Building in Timber, Thinking Long-Term

15:30 - 16:00

La Centrale

There is a deep-rooted preconception that the property sector must necessarily be exploitative, driven solely by profit. Robert Winkel, founder of NICE Developers in Rotterdam, takes to the stage at Utopian Hours to prove the opposite.

Winkel is the mastermind behind SAWA, Rotterdam’s first high-rise residential building with a load-bearing structure made of over 90 per cent timber. SAWA is an engineering marvel and, in Robert’s words, a ‘people building’: an accessible block of flats, integrated with nature and designed for community living. NICE Developers demonstrates that a positive climate impact and social value for the neighbourhood can take precedence over short-term financial returns — charting the course for the developers of tomorrow.

Rotterdam

Robert Winkel Founder/Owner

Nice Developers

Founder and developing architect of NICE Developers in Rotterdam. His mission is to prove that building better for people and the climate is already a reality. Specializing in timber construction, Winkel designs affordable, biobased, and nature-inclusive residential neighborhoods, turning real estate logic upside down to prioritize societal added value over mere financial return.

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