Maarten Gielen

Maarten Gielen is an award-winning, Brussels-based designer and researcher, and a leading practitioner in changing the way materials are used in architecture and construction engineering. This endeavour is made possible through the collective Rotor—a cooperative design practice that investigates the organisation of the material environment with the aim of helping designers salvage building produce to reduce waste.

Maarten Gielen co-founded Rotor in 2006, where he currently works as a designer, researcher and manager. Drawing on a 10-year experience in deconstruction, logistics, architecture & building design with used materials, Maarten currently manages the spin-off Rotor DC (Deconstruction), which he co-founded in 2014. Maarten played a key role in most exhibitions and publications that Rotor produced such as Deutschland Im Herbst (DE, 2008), Usus/Usuresfor the Belgian pavilion at the 2010 Venice Biennale (IT), Ex-Limbo for the Fondazione Prada in Milan (IT, 2011), OMA/Progress, on the work of OMA/Rem Koolhaas at the Barbican Art Gallery in London (UK, 2011), and Behind the Green Door for the 2013 Oslo Architecture Triennale (NO). For his contribution as an author, designer and projects initiator, Maarten received the Maaskant Prize for Youngs Architects, one of the highest distinctions of its kind in the Benelux. He has lectured extensively in architecture and design schools across Europe, Asia and the USA.