The entrepreneurial architect Robert Winkel founded Mei Architects and planners back in 2003. As an energetic foreman he inspires a team of about fifty designers and specialists. After studying Architecture at the TU Delft (1991), Robert worked as a project architect, founding Archined in 1995. In 1996, he started his own firm (Robert Winkel Architecten), which became Mei architects and planners in 2003. In 2019, Nice Developers joined the firm. The move into development illustrates Robert’s drive for innovation and progress. When Robert sees a need, he can’t help but act on it. “We constantly ask ourselves why something is done a certain way. There is a great eagerness in our company. But we don’t just want to talk about it, we want to do it! We want to show what we believe in. Show don’t tell!” As a developing architect, he was the mastermind behind SAWA: the first wooden (and prize-winning) building in Rotterdam. “The innovation at SAWA was in the clever combination of design solutions and technical elaborations. The result is a building with a supporting structure made of more than 90% wood.” Robert holds various external roles of social importance. He was for many years chairman and member of the Spatial Quality Commission in Amsterdam and Rotterdam, is currently supervisor of ‘Rotterdam - The Hague Airport’ and chairman of the ‘Quality Team Feyenoord-City’ (Rotterdam) and ‘Merwede’ (Utrecht). Robert is a guest lecturer at numerous universities and colleges and a much sought-after juror for awards in architecture and urban development.
Committees / Juries (among others) 2021 - present Member of assessment committee for redevelopment Koepelgevangenis Breda for RVB 2021 - present Member of commission Quality-team new theater ‘De Meervaart’ in Amsterdam 2020 - present Chairman Quality-team Merwede, Utrecht 2020 Chairman of Regulations Four-year Institutional Subsidy at Creative Industries Fund 2019 Jury member ‘Steden in Beweging’ Award 2019 - present Member of Expert Council of Industrial Heritage in Russia 2018 - present Chairman Quality-team Feyenoord City, Rotterdam 2018 - present Supervisor Rotterdam - The Hague Airport 2018 - 2021 Deputy chairman of Amsterdam Commission for Architecture and Built environment 2018 Chairman of ARC18 Oeuvre Award 2017 - 2021 Chairman of Amsterdam Commission for Architecture and Built Environment Subcomm. III 2016 - 2017 Member of Amsterdam Commission for Architecture and Built Environment Subcomm. III 2016 Jury member Gouden Piramide, award for inspiring commissioning 2014 - present Boardmember Rotterdam Rooftop Festival 2013 - 2014 Member Q-team Havenbedrijf Rotterdam 2011 - 2014 Deputy Chairman of the Rotterdam Commission for Architecture and Built Environment 2011 - present Member advisory board Booosting 2010 Jury member of BNA Jonge Architectenprijsvraag 2009 Jury member ‘StedenBouwNu’ 2009 - 2011 Architecture Fund, Advisory Board member Architecture Project Grants 2009 Jury member of Europan 10 2009 Jury member, Rotterdam-Maaskantprize for Young Architects 2008 Member board of professionals, Rotterdam Academy of Architecture and Urban Design 2008 - 2014 Member of Commission for Architecture and Built Environment of the City of Rotterdam 2008 - 2011 Member of the Rotterdam Monument Team (monumentenwerkgroep) 2008 Jury member, Netherlands Architecture Institute (competition ‘Rotterdam Mooier Dan!’) 2008 - 2011 Board member Booosting 2008 Jury member of Archiprix 2008 Member feedback group of the Netherlands Architecture Fund 2006 Jury member of Total Façade Innovation and Architecture Prize 2004 - present Board member of Vedute 2001 Jury member of Ikthinos (Maaskant) prize, Academy of Architecture Rotterdam 2000 - present Member of several forums, symposiums, debates 1983 - 1984 Board member of Stylos