Ministry of Make!
During the 10th edition of the Architecture Biennale Rotterdam, IT’S ABOUT TIME, the complex of spatial solutions developed by the Ministry of Make! was assembled into the largest Dutch model to date. In the Ferro, a former gas storage facility in Rotterdam, the Ministry of Make! collective showed how together we can – and will – literally ‘make the Netherlands whole again’.
The new, inter-ministerial Ministry of Make! had called on 100 designers and experts to use their collective knowledge and imagination to create new designs for the Netherlands. This way, the Ministry of Make! wanted to contribute to the radical transformation of the Netherlands and offer concrete solutions to the housing shortage, the energy transition, and the consequences of climate change. In addition, the Ministry of Make! encouraged reflection on the ways in which existing government structures deal with these issues.
As a community, we are facing a number of major transformations; these all have spatial implications. The Netherlands not only has the tradition to deal with such complex issues, but it also has a contemporary architectural discipline and the design strength to make an inspiring contribution to solving today’s pressing problems" said initiators IABR, MANN and ZUS, together with VOLUME and the Independent School for the City.
One Million Additional Climate-Resilient Dwellings
The main goal of the Ministry of Make! is to combine solutions to various social challenges in a spatial approach. These include the consequences of climate change, land subsidence, sea level rise, nitrogen problems, and the energy transition. Specifically, the Ministry wants to responsibly deal with the housing challenge to build one million additional climate-resilient dwellings, find solutions for conflicting regulations, and address the need for alternative forms of community and financing.
The Ministry commissioned 100 designers to research the development and design of 10,000 climate-resilient dwellings in their own area. The designers and specialists received a Test Kit containing all the necessary materials.
Each design team made concrete proposals to transform the Netherlands into a spatial whole. The initiative of the Ministry of Make! uses an approach that is both national and local, starting from the specific situation of 100 concrete ‘Test Locations.’ The result is a national blueprint – which already existed, but that is now filled in by local design strength.
over Nederland.
klimaatbestendige woningen.
Next Steps
Finding sustainable solutions to various social issues, prompting reflection on existing government structures, and contributing to the radical transformation of the Netherlands requires more than an exhibition. Therefore, the Ministry of Make! is happy to continue the dialogue in the future, in the form of debates, exhibitions, media appearances, collaborations, and ministerial meetings.
