STAR strategies + architecture

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Nederland
Rotterdam
STAR strategies + architecture

STAR is a practice dealing with architecture in all its forms
www.st-ar.nl
[email protected] Architectural Designer

11/06/2026

🏆 The Cabanon needs your vote at MARCH Materials Awards 2026
The Cabanon has been shortlisted at the MARCH Materials Awards 2026 and is now competing in the Public Vote.

Voting takes less than a minute:
→ Click the link in our bio and create an account or use: "Sign up with Google".
→ Once logged in, click "Public Voting".
→ Scroll down to find The Cabanon, click and confirm "Vote".

Voting is open until 11 June, and you can vote once per day. Thank you very much for your support.

The Cabanon has now been shortlisted at MARCH Materials Awards for its inventive approach to adaptive reuse, material circularity, craftsmanship, and the transformation of an overlooked space into a useful living unit.

It was created through the adaptive reuse of an unused attic storage space. Most of its materials were salvaged, repurposed, or sourced from local markets: blue mosaic, black marble, second-hand appliances, and climate-positive materials such as linoleum and timber. Built by local carpenters just 700 metres away, it demonstrates that environmental and economic sustainability can emerge from resourcefulness, and from the willingness to embrace new opportunities and adapt an initial colour palette throughout the process.

03/06/2026

Finalist — MIX Awards 2026, Project of the Year: Fast Forwardinteriors

Our long-term housing research project The Interior of the Metropolis has been selected as a finalist in the “Project of the Year: Fast Forward” category at the MIX Awards 2026 — one of seven shortlisted projects worldwide.

The Interior of the Metropolis investigates how housing can respond to the growing diversity and temporality of households. The research started from a paradox: while households have become increasingly diverse and dynamic, housing production has remained rigid and standardised.

The applicable solutions issue of this research were implemented at full scale in START–Ivry : divisible apartments, “super-adaptable” dwellings, "plus"typologies with alcoves, movable kitchens, and other anticipatory design strategies embedded directly into the floorplans.

Organised by Mix Interiors .interiors in the UK, the MIX Awards recognise projects and ideas that are redefining the future of design and the built environment.

The winners will be announced at the prestigious ceremony on 25 June at Battersea Evolution in London.

29/05/2026

The Cabanon opens its doors

On Saturday 20 June, The Cabanon will be open to the public for the first
time as part of the Day & Night of Architecture 2026 organised by OMI Rotterdam .

As part of the festival programme, visitors will have the opportunity to
discover The Cabanon in person through a guided tour by STAR.

Due to the limited space inside The Cabanon, only a very limited number of
people can participate in each tour. Get your tickets from the link in our bio.

We look forward to welcoming you to The Cabanon.

24/05/2026

Double win: START-Ivry & The Cabanon — ADC Annual Awards 🏆
Our projects START–Ivry and The Cabanon are GOLD and SILVER CUBE winners at the ADC 105th Annual Awards, organised by . Founded in 1920, the ADC Annual Awards are among the longest-running design awards worldwide, recognising excellence in architecture, design, and creative disciplines.

Two projects of very different scales:
START–Ivry in Design for Good category.
Our diverse society cannot be contained within a standardised plan. Housing that adapts to its inhabitants — not the other way around.

The Cabanon in Architecture – Craft – Use of Colour category.
6.89 m² where colour becomes space — expanding perception and turning each room into a distinct world.

The winners were announced live at the ceremony held on May 13 in New York, at Capitale during Creative Week. The ceremony was hosted by .

20/05/2026

REbuild 2026
Last week we participated in REbuild 2026 in Riva del Garda — one of Italy’s leading conferences on the future of the built environment, bringing together architects, researchers, developers, and industry leaders.

STAR contributed to the session “Regenerating Heritage, Rethinking Housing: Responses to the Demographic Transition”, next to Marco Jacomella, Luciano Malfer and Francesca Serrazanetti, under the moderation of Laura Milan .to.

Our presentation started from a simple but revealing observation: housing hosts people, not numbers.
Today's apartments aren't designed for people, but for financial Excel sheets and regulatory constraints. They're rigid containers that can't handle change: a single elderly person in an oversized home, a separated parent needing flexible space. The result is unsuitable, unaffordable, housing that pushes people out, increasing pressure on new construction and fueling a housing crisis that isn't just about quantity, but above all about design quality and adaptability.

We presented three of our concrete spatial strategies developed through our housing research and implemented in START–Ivry:
-The divisible apartments;
-The “super-adaptable” two-bedroom units;
-The “plus typologies” incorporating an extra space — “the alcove” — designed to support the most fragile situations.

Adaptable housing does not cost more money, require larger surfaces, or exceed current regulations. The floor plan itself is the most powerful tool we have as architects to improve housing and transform it again into a social infrastructure rather than a purely market product.

Beyond the conference itself, it was a pleasure to meet and present our work to a group of students from the University of Trento, following the invitation of Professor Sara Favargiotti , together with Francesca Serrazanetti, architect, researcher, and Assistant Professor at Politecnico di Milano.

Thanks to the REbuild team for the invitation. It was a real pleasure to contribute to the discussion.

(images 1-2: Marco Parisi)

04/05/2026

VOTE for The Cabanon — Finalist,Architizer A+Awards 2026
The Cabanon has been selected as a Finalist in the in the Architecture + Color category and is one of the five shortlisted projects worldwide competing for the Popular Choice Award.

Voting is now open and you can vote ONCE A DAY until 15th May from the link in our bio.

The Cabanon is our 6.89 m² apartment experiment. it was never understood as austerity, but as an “epicurean” reduction.
What initially seemed illogical for a space of this size proved essential. Vivid colours allowed the mini-apartment to “grow” and unfold as a carefully composed, highly narrative sequence of spaces, almost cinematic in character, each forming its own world.

The Cabanon unexpectedly challenges conventional ideas of space, functionality, and luxury. It is a reminder that architecture is not measured in square metres, but in the intensity of experience it creates—and in the capacity of colour to expand perception and transform even the smallest space into a place of wonder.

The is one of the largest and most internationally recognised architecture awards programmes, highlighting projects that push boundaries in design, technology, and social impact.

21/04/2026

START-Ivry has been selected as one of “The 100 Buildings of the Year 2025” (“Les 100 Bâtiments de l’Année 2025”) by AMC.

Each year, the editorial team of AMC magazine curates a selection of 100 realised projects that, in their view, “have marked the year” and together form a panorama of architecture in France.

The 2025 selection, as noted by editor-in-chief Olivier Namias , moves away from “bâtiments-fétiches” towards projects grounded in use, precision, and long-term relevance.

It is an honour for us that START-Ivry — a project that confronts the standardisation of French housing production and developer-led models — is recognised.

START-Ivry challenges the prevailing standardisation of housing by offering adaptable housing solutions that can evolve over time — without increasing surface or cost.

The 100 Buildings of the Year 2025 are featured in a special edition of AMC magazine.

Thank you to and .fr for this recognition.

16/04/2026

Winner DETAIL Construction Award 2025 🏆

The Cabanon has won the Readers’ Award at the DETAIL Construction Award 2025 in the “Interiors” category.

The DETAIL Construction Award 2025 features five categories, with over 330 projects submitted and more than 15,000 votes cast by readers. The Readers’ Prizes were awarded to projects across the USA, Germany, Spain, and the Netherlands.
The winners in the other categories are , , Brückner & Brückner Architects, and architekten.

In celebration of its 65th anniversary, DETAIL launched the DETAIL Construction Award to honour exceptional building projects in the fields of facades, roofs, renovation, structural engineering, and interiors.

The Cabanon was built by Arjen and Mirjam from Midwinter Timmerwerk & Decoratie, with an exceptional level of craftsmanship and attention to detail.
In the extremely compact space of the 6.89m² Cabanon, detailing becomes the architecture itself. Every centimetre had to be carefully designed and executed, turning the entire space into one continuous detail. Nothing was prefabricated; every element was hand-made. Some details were not predesigned but developed directly on-site with Arjen and Mirjam, as their need became evident during construction. This real-time design and deeply collaborative process led to simple—yet demanding—solutions: handles carved directly into wooden and tiled surfaces to prevent them from occupying the precious available space, seamlessly integrated cabinetry and doors, such as the discreetly fold-out kitchen table or the bathroom door. In a space this compact, any imperfection or misalignment would be highly noticeable. The flawless ex*****on of details by the carpenters was essential. The detailing was praised by the jury of , who chose the Cabanon as Interior of the Year 2024.

The Cabanon is a collaboration with

*****on

10/04/2026

START-Ivry wins “Best Design Project” at the Advanced Architecture Awards 2026 🏆
In March 25th, START–Ivry was awarded the AEDAS Homes Award for Best Design Project at the Advanced Architecture Awards 2026, part of REBUILD Madrid (24-26 March, IFEMA Madrid ).
The ceremony took place at the Hotel Palace in Madrid, bringing together key actors from across the architecture and construction sector.

It’s rewarding to see our START-Ivry — and the years of housing research behind it — recognised once again.
START-Ivry responds to the growing diversity of contemporary lifestyles and challenges the prevailing standardisation of housing production. It proposes housing that can adapt over time — accommodating different households, uses, and life stages without increasing surface or costs.

10/03/2026

START-Ivry is a FINALIST at the Advanced Architecture Awards 2026 (REBUILD Madrid )

Our housing project START-Ivry has been selected as one of the three finalists in the category Design Project at the 9th edition of Advanced Architecture Awards 2026, part of REBUILD Madrid – the National Congress of Advanced Architecture and Construction 4.0 ().
The winners will be announced at the Awards Ceremony on 25 March at the Hotel Palace, Madrid.

The Advanced Architecture Awards recognise companies and professionals leading the transformation of the building sector — from the development of new materials and alternative products to more efficient equipment, sustainable construction systems, and industrial and digital processes that are reshaping how we design and build.

START-Ivry proposes a new approach to housing: adaptable homes designed to adapt to the diversity and evolution of contemporary households. Through a wide range of typologies and a set of adaptability and quality principles, START-Ivry demonstrates that significantly better housing can be achieved within current regulations and tight budgets — and without increasing surface areas.
Located in Ivry-sur-Seine (Greater Paris), START-Ivry comprises 288 dwellings across five buildings.

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http://st-ar.nl/

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