Design Matters with Fokke Moerel – Designing for a Changing World
Please join us for our Design Matters lecture on February 11, 2026 with Fokke Moerel who will discuss the view into the research at MVRDV and the innovative installations, projects, and proposals that result.
Event Background
Design Matters is SAPL’s signature guest lecture series, bringing together students, faculty, and the broader design community to explore bold ideas shaping the living environment.
Through engaging talks and meaningful dialogue with visionary leaders in design, this series empowers participants to rethink challenges, address pressing design issues, and inspire transformative solutions for our world.
Open to everyone eager to learn, question, and innovate, Design Matters fosters community engagement and sparks conversations that redefine the role of design in shaping our shared future.
About MVRDV
MVRDV was founded in 1993 by Winy Maas, Jacob van Rijs and Nathalie de Vries. Now, the three founding partners lead a dynamic and optimistic team of over 300 alongside partners Frans de Witte, Fokke Moerel, Wenchian Shi, Jan Knikker, and Bertrand Schippan. Based in Rotterdam, Shanghai, Paris, Berlin, and New York, we have a global scope, providing solutions to contemporary architectural and urban issues in all regions of the world. Our highly collaborative, research-based design method involves clients, stakeholders, and experts from a wide range of fields from early on in the creative process. The results are exemplary, outspoken projects that enable our cities and landscapes to develop towards a better future.
About Fokke Moerel
Fokke Moerel is Partner and Architect at MVRDV. Since joining the firm in 1998, Fokke has shaped some of its most iconic cultural and public projects, including the world famous Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam—the first fully accessible art depot.
Her portfolio also includes celebrated works such as Book Mountain Library, the Stedelijk Museum Schiedam transformation, the Baltyk tower, and Concordia Design Wroclaw. Known for connecting architecture with urban life, her designs breathe new energy into the communities they serve.
In addition to her practice, Fokke teaches and lectures internationally, with roles at institutions such as Harvard, Cambridge, and The Hague Royal Academy of Arts.
Full bio HERE.
MVRDV was founded in 1993 by Winy Maas, Jacob van Rijs and Nathalie de Vries. Now, the three founding partners lead a dynamic and optimistic team of over 300 alongside partners Frans de Witte, Fokke Moerel, Wenchian Shi, Jan Knikker, and Bertrand Schippan. Based in Rotterdam, Shanghai, Paris, Berlin, and New York, we have a global scope, providing solutions to contemporary architectural and urban issues in all regions of the world. Our highly collaborative, research-based design method involves clients, stakeholders, and experts from a wide range of fields from early on in the creative process. The results are exemplary, outspoken projects that enable our cities and landscapes to develop towards a better future.
About Fokke Moerel
Fokke Moerel is Partner and Architect at MVRDV. Since joining the firm in 1998, Fokke has shaped some of its most iconic cultural and public projects, including the world famous Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam—the first fully accessible art depot.
Her portfolio also includes celebrated works such as Book Mountain Library, the Stedelijk Museum Schiedam transformation, the Baltyk tower, and Concordia Design Wroclaw. Known for connecting architecture with urban life, her designs breathe new energy into the communities they serve.
In addition to her practice, Fokke teaches and lectures internationally, with roles at institutions such as Harvard, Cambridge, and The Hague Royal Academy of Arts.
Full bio HERE.
Event Details
Date: Wednesday, February 11, 2026
Time: 5:00 - 7:30 pm (MT)
Location: School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape | University of Calgary
Time: 5:00 - 7:30 pm (MT)
Location: School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape | University of Calgary
Address: 7th floor, 801 7th Ave SW
Event Agenda
5:00PM | Reception with buffet dinner and drinks
6:00PM | Fokke Moerel presents
7:00PM | Q&A
Sponsored by:
