Rietveld lecture by Do Janne: timber, transition, and the future city
- Date
- 14 October 2025
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The Rietveld Prize Foundation and Architecture Centre AORTA present the Rietveld Lecture 2025 on the 13th of November: featuring Do Janne on the materials of the future and the power of designing differently.
“Across the Netherlands, more and more buildings are replacing concrete and steel with timber. Some even speak of a timber revolution. But have we really arrived there yet? And how is Utrecht progressing in this field?”
In this ninth edition of the biennial Rietveld Lecture, Do Janne takes stock of where we stand. She looks at timber construction — and beyond — toward building for and in the future. Drawing on her experience with large-scale and high-rise timber and timber-hybrid buildings, she explores key questions: Why is building in timber sustainable? What makes it challenging? And what does it offer in return?
Building on her own vision and conversations with fellow professionals, Do Janne looks ahead to the future of construction. How does timber architecture fit within a broader transition? Will we continue building as we always have, or does the future demand a fundamentally different mindset? What if we begin to see future buildings as bird’s nests, ships, fields, beach huts, or cathedrals?
Do Janne sketches a new way of building: with materials that grow in nature or can withstand extreme weather — materials on which and from which plants can grow. She shows how we can make better use of existing materials and buildings.
The Rietveld Lecture promises to be a call to escape the maze of financial spreadsheets, regulations, and stacked ambitions. “Timber construction is part of a broader, essential shift in how we think about buildings,” says Do Janne. “An architect must keep courage and momentum — to ensure we can build now, and in the distant future as well. But can we?”
The Rietveld Lecture is essential for designers, clients, urban makers, and anyone interested in Utrecht’s built environment. → Thursday 13 November 2025, 19:30–22:00, De Hondekop, Wisselstraat 7, Utrecht – free tickets.
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