About us

our story: nature now first


The 19th century was all about machines, the 20th century was engaged with applied technology, now the 21st century is here and we envision that it will be about our recalibration with Nature. Achieving a better understanding and balance of our ecology will be the biggest task for the inventors and designers in the time of rapid expansion of population in our technocratic world. This is the goal we set out to reach through our designs. Nurture, incorporate and balance our ecology in the city and the landscape is what we see as our mission and responsibility.

Alone, one goes faster,
together we go further

We are a multidisciplinary team of landscapers, urban designers, city strategists and engineers that built up to fill the vacated crack between planning and architecture. Being educated in pluralism of the built environment we practice interdisciplinary design with focus on ecological sensibility and sustainability.

 

Our designs envision opportunities for city and landscape improval on all planning scales through all stages of development, from large outdoor landscapes to city masterplans and cozy small-scale spaces. Through the concept stage and developing the typology to detailed projects, materials and botanics to the very realisation and maintenance.

 

To provide top quality products to our clients we have partnered up with experts beyond the field of design. Cost calculation, structural engineering, interior botanics, real estate agents, botanical expertise, business management support, project development, interior architecture are all part of our daily network. 

 

The studio name LapLab is an aggregation between the founders last name and the abbreviation from the word “laboratory”. The latter originates from the latin “laborare” which stands for ‘work’, alias ‘labor’, which stands for ‘effort’. To work with effort, to allow the experiment, to obtain experiences and keep on researching through design, thats what’s in the name and what we stand for every day.

‘Oikos’ principle for the best masterplan

The word “ecology” means more to us than nature - its flora and fauna and city. Ecology is the way we live together, it deals with the growth of populations and species in an ecosystem and how resources in that ecosystem are used by organisms within it. The greek word “oikos” originates from the greek word meaning “household”, it is the root of the words “ecology” and “economy”. Understanding economics and ecology through ‘Oikos’ of the project is to find balance in a small part of our larger cosmos.

Ecology – the study of the living
Economy – the management of the household
Ecosystem – the system of houses & living = the city

Functional green

“Imagine this design assignment. Design something that makes oxygen, sequesters carbon, fixes nitrogen, distills water, accrues solar energy to make fuel, makes complex sugars and food, creates microclimates, changes colour with the seasons and self replicates.”

-William McDonough, Cradle to Cradle Design, on trees in his TED talk 2005

All the climate or population related problems in the world are growing fast and seem irreversible, but - good news!- there is a solution. Trees keep it and we are here to use them.

We believe in trees!

Project by project we learn more about trees and how to benefit from them. They gratefully stand up for us to block harsh winter winds, give delicious fruit in late summer days, soften the hard urban environment and fulfil many more challenging missions like filtering dust particles, eating CO2, producing oxygen, nuturing animals and insects, creating wood for building, colouring the city, creating sunlight screening canopies. Not to mention their exclusive spatial qualities that bring pure delight to us! All this can not be ignored…

Principal Design team

Management

ing. Sander Lap bnt, MUrb, Netherlands
FOUNDER, URBAN & LANDSCAPE DESIGNER, GUEST TEACHER AVBA/RAVB
- Sander@LapLab.eu
- +31 6 53486061

Sander graduated from the Academy of Architecture Rotterdam, where he won the Archiprix international 2009-2010. After another win of Europan, Sander founded LAP Landscape & Urban Design. With more than 20 years of experience in landscape integration in urban planning. Working within his company as urban planner and landscape architect. Is a consultant in the field of real estate and development strategy. Also working as a guest teacher and supervisor



ir. Marieke Zegwaart, Netherlands
PARTNER, TRANSFORMATION ARCHITECT, PROJECTLEADER
- Marieke@LapLab.eu
- +31 6 22720528

Marieke graduated from TU Delft in Architecture, specializing in transformation assignments. Has worked as an architect and project manager at LAP Landscape & Urban Design since 2012, making the connection between landscape, urban design and architecture. Has been a partner of the company since 2017.



Currently

Ir. Tomas Kalinauskas, Lithuania
URBAN DEISGNER, 3D SPECIALIST, BIM
- Tomas@LapLab.eu

Ir. Patrick Rouwette
SENIOR DESIGNER
- Patrick@laplab.eu

+ Assisting team

Past

 

Paola Carassai, Italy
Ida Stople, Norway
Agnieszka Zborowska, Poland
Camilla Migliori, Italy
Katarzyna Nowak, Poland
Chris van Nimwegen, Netherlands
SSS Joe Platt, England
Qianyun Liu, China
Irina Hotkevica, Latvia
Sven Tuit, Netherlands
Ekaterina Timina, Russia
Fei Chen, China

Bram van Ooijen, Netherlands

Lin Wei, China

Pui Lun Tam, Netherlands

Shengjie Zhan, China

 

Melinda Marján, Hungary
Barend Mense, Netherlands
Carlotta Vollmar, Germany
Irina Vaganova, Russia
Maria Kritsioudi, Greece
Eirini Trachana, Greece
Consuelo Martinez, Spain
Robin Besems, Netherlands

Maria Torelli, Italy
Christine Aglot, Canada

Christian Rommelse, Netherlands

Nikos Spyrou, Greece

Theo Ellina, Cyprus

Julita Borys, Poland

Hugo Lopez, Brazil

Guus de Clercq, Netherlands
Matthijs Buysse, Netherlands
Naya Tzika-Kostopoulou, Greece
Katarzyna Kamerska, Poland
Moreno Schipper, Netherlands

Pim van Adrichem, Netherlands

Thijs van Tilborg, Netherlands

Andreia Duarte, Portugal

Zuzanna Sekula, Poland

Guus De Clerq, Netherlands

Daan de Wit, Netherlands

Frances van Beelen, Netherlands

Francesca Monti, Italy

Luana Scandurra, Italy

Doarsa Tushi, North Macedonia

Martina Simoni, Italy