Selected by Platform Ontwerp NL: Paris Proof Block

Proud that our research by design, Paris Proof City Block, has been included in ‘Ontwerpen aan onze toekomst – Leren van het veld’ by Platform Ontwerp NL.

At GROUP A, we believe that architecture plays a key role in the transition to a climate-neutral built environment. Through our think tank CARBONLAB, we explore how design, technology and materiality can be integrated to contribute to concrete climate goals.

Together with Aveco de Bondt, DGMR, ABT-Lüning, and De Urbanisten, we investigated what is already possible today. The outcome is clear: Paris Proof construction according to material-based CO₂ budgets for 2030 is achievable right now.

The Paris Proof City Block, developed as a prototype for M4H in Rotterdam, demonstrates how high-density urban development can be combined with climate-positive, circular, low-maintenance, and healthy building. With two strategies – Built to Last and Footloose – we show that multiple realistic paths exist toward a regenerative and future-proof built environment.

This research underlines our ambition to connect design expertise with measurable impact and to explore new avenues with partners for future-proof and climate-positive construction.

Thanks to Platform Ontwerp NL for including this work in their catalog and for bringing together so much forward-thinking research.

Download Werkboek 1 here .