Architecture studio · Amsterdam & Lisbon
Open Architecture
Open cities. Open buildings. Open systems.
We bring people together for the new, sustainable ways people want to live.
01 Studio
MKA dares to shape how we live, not just where.
A studio for adaptive architecture, liberal commons, biomodular building and creative strategy, based in Amsterdam and Lisbon.
About the studio- Amsterdam & Lisbon
- Adaptive · biomodular · circular
- Three projects shortlisted
02 Selected work
Six places where people belong.
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Republica
An open urban village on a former 80 × 80 m factory plot: six buildings, squares and alleys, and its own energy cooperative.
- Location
- Amsterdam-Noord
- Year
- 2017–2024
- Status
- Completed
- Density
- FSI 3
New European Bauhaus Prize 2025 · Architectenweb Residential Building of the Year 2024
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Poppies
A vertical building village of prefabricated solid-timber modules, with shared spaces and middle-rent homes.
- Location
- Amsterdam-Noord
- Year
- 2018–2025
- Status
- Completed
- Homes
- 103 CLT modules
Co-living Award 2024 · DERIX Holzbaupreis 2025 · WAF 2026 shortlist
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Visualisation Robin Wood
A timber city block of six buildings around a tiny forest, linked by galleries and bridges as elevated streets.
- Location
- Centrumeiland IJburg
- Year
- 2020
- Status
- Under construction
- Homes
- 165 dwellings
WAF 2022 — winner, Future Residential Projects
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Visualisation UP! Zoetermeer
Two adaptive urban blocks with a lively public plinth and landmark towers, with Blauwhoed, VenhoevenCS and Superlofts.
- Location
- Zoetermeer centre
- Year
- 2026
- Status
- Tender won
- Homes
- 235 homes
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Elements Natuurhotel
Shaped by wind, sun and dunes: partly sunken, with duplex lofts on a fishbone plan facing the open sea.
- Location
- Terschelling
- Year
- 2023–2026
- Status
- Completed
- Program
- 16 rooms · 25 lofts
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Superlofts Blok Y
A cooperative of 30 households co-created their own lofts in five types, behind one fixed concrete grid.
- Location
- Utrecht
- Year
- 2014–2017
- Status
- Completed
- Size
- 5,150 m² · 30 lofts
BNA Best Dutch Building of the Year 2018 (Housing)
03 Open Architecture
From city to component.
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Poppies, Amsterdam-Noord Open cities
Co-creating social fabric in urban villages.
“It takes a village to raise a city.”
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Republica, Amsterdam-Noord Open buildings
Timeless buildings, designed to adapt to the future: a robust frame, freely filled in.
“Adaptive design built to last.”
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Poppies — timber module, Superwood Open systems
Closing material, waste, energy and ecological loops in the circular economy.
“Circular components, biobased futures.”
04 Super Systems
Five Super Systems.
MKA prototypes and scales up Super Systems to prove the future is already here: for shared living, sustainable stay, creative hubs and circular neighbourhoods.
- Superlofts Superlofts is a system for living that puts people in control with a flexible, modular, co-creative approach to the ultimate urban space: the loft.
- Superwood Superwood allows developers to easily create the ideal economic mix of apartment types and layouts by using a library of modular building units and buildings.
- Superblock SuperBlocks are hybrid city blocks that offer something back to the public, like an atrium, public square, tiny forest, mobility hub or pool deck.
- Superstudios Why pay for your home and workplace when you can combine them with Superstudios by Superwood & Superlofts.
- Supersculptures [CHECK copy met MKA] On the current site: “Wooden sculptures”.
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Superlofts is a system for living that puts people in control with a flexible, modular, co-creative approach to the ultimate urban space: the loft.
About Superlofts -
Superwood allows developers to easily create the ideal economic mix of apartment types and layouts by using a library of modular building units and buildings.
About Superwood -
SuperBlocks are hybrid city blocks that offer something back to the public, like an atrium, public square, tiny forest, mobility hub or pool deck.
About Superblock -
Why pay for your home and workplace when you can combine them with Superstudios by Superwood & Superlofts.
About Superstudios -
[CHECK copy met MKA] On the current site: “Wooden sculptures”.
About Supersculptures
05 Index
Recent projects
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Twelve of 42 projects. Only Republica has its full page in phase 1.
View all projects06 Recognition
Recognised for belonging.
- 11
- Awards won since 2017
- 10
- Shortlists, nominations and mentions
- 3
- Projects on the WAF 2026 shortlist
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2026
- World Architecture Festival
- Architizer A+Awards, Commercial – Mixed Use
- Chicago Athenaeum International Architecture Award, Mixed Use Buildings
- Chicago Athenaeum International Architecture Award, Social Housing
2025
- New European Bauhaus Prize, Affordable Housing
- Archello Awards, Housing Project of the Year (Mid Rise)
- DERIX Holzbaupreis
- World Architecture Festival, Mixed Use
2024
- Architectenweb Award, Residential Building of the Year
- Co-living Award, Contech: Construction Technology
- Amsterdam Architecture Award of the Year
2023
- Architectenweb Awards, Office Building of the Year
- FRAME Awards, Learning Space of the Year
2022
- World Architecture Festival, Future Residential Projects
- ArchDaily Building of the Year
2021
- Architect of the Year Award
2020
- Rietveldprijs
2018
- BNA Best Dutch Building of the Year (Housing)
- Architectenweb Award for Housing
2017
- World Architecture Festival, Housing (Completed Buildings)
- World Architecture Festival, Director’s Special Award
- World Architecture News Award, Best Housing Project in Europe
- Het FD
- Financial Times
- Wallpaper*
- Dezeen
- de Architect
- Het Parool
- MVRDV Stack Magazine
- Architizer
07 Clients
Housing associations, developers, cities and institutions MKA works with.
Built with developers and cities.
- BPD – Bouwfonds Property Development
- Amvest
- AM
- Ymere
- Eigen Haard
- Van Wijnen
- BAM
- Blauwhoed
- Syntrus Achmea Real Estate & Finance
- The Social Hub
- Lendlease London
- Peabody Trust London
- Gemeente Amsterdam
- Gemeente Haarlem
- Hogeschool van Amsterdam
- Universiteit van Gent
- MaMa Pioneers
- Vink Bouw
- Banlieu
- SDK
- Zeeman Vastgoed
- Lingotto
- Common Wealth Investments
- Dutchen
08 Stories
Latest from the studio
All stories
09 Work with us
Are you in?
We bring people together for the new, sustainable ways people want to live.