Architecture Competition Teamakers Guest House Green prize winners - Martin van der Vijver, Baktash Ibrahimi and Bas van Oosterom

We’d like to take the opportunity to introduce you to the winners of our Green Prize for the “Teamakers Guest House” competition - Martin van der Vijver, Baktash Ibrahimi and Bas van Oosterom from Netherlands!

Martin van der Vijver, Baktash Ibrahimi and Bas van Oosterom from Netherlands

SEBA engineers (Sebastiaan van Oosterom and Baktash Ibrahimi) in association with Martin van der Vijver have been university friends and colleagues in the field of architectural engineering for years. The three of us finished our studies in architectural engineering at The Hague University of Applied Sciences in 2013. In 2014, Sebastiaan end Baktash created SEBA Engineering based in Leiden while Martin started working for an architecture bureau on a variety of big projects.

Next to SEBA Engineers, Sebastiaan also worked for 3 years for an architecture bureau and Baktash worked next to SEBA for the local government on multiple projects in the field of sustainable construction and also the sustainable reallocate existing buildings.

The three of us have participated on multiple projects together, like this. On our own or through SEBA Engineering, we have done small renovations or designed and built major residential and non-residential projects as project manager, project engineer or designer. 

What does architecture mean to you and what is the role of an architect in your society?

For us architecture is a ‘way of living’. Being aware of the environment and the world that we live in and making it better for ourselves and our loved ones. An architect plays an essential role in how you perceive the world around you by what they create.

Why do you participate in architecture vision competitions?

By participating in a design competition, it stimulates and develops the creative mind. And it connects how we perceive and want to be involved in architecture. A design competition like this is where the most special and unusual results are achieved.

What advice would you give individuals who struggle to decide whether it would be beneficial for them to participate in architecture vision competitions?

Participate! As said before, participating in competitions like this helps to stimulate and develop the creative mind. You develop the design skills which is also a big plus for your career, and it keeps you on your toes as far as coming up with solutions to complex issues. Even if you think the odds are not in your favor, you should still do it. You learn from every experience!