NEWS

NEW WEBSITE - 1.9.2026

We are delighted to announce the launch of the redesigned website! The updated website refreshes the elegant, and accessible online presence . This new design is more than just aesthetics – it reinforces our mission to foster meaningful dialogue in architecture and spatial design.

ROTTERDAM ARCHITECTURE MONTH - 22-23.6.2026

During Rotterdam Architecture Month, we came together for two days dedicated to housing cooperatives: the Rotterdam Day of the Housing Co-op on June 22, followed by the conference The Power of Community on June 23. Together, we explored the potential of housing cooperatives to contribute to a more livable and inclusive city, and their role as a compelling alternative to traditional housing models.

VISTA WINS PRIZE! - 9.4.2026

VISTA has been awarded the Austrian Metal Construction Prize 2026 for its exceptional design and the seamless integration of technical feasibility, sustainability, and aesthetics in its mirrored soffit. (Photo by Iwan Baan)

RADICAL PEDAGOGIES - 7.4.2026

Designing (for) Uncertainty studio at Leibniz University Hannover examines the nature and foundations of architecture in the context of contemporary polycrises. The studios focus on architectural pedagogy and emerging modes of learning, critically questioning how architects are educated and how the discipline can respond to conditions of uncertainty.

BOOK LAUNCH - 25.02.2026

On February 25, after two years of research, conversations and interviews, The Architecture of Housing Co-ops was officially launched at Keilepand in Rotterdam. With Marieke Kums, Carolin Koopmann, Arie Lengkeek, Floris Schiferli, Bernard Smits and Clemens Mol.

DUTCH DESIGN COMMONS - 21.10.2026

Creating affordable and inclusive housing is a pressing architectural challenge. During the autumn semester at Leibniz University Hannover, we collaborated with the city of Tilburg to develop a cooperative housing quarter. A joint workshop with TU Delft and Waseda University in Tokyo also enabled cross-cultural exchange on approaches to designing for the commons.

VISTA COMPLETED - 5.10.2025

The VISTA Experience Center has officially opened on the campus of the Institute of Science and Technology Austria, just north of Vienna, following the winning international competition entry in 2018. Bringing together architecture and exhibition design, the new space offers an immersive introduction to science and research. (Photo by Iwan Baan)

INAUGURAL LECTURE - 15.12.2024

With a slight delay due to Covid, Marieke Kums delivered her inaugural lecture at Leibniz University Hannover, marking her appointment as Full Professor of Architectural Design. The lecture was followed by a festive Christmas dinner, bringing colleagues and students together around a slightly modified Cloud Table.

MANAZURU - 07.04.2024

The Manazuru studio, part of the Designing for Uncertainty series, explores through design research how an ageing population is transforming cities and villages in Germany and Japan, and how architecture can respond to these demographic changes. The studio is a collaboration between Waseda University in Tokyo and Leibniz University Hannover.

FORUM LANDTAG WINS RED DOT AWARD - 03.04.2023

The Visitor Center at the Lower Austria State Parliament has been honored with a Red Dot Award for Interior Design. Offering an immersive introduction to political work and democratic processes, the space invites visitors to explore, engage, and discover. (Photo Marlene Scheuringer)

PODCAST ON CO-OP HOUSING - 27.03.2023

The Netherlands is facing a complex housing challenge. How can it be addressed in a sustainable and inclusive way, while responding to both current and future housing needs? In this podcast, Jeffrey Bolhuis (AP+E), Wilma Groeneveld (housing cooperative Rust en Reuring), and Marieke Kums (Studio Maks) discuss these questions.

1ST PRIZE SOCIAL HOUSING - 30.01.2023

Studio MAKS wins first prize in an invited competition for 42 social housing units in Oostenburg, Amsterdam, commissioned by housing association Stadgenoot.

FORUM LANDTAG OPENS - 02.09.2022

The Visitor Center at the Lower Austria State Parliament has opened! Studio MAKS was awarded the project through an invited competition in 2020. The project involves the transformation of the existing lobby of the Parliament building into a new visitor center. (Photo by Marlene Scheuringer).

RESEARCH GRANT HOUSING CO-OPS - 02.09.2022

Studio MAKS has been awarded a Research by Design grant from the Creative Industries Fund NL. The Anders werken aan wonen Open Call supports 15 interdisciplinary teams developing innovative strategies and solutions for housing challenges in the Netherlands.

1st PRIZE CANOPY WALK

Studio MAKS, together with LOLA Landscape Architects and KossmannDeJong, has been awarded first prize in a Belgian Open Call competition to design a new canopy walk, landscape, and visitor center in Hoeilaart, just outside Brussels.