MVRDV, founded in 1993 by Winy Maas, Jacob van Rijs, and Nathalie de Vries, is a Dutch architecture firm driven by a desire to create better cities and environments for living, working, and leisure. Known for its research-driven approach and its ability to turn design constraints into opportunities, MVRDV has been designing exemplary and outspoken buildings, urban plans, studies, and objects, which enable our cities and landscapes to develop towards a better future. From their very first completed work, Villa VPRO, the desire to rethink accepted conventions is plainly visible. Followed by other projects, such as the Dutch pavilion, Expo 2000, where they stacked six distinct Dutch landscapes in a single building in response to the theme "Holland Creates Space," quickly put them on the map and led to international acclaim. The pavilion, with its dramatic form and experimental landscape, was celebrated as a pioneering model of how to ensure adequate light and address a lack of land. 25 years later, MVRDV continues to pursue its commitment and methodical research on density, and expressive, innovative architecture. Through project-based work and standalone research, together with their in-house specialists MVRDV NEXT, the limits of technological possibilities are consistently pushed. MVRDV's work spans a variety of typologies, from homes and offices to cultural and public spaces. MVRDV responds to increasing global ecological issues by introducing designs driven by social, environmental, and cultural sustainability. Recent projects include the Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen (2020), the world’s first publicly accessible art storage, Valley in Amsterdam (2022), a mixed-use, geology-inspired, plant-covered skyscraper, and Holy Water in Heerlen (2025), a unique transformation of a church into a public swimming pool and flexible event space. These projects exemplify MVRDV’s ability to innovate through adaptive reuse, sustainability, and bold design, creating spaces that are both forward-thinking and responsive to their environments. The work of MVRDV is exhibited and published worldwide and receives international awards. The over 300 architects, designers, and staff members conceive projects in a multi-disciplinary collaborative design process and apply the highest technological and sustainability standards. In 2007, The Why Factory was established, an independent research institute led by MVRDV and Delft University of Technology. It functions as a think tank providing arguments for architecture and urbanism by envisioning the city of the future.
