Paris Proof Block featured in ‘Gids – Ontwerpen aan onze toekomst’

Research by design makes complex spatial challenges tangible, understandable and open to discussion. Especially in a time of major societal transitions, the power of design is essential for developing new perspectives and exploring possible futures.

During the Day of Design Power, Platform Ontwerp NL presented Gids – Ontwerpen aan onze toekomst a publication bringing together one hundred examples of research by design from across the Dutch design and planning practice. Together with the accompanying Workbooks 1 and 2, the guide demonstrates how design research contributes to addressing pressing spatial challenges—from climate adaptation and the energy transition to the future of our built environment—and helps shape pathways towards societal change.

We are proud that Paris Proof Blok is included in this selection. The project demonstrates how research by design can support the future-proof transformation of the existing building stock while opening up new strategies for making our cities more sustainable.

Alongside the publication, two workbooks have been released: Workbook 1 presents an overview of 132 research-by-design projects developed between 2015 and 2025, while Werkboek II De verhalen van ontwerpend onderzoek offers in-depth interviews with fifty selected projects. It also features an interview with Willem van Genugten about the development and significance of Paris Proof Block.

Read the guide (in Dutch) and accompanying workbooks via Platform Ontwerp NL – Ontwerpen aan onze toekomst.