Program Rethink Rooftops 2025

Shirin Taraz (COO) and Lin Bolt of WOHA Architects will present inspiring examples of rooftops and spaces WOHA has designed in Singapore. These rooftops create space not just for the neighborhood but for biodiversity as well. They will address how this is received by different stakeholders of the building.

Heather Brooks is policy advisor in the environment and climate team at Eurocities. She is working on issues related to urban nature restoration, climate adaptation and noise. Can rooftops fill the gaps in urban biodiversity corridors? The European Nature Restoration law is not only about parks and nature, but also about urban ecosystems. What could this mean for cities in general and how could this include rooftops specifically?

Kasia Piekarczyk is an Associate Design Director at Henning Larsen, based in the Copenhagen studio with experience across Europe, Asia, and Australia, having also worked in Henning Larsen Hong Kong studio for two years. She leads design on complex international projects—working at the intersection of architecture and urbanism to shape clear, future-forward concepts. Her recent work includes a new timber residential development in Portugal and the Opera House in Jeddah, currently under construction.

Kasia is driven by the belief that design is a conversation across time and scale. She specializes in aligning diverse teams around a shared narrative, turning complexity into meaningful momentum. Prior to joining Henning Larsen in 2017, she worked at Bjarke Ingels Group and was part of TU Delft's Complex Projects Studio, where she still contributes as a guest tutor.

Eytan Levi is an architect working on the adaptation of existing buildings to ongoing climate and societal changes. Growing up under a zinc roof in Paris, Eytan has experienced both the freedom and the thermal discomfort rooftops can create in buildings and cities. In 2021, he co-founded Roofscapes with Olivier Faber and Tim Cousin. The Paris-based venture transforms unused pitched rooftops into green, accessible spaces that mitigate urban heat and enhance resilience. In 2024, Roofscapes deployed its first pilot with the City of Paris, proving its potential for climate adaptation. Roofscapes was awarded the 2023 New European Bauhaus Prize by the European Commission and is exhibited at the 2025 Venice Biennale.

Francesco Veenstra will tell us more about the Dutch vision his atelier has for our rooftop landscape.

Mattijs van Ruijven takes us on a tour among Rotterdam's rooftops. Where can the city really make a difference and how does the department of Urban Planning fulfill this role?

Yvonne Rijpers is adamant we should have a vision on how the landscape of rooftops we have in Rotterdam can contribute to our housing crisis. Topping up buildings is an obvious solution with practical obstacles. Rather than losing oneself in these practicalities, Yvonne is an advocate for a city wide vision.

Together with the province of South Holland and 7 other partners we have a full program where we look at how municipalities, housing corporations and joint building owners (VvE's) can contribute to new housing possibilities.

Read all about this focus program here.

Repurposing urban infrastructure into public parks is being done all over the world. Some projects are more popular than others. We'll bring together several international 'owners' of these highlines to learn how community engagement can play a big role in the success of a park and contribute to a neighbourhood.

Dutch rooftops are filled with solar panels, however due to new government policy and low energy prices on solar energy these panels no longer yield/deliver profit for it's owners. Solar panels have seen a decline in popularity, even though they play a key role in the energy transition. What is the future of solar panels and what is their place in the city and on our rooftops?

What makes a rooftop a good or bad rooftop? What should the designer have done differently and what is a stroke of genius? Together with a rooftop expert, who is NOT the designer of the rooftop, you visit several rooftops in Rotterdam to discover the power of design.

There are several European networks and groups that exchange knowledge. What do they do, which cities are involved and what are the differences between them. Plus, how can you join them?