Architect Winy Maas ended the Fall 2007 Design Lecture Series last night in the Michael Schwartz Center Auditorium.

Maas, of the urban design firm MVRDV based in Rotterdam, Netherlands, spoke to architecture students about his design firm’s principles.

“His firm is one of the most innovative firms out of one of the most innovative ‘design environments’ in the world,” said Maruizio Sabini, associate professor in the School of Architecture. “His firm was recently appointed to design the extension of the Cleveland Institute of Art, which will be the firm’s first building in the United States.”

One of the most well-known works by MVRDV is the Didden Village created in 2007.

This robin’s egg blue group of housing sits atop the roofs of other buildings and serves two purposes: to utilize space by using the tops of buildings as the ground level and to create a comfortable living environment.

One of the key notes of his presentation was his ideas for future projects in the United States.

“I think curiosity is one of the most important aspects that we have to build up and encourage in order to escape regression and nostalgia,” Maas said.

Contact College of the Arts and College of Architecture and Environmental Design reporter Sam Twarek at [email protected].