Meet… #23 | Sven Schouten

In the series ‘Meet … series, GROUP A employees respond to a number of questions about their work and private life. This time it is Sven Schouten’s turn. Sven lives in Rotterdam and studies there at the Academy of Architecture. He has been combining his studies with his work at GROUP A since March 2019. He is working on various projects, including the recent exhibition ‘PAST FUTURES OF M4H’, where his passion for research really comes into practice.

The most beautiful things about architecture in my opinion are
Designing networks, struggling with complexity and realising with each other.

For me, the biggest challenge of architecture is
To know when it is enough. I can easily lose myself in research and/or design; there is always a new perspective to come up with. Fortunately, there are enough colleagues here to make the final decision.

A place that has made a great impression on me is
Bussana Vecchia in Italy; a ghost town devastated by an earthquake in 1886, rebuilt in the 1960s by an artists’ collective. Now it is a mix of ruins and improvised constructions, inhabited by hippies who are in non-stop conflict with the local government and tourist entrepreneurs.

With this architect – dead or alive – I would like to have a good conversation
John Habraken. He is not so popular at the moment but his ideas about participation and the role of the architect keep inspiring me.

The best software for me to work with is
Illustrator, it feels like a second language to draw in.

If I may choose, I will live in
A self-designed house in a rough building, somewhere in the Port of Rotterdam.

On my free Saturday I
Collect music! I listen to almost everything – from Jazz to Hip-hop – but I enjoy Brazilian music from the 60/70/80s the most. Let me know if you want a good tip!