Marc Reniers: Architect in Residence #3 of 2019 Research – Amsterdam Housing and Floor Plans

During the summer months of 2019, Marc Reniers of M3H undertook an 'Architect in Residence' program at ARCAM. His research focused on housing floor plans in Amsterdam's housing market, exploring how economic, spatial, and lifestyle factors influence building organization and dwelling design.

In the summer of 2019, Marc Reniers, founder and architect of the Amsterdam-based firm M3H, served as ARCAM's 'Architect in Residence'. His residency aimed to investigate the contemporary Amsterdam housing market, nearly two decades after ARCAM's pocket publication 'Formats for Living'. Reniers sought to analyze the architectural quality of housing, moving beyond spectacular 3D visualizations to a qualitative examination of typical floor plans from the past five years. The research was motivated by the current boom in the Amsterdam housing market, with high annual targets for new constructions. Reniers acknowledged that economic developments, space scarcity, changing mobility needs, the growing importance of sustainability, evolving demographics, and shifting lifestyles all impact how residential buildings and homes are organized. He intended to demonstrate these influences through the study of floor plans, aiming to provide a deeper understanding of urban housing beyond mere quantitative goals. Reniers' approach emphasizes a deliberate and rational design process, combining data and constraints with intuitive leaps to create novel and meaningful architectural forms, valuing collaboration with other professionals like artists and craftspeople.

This was a research residency program with documentation available on the ARCAM website. Specific visitor information for attending the residency's outcomes is not detailed on this page.