The time has come; after an intensive period of preparation, the presses are turning and the pre-sale of Included has officially started! Order your copy, signed by Robert Winkel, now with a 10 euro discount.
Included stands for the design attitude of Mei architects and planners: for the ambitions the studio wants to achieve with its buildings; for everything that serves as inspiration in the design; for all the people Mei interacts with, teams up with, learns from, and builds for.
This first overview of Mei unpacks 25 years of work. From the values embedded in buildings and urban plans to the methods used to design and realize projects. Included will be released in early January 2023, but is available for reservation on Mei’s website starting today, with a temporary discount of 10 euros. Included is designed by graphic design firm 75B and published by nai010 publishers.
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During the pre-sale, Included can be ordered through our website at a temporary discount for €39.95. The bookstore price in 2023 will be €49.95.
25 years of Mei
This debut retrospective showcases 25 years of work: built and unbuilt projects. From the modular Smarthouse (1995) to the timber residential building SAWA (under construction), a fascination with intelligent building systems is evident herein. Systems that can reduce the environmental impact of construction. The radical call for user freedom evident in the firm’s early competitions has taken shape in adaptable buildings and spaces that can be appropriated by residents and users. Ambitious transformation projects, including the Schiecentrale, Fenix I and the silk factory in Naro-Fominsk, show how the firm has emerged as a frontrunner in repurposing industrial heritage.
“Mei has always seen a future for the past and the past as informing the future.”
Through a broad palette of techniques – from open floor plan to muse frame, from dry ballast to Delft sidewalk – the book provides insight into Mei’s design methodology, and into how the firm positions itself in the planning and building process. Conversations with Marinke Steenhuis, Arzu Ayikgezmez, Piet Vollaard, Sophie Stravens and Kirsten Hannema, illuminate underlying themes in the work and their current relevance. Aric Chen, general and artistic director of the New Institute, contributed the foreword.
As the ecological and social imperative of relating differently to the built environment grows, Mei is exploring new ways of working by actually doing, while building on the design principles and expertise the firm has developed in recent years.
“With Included, Mei intents to spark reflection on this century’s design challenge and inspire people to act on it.”
About the authors
Robert Winkel is founder and owner of Mei architects and planners and also holds various external roles. For many years he was chairman and member of the Spatial Quality Commission in Amsterdam and Rotterdam. He is currently supervisor of Rotterdam – The Hague Airport, chairman of the Quality team Feyenoord-City and Member of the Advisory Board of the Municipality and State Government of Bremen. Robert is a guest lecturer at numerous universities and colleges and a frequent juror for awards in architecture and urban development.
Sanne van den Breemer is an architect and researcher. Since 2013, she has been part of the teaching core team of the postgraduate program at The Berlage Center for Advanced Studies in Architecture and Urban Design. Sanne worked on several publications on architecture and spatial development, including the recent chronicles of “Going Green,” talks organized by the Deltametropolis Association.
“By 75B’s design, the Leitmotifs and techniques are each indicated by colour. Like readable layers woven throughout the book. From quotes and passages in the text, to marking pages and chapters, ingredients in the work are both highlighted and linked in this way.”
