Toronto Metropolitan University’s Department of Architectural Science presents a talk with Menno Kooistra as a part of their ongoing lecture series.

The digital era allows us to create buildings that can change lives, improve wellbeing, uplift society, and even reverse climate change. Menno Kooistra, founder of Elephant, shows how their data-driven design process leads to new building typologies. Data enables the shift from traditional static buildings to sustainable, profitable architecture with total freedom of use.

Kooistra’s approach to integrated sustainable design did not come out of the blue. He shaped his vision through a master’s degree in Architecture (Eindhoven University of Technology), the Design Academy, and by leading the Lab of the Dutch Green Building Council for seven years.

This is all reflected in the architectural firm Elephant, external link, which he founded in Amsterdam in 2015. With Elephant, Menno creates healthy, sustainable and adaptable architecture without compromise. Last year, the agency won Transformation of the Year with ‘de Voortuinen’ in 2022.