You must be willing to look at something not just from your own perspective but from all angles. You can’t have complete control over everything. Creativity is changing perspectives and making connections.”

Image: Negin Zendegani