about us

About Us

The Zaandam based bureau SLA comprises architects, engineers, and builders, supported by experts in architectural history, landscape architecture and sustainability. In addition to external projects, we actively pursue and invest our own resources in projects that explicitly embrace experimentation and innovation. We approach our work with an explorative and inquisitive mindset, thoroughly researching and implementing strategies related to material usage, energy efficiency, waste flows, smart living & working and development processes. bureau SLA’s projects have received recognition in the Yearbook of Dutch Architecture on four occasions.

Peter van Assche

Peter van Assche, founder of bureau SLA, transitioned into architecture following a successful career in experimental mathematics. In addition to his role as an architect, Peter van Assche serves as a supervisor for the Utrecht Beurskwartier and holds the position of lecturer in Architecture & Circular Thinking (ACT) at the Amsterdam Academy of Architecture. Peter has held guest lecturer positions at Hochschule Erfurt (DE), Cornell University (NY, USA), and the Norman Foster Foundation (Madrid, ES). Until early 2023, he served as a guest professor at the Karlsruhe Institute for Technology (DE) and as chairman of the Commission for Aesthetics and Monuments in Utrecht. Notably, he received a nomination for Architect of the Year in 2023. Follow him @Peter_van_Assche.

Meintje Delisse

Meintje Delisse graduated from the Amsterdam Academy of Architecture, and after working as an architect at various firms, she assumed the role of managing director at bureau SLA in 2022. As an experienced project architect, she is dedicated to larger residential development projects, such as Heesterveld, De Open Hof, Pauwenven and A11 Hembrug. Meintje has also worked for the Amsterdam Academy of Architecture as a lecturer in Housing Analysis and has taught at Hochschule Erfurt (DE). She is currently an architect member of the Advisory Council for NH Bouwstroom.

Our team

quote

Peter van Assche

founder & architect

"woof"

Scarpa

territory control analyst

Tanja Keeman

office manager

Christian Nolden

architecture intern

“Building compactly invites creative solutions, with a light footprint in space and material.”

Tessa Paulus

architectural designer

"architecture is an act of care: for the earth, for each other and for what we leave behind."

Lotte Meeuse

architectural designer

"shaping space and material is how we build livable places for society."

Ilias Kerkeni

architectural designer

"I design for the future we realize together."

Marah Wagner

architect

Meintje Delisse

managing director & architect

News

Lectures

2025

Post-Growth City Symposium
Peter van Assche and others
Pakhuis de Zwijger, Amsterdam
10 March 2025

2024

The Role of Intelligent Low Tech in Design
Peter van Assche
IPAU 2024 FutureFrames – AI in Architecture and Urban Evolution, Prishtina, XK
7 November 2024

Peter van Assche
AM B.V., Utrecht
6 November 2024

Lively plinths and facilities in Amsterdam-Zuidoost
Meintje Delisse, Peter Bonk, STIPO, Wouter Pocornie, Sander Schreuder, Tony Wijntuin and Niels Heijdenrijk
Arcam masterclass for Woningstichting Rochdale, Ymere, Eigen Haard and Stadgenoot
17 September 2024

Regenerative Building
Peter van Assche
Coen Hagedoorn Bouwgroep
26 June 2024

Workshop Building Concept
Peter van Assche
Open Kenniscoalitie Marineterrein, Codam
11 June 2024

Heroic attempts to start from scratch
Peter van Assche
Sustainability Week at TeamV
29 May 2024

Circularity in Design and Construction
Peter van Assche
Future Envelope 15, TU Delft
28 May 2024

Transformation, new directions in education
Peter van Assche
EAAE Deans’ Summit 2024, Academy of Architecture, Amsterdam
26 April 2024

What does an architect actually make?
Peter van Assche
Cepezed
25 April 2024

Heroic attempts to start from scratch
Peter van Assche
Cornell University, New York
16 April 2024

A window to architectural postures in a regenerative society 2025
Peter van Assche
EAAE Deans’ Summit 2024, Academy of Architecture, Amsterdam
28 March 2024

MAUmeets: Heroic attempts to start from scratch
Peter van Assche
Master Architecture, Fontys Academy of the Arts, Tilburg
22 March 2024

Never Demolish
Peter van Assche
Independent School for the City
14 March 2024

De rol van de architect, methodes voor duurzame bebouwing
Pol Vermeulen
Hogeschool van Amsterdam
1 March 2024

Masterstudio 2024: Cities for wellbeing
Peter van Assche
Postgrowth Cities Coalition
16 January 2024

Workshop Social Autarky: Lonely All Together
Meintje Delisse and Peter van Assche
VOID 24, ArtEZ Zwolle
9 – 18 January 2024

2023

Architecture Now: rolmodellen & ‘starchitects’
among others, Peter van Assche
Pakhuis de Zwijger, Arcam, NAI010 Publishers, Amsterdam
13 December 2023

everything made from plastic can be made from hemp
Meintje Delisse
Site Practice, NDSM Fuse, Amsterdam
30 November 2023

Heroic attempts to start from scratch
Peter van Assche
Master, Hogeschool voor de Kunsten Utrecht
23 November 2023

Architecture & Circular Thinking
Peter van Assche
AHK, Culture Club, Amsterdam
23 November 2023

The role of the architect – Methods for sustainable, biobased and circular architecture
Meintje Delisse
Academie van Bouwkunst, Amsterdam
13 October 2023

Nieuwe systeemlogica voor een circulaire bouwpraktijk
Peter van Assche
The 24th Evening of Science and Society, Leiden
9 October 2023

Heroic attempts to start from scratch
Peter van Assche
Levenskunst Zuiderhout, Teteringen
25 September 2023

Architecture Against Time
Peter van Assche
Conference Accessing Heritage, Podium voor Architectuur, Fort bij Aalsmeer
22 September 2023

Building for society
Peter van Assche
Climate adaptation and circularity – Werkplaats Delfzijl Noord, Atelier Rijksbouwmeester
21 September 2023

Heroic attempts to start from scratch
Peter van Assche
Technical University Delft
12 September 2023

Sustainable Construction
Peter van Assche
Faculty of Architecture, KIT Karlsruhe (DE)
14 July 2023

Design & Regenerative Thinking
Peter van Assche
DtB Sustainability Summit, Gdynia (PL)
6 July 2023

Lecture for students IIT Chicago
Peter van Assche
Culture Club, Amsterdam
30 May 2023

Lecture for students Hochshule Erfurt (DE)
Peter van Assche
Culture Club, Amsterdam
25 May 2023

Marineterrein area and building
Peter van Assche
AMS, Codam and AHK, AMS Institute, Amsterdam
25 May 2023

The role of the architect – Methods for sustainable, biobased and circular architecture
Pol Vermeulen
ArtEZ, Arnhem
11 May 2023

Carbon Stories: Systemic Innovation
Peter van Assche
IABR, GROUP A architects, Keilecollectief
20 April 2023

Adaptive Development Marineterrein
Peter van Assche
Marineterrein & campus concepts, Culture Club, Amsterdam
19 April 2023

Seven vices for Utrecht
Peter van Assche
Symposium Stedenbouw Utrecht, Werken aan Publieke Plekken
17 April 2023

Heroic attempts to start from scratch
Peter van Assche
Next Generation Podium for Eurodelta 2023
20 March 2023

Marketplace, Hemp and nice Neighbors
Meintje Delisse
Municipality Nijmegen
14 March 2023

Circollab expedition: Robot Lab HvA
Peter van Assche
Circollab, HvA Jacoba Mulderhuis, Amsterdam
6 March 2023

2022

architecture and regenerative thinking
Norman Foster Foundation
17 November 2022

architectural education in times of uncertainty symposium
TU Delft
2-4 November 2022

webinar new architecture in a circular economy
Nottingham & Derby Society for Architects
2 November 2022

2021

eight strategies for circular design
AAP Launchpad: 1 Evening, 3 Departments, 11 Books
25 Oktober 2021

2020

architecture and circular thinking
Bauwelt Kongress 2020
December 4, 2020

architecture and circular economy
Strelka Institute Moscow
June 4, 2020

Frame talk homes post Covid-19
Frame Magazine
June 4, 2020

architecture & circular thinking
Vrije Universiteit Brussels
May 28, 2020

spring semester 2020
Peter van Assche is visiting teacher at Cornell University (NY)

invent design build
Fashion Institute of Technology, New York
April 23, 2020

architecture & circular thinking
Cornell University (NY)
February 6, 2020

2019

architecture & circular thinking
Inaugural lecture Academy of Architecture, Amsterdam (NL)
December 12, 2019

drei methoden für nachhaltiges bauen
Fachhochschule Erfurt, Erfurt (DE)
December 3, 2019

winter semester 2019
Peter van Assche is guest scientist at the Fachhochschule Erfurt (DE)

invent design build
Let’s go collective
Academy of Architecture, Rotterdam (NL)
June 28, 2019

wat maakt een goede leefomgeving rondom Schiphol?
Make Some Noise Ontwerpsessie
Podium voor Architectuur Haarlemmermeer en Schiphol, Amsterdam (NL)
June 19, 2019

self-building inventions – about self-building in Almere
Architecture Film Festival, Lisbon (P)
June 4-9, 2019

invent, design, build
Inspiration session for Volkswagen, Amsterdam (NL)
May 15, 2019

who cares Almere Haven
Wooncongres Den Haag (NL)
April 4, 2019

de logica van wonen
Woonsymposium Hoofddorp (NL)
March 29, 2018

the logic of stuff
wasted: design for the end of material as we know it
Cornell University, Ithaca (NY)
March 8, 2019

design, invent, build
Club A, BNA, Amsterdam (NL)
February 27, 2019

spullen, de logica van dingen
Salon Fähig, Old School, Amsterdam (NL)
February 19, 2019

2018

drei methoden für nachhaltiges bauen
KIT Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (DE)
November 9, 2018

over circulair ontwerpen
De Circulaire Stad – van afval tot product
Pakhuis de Zwijger, Amsterdam (NL)
November 13, 2018

design, invent, build
study trip Harvard School of Design students, Amsterdam (NL)
October 16, 2018

design, invent, build
Hogeschool Windesheim, Zwolle (NL)
September 20, 2018

design, invent, build – logics of architecture
MakeCityBerlin, Berlin (DE)
June 30, 2018

who cares – architecture of connection
WeMakeThe.City
Pakhuis de Zwijger, Amsterdam (NL)
June 21, 2018

design, invent, build – why architecture should boil
Waste-No Waste Factory, Groningen (NL)
May 23, 2018

design, invent, build – logics of architecture
Bryla Award Ceremony, Warsaw (PL)
May 17, 2018

entwerfen, erfinden, bauen
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Karlsruhe (DE)
May 9, 2018

circulair bouwen in de praktijk
Building Holland, RAI Amsterdam (NL)
April 18, 2018

circulair bouwen in de praktijk
CIRCL, Amsterdam (NL)
April 11, 2018

futurelab – circulaire architectuur
Volker Wessels Infra, Vianen (NL)
April 5, 2018

designs for the circular highway
Rijkswaterstaat, Utrecht (NL)
January 18, 2018

circular thinking
Triptych AMFI, Amsterdam (NL)
January 16. 2018

2017

design, invent & fabricate – why architecture should boil
ONE lecture Academie van Bouwkunst, Amsterdam (NL)
November 30, 2017

Awards

2025

Plastics Recycling Award
winner
Pretty Plastic

Gulden Feniks
nomination renovation & transformation
A11, Zaandam

2023

In his thinking and actions, architect Peter van Assche is always a few steps ahead of the leaders of the field, the jury notices. A truly sustainably built environment requires a radically different way of thinking. The jury greatly appreciates the fact that Van Assche repeatedly succeeds to capture this different way of thinking in appealing, realized projects.

Architectenweb Awards
nomination Architect of the Year
Peter van Assche

2022

“The jury praises the uncompromising, innovative application of the biobased building materials and the high architectural quality that has been achieved with them. The natural materialization and construction technology is very promising and calls for larger-scale application.”

Job Dura Prijs
winner Theme Circularity and Sustainable Use of Materials
Bio-based Artist Residence, Rotterdam

Architecture Prize Almere (APA)
winner Children’s Jury
House within a House, Almere Oosterwold

The Brick Award
nomination category Feeling at Home
Residence Koopvaardersplantsoen, Amsterdam

Marta Herford Museum 10. Recycling Designpreis
winner
Pretty Plastic

2021

The Zumtobel Group Award 2021 
honorable mention Special Prize for Innovation
People’s Pavilion

2020

Fritz Höger Award
shortlisted
Residential building Duinluststraat, Amsterdam

Detail Prize Award
winner
People’s Pavilion

Architizer Material Award
jury winner category Facades – Building Envelopes & Cladding
Pretty Plastic

Architizer Material Award
popular choice Winner category Facades – Building Envelopes & Cladding
Pretty Plastic

Hans Sauer Award
winner
People’s Pavilion

2019

Dirk Roosenbrugprijs
nomination
People’s Pavilion

Rossana Orlandi Guiltless Plastic Prize
honorable mention
Pretty Plastic

Frame Awards
winner category Co-living Complex of the Year
Co-living Oosterwold, Almere Oosterwold

2018

Dutch Design Awards
Winner Category Habitat
People’s Pavilion

Frame Awards
winner category Sustainable Design
People’s Pavilion

ARC 18 Innovation Award
winner
People’s Pavilion

New Material Awards
nomination
People’s Pavilion

Architecture Prize Almere
honorable mention
Co-living Oosterwold, Almere Oosterwold

2017

College van Rijksbouwmeesters
winner competition Who Cares
Bloemkoolburenbond, Almere Haven

2016

ARC 16 Innovatie awards
nomination
Pretty Plastic Plant

2013

The Great Indoors Award
nomination
Noorderparkbar, Amsterdam

Amsterdamse Architectuurprijs (AAP)
nomination
Noorderparkbar, Amsterdam

2012

DOEN Material Prize
nomination
Noorderparkbar, Amsterdam

Dutch Design Awards
nomination
Noorderparkbar, Amsterdam

AM Nai Prize
nomination
Noorderparkbar, Amsterdam

Publications

Nook: Hard Reboot

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