Koen Olthuis

Co-Founder - Waterstudio & Dutch Docklands

Bio

With his family roots in shipbuilding, architecture and engineering, Koen Olthuis founded Waterstudio in 2003, the first studio focused at 100% on floating architecture.

As a senior researcher in Floating Cities and Delta Urbanism at the Delft University of Technology, he and his team are testing strategies and options for the Netherlands to build on water as the next stage in the evolution of a country below sea level.

He advises governments and cities around the world on how to combat the effects of climate change and urbanisation. Among his most significant works is the floating city in the Maldives, as well as floating parks, houses and theatres for canals, lakes and the open ocean.

Koen is author of the book FLOAT! and City Apps, which highlight the possibilities for rich and poor communities to build on water to improve the performance of cities near water. In 2024, The New Yorker published a profile of Koen and his work in the field of floating developments.

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