What do buildings and cities look like that contribute to health, sustainability, and social cohesion in the 21st century? This question is the guiding theme of the Jaap Oosterhoff Visiting Professor program, an initiative of TU Delft and Quake. Whether you are a researcher, student, designer, policymaker, or engaged professional: this program offers a platform where technology, creativity, and vision converge. Here you will meet international experts, learn from their insights, and contribute to solutions that truly improve the built environment.
What is the Jaap Oosterhoff Visiting Professor program?
The program is an initiative of the Architectural Engineering & Technology (AE&T) department at TU Delft, in collaboration with Oosterhoff and the innovation think tank Quake. Each year, an international expert is invited to give guest lectures, workshops, and public presentations within the Building Technology master’s track. The themes are current and urgent: from circular construction to digital innovation and nature-inclusive design. The chair is led by Ulrich Knaack (TU Delft) and Jaap Wiedenhoff (Quake). Together, they ensure an inspiring interaction between academia and practice.
“Gather the best specialists and generalists”
The program is named after Jaap Oosterhoff, who founded his own engineering firm in Arnhem in 1953 – the beginning of what later became ABT and Oosterhoff. His vision was progressive: building a society in which people live in harmony with their environment. This idea still forms the core of the program.
As Jaap Wiedenhoff puts it:
“To answer the complex issues of today and the future, we need more. Gather the best specialists and generalists. Let go of standards. Ask the right questions. Only then can we create a society in which people can flourish.”
Carlo Ratti: Technology as an Extension of the City
The program’s first visiting professor was Carlo Ratti, architect, engineer, and director of the MIT Senseable City Lab. Ratti researches how digital technologies are changing the way we understand, design, and experience cities. During his visit to TU Delft, he demonstrated how data and interaction can help make cities more responsive and people-focused. His message: technology should not direct, but support—as an extension of the city and its residents. Watch his lecture here. (foto credits: Andrea Avezzù)
Gert-Jan Rozemeijer: Timber Construction, What’s Next?
The second visiting professor is Gert-Jan Rozemeijer, director of Consultancy Lüning and specialist in timber construction. From November 2025 to February 2026, he will give various lectures at TU Delft. He sees building with timber as an opportunity to link sustainability with aesthetics and health. In his contribution to the program, he will explore, together with students and researchers, how timber construction can be further scaled up. His enthusiasm is infectious:
“It’s wonderful to see that building with wood is rapidly gaining ground. At the same time, more is needed to further scale up timber construction. To maximize the benefits in terms of sustainability and health, there is a need for a different design approach, technical innovations, and a new design language for wooden buildings.”
Technology with Understanding
The program uses technology to create open, healthy, nature-inclusive, and climate-adaptive spaces. Think low CO₂ emissions, high energy efficiency, and circularity. But it goes beyond technology: it’s about understanding, not control. How can we use technology to restore the connection with nature, society, and the climate?
Get Involved
The Jaap Oosterhoff Visiting Professor program isn’t a one-way street. It invites you to contribute your ideas, learn, and build a future-proof living environment. Together, we create a platform where expertise, creativity, and social engagement converge.
Are you curious about the possibilities and limitations of biobased construction? On Wednesday, December 10, from 2:45 PM to 6:45 PM, you can attend the public lecture “Are there limits for bio-based structures?” featuring contributions by Gert-Jan Rozemeijer (Lüning Consultancy) and special guests such as Prof. Alex de Rijke (Delft University of Technology), Finbar Charleson (dRMM), Tim Vermeend (Urban Climate Architects), and Prof. Michael Ramage (University of Cambridge) at the TU Delft Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment in room A. An inspiring afternoon combining sustainability, design freedom, and technical innovation. Registration is not required. You can watch the lectures on the TU Delft AE&T YouTube account.
