KAAN Architecten is a Rotterdam, São Paulo and Paris based architectural firm operating in a global context and merging practical and academic expertise within the fields of architecture, urbanism and research on the built environment.
The studio, led by Kees Kaan, Vincent Panhuysen and Dikkie Scipio, consists of an international team of architects, landscape architects, urban planners, engineers and graphic designers.
KAAN Architecten believes in cross-pollination between projects and disciplines as an essential tool to foster a critical debate within the studio. Since the launch of the firm, KAAN Architecten has handled and supervised a wide range of projects, actively working with the private and the public sector, with project teams that become increasingly multidisciplinary and dynamic. KAAN Architecten maintains a culture of constant evolution, which is essential in a profession that changes at a rapid pace. KAAN Architecten seeks to uphold long-term relationships with its clients, consultants and partners.
KAAN Architecten’s projects transcend the traditional notion of scale and typology, ranging from furniture and interiors to urban development and from retail and offices to museums and buildings for health and education.
The firm expanded its international presence with satellite offices in São Paulo (2015) and Paris (2019), led by Renata Gilio and Marylène Gallon respectively. Both branches continue the multidisciplinary design approach set out by the Dutch headquarters.
Founders

Kees Kaan founded KAAN Architecten in 2014 together with partners Vincent Panhuysen and Dikkie Scipio. Kaan graduated in architecture at Delft University of Technology in 1987.
Kaan is Chair of the department of Complex Projects at the faculty of Architecture at Delft University of Technology since 2006. His research focuses on large complex projects that characterize rapid global urbanization. In 2019 Kaan was appointed Chairman of the Architecture Department. Moreover, he has been Principal Investigator at Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Metropolitan Solutions (AMS) since 2016.
Kaan is an international lecturer and sits on various juries and boards, both in the Netherlands and abroad. Numerous books and exhibitions have been dedicated to his body of work.

Vincent Panhuysen founded KAAN Architecten in 2014 together with partners Kees Kaan and Dikkie Scipio. He previously joined the office of Claus en Kaan Architecten in 1997 and became a partner in 2002.
Panhuysen began his training at the Amsterdam Technical School for Wood and Furniture Crafts, continued his studies at the School of the Arts in Utrecht and the Rotterdam Academy of Architecture. This unique education allows Panhuysen to control the entire process of building from concept to detailing. Panhuysen projects range from furniture to urban planning.

Dikkie Scipio founded KAAN Architecten in 2014 together with partners Kees Kaan and Vincent Panhuysen. She previously joined the office Claus en Kaan Architecten in 1995 and became a partner in 2002.
Scipio studied applied arts and interior design at the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague after which she was trained as an architect at the Rotterdam Academy of Architecture.
Scipio’s training allows her to lead work, which ranges in scale from large-scale master plans to furniture and interior design, from initial concept to execution. Scipio’s unique experience has allowed her to oversee the office’s work with the transformation and restoration of existing monuments.
Dikkie Scipio was recently appointed Professor of Architectural Design at Münster University of Applied Sciences.
Team
Allard Assies / Beatrice Bagnara / Bas Barendse / Ana Batista / Valentina Bencic / Eline Blom / Diana Boogaart / Koen Bosman / Soline Bredin / Dennis Bruijn / Sebastiaan Buitenhuis / Timo Cardol / Alice Colombo / Jorge Correia / Javier Cuartero / Sebastian van Damme / Marten Dashorst / Marco (Peixe) D’Elia / Luuk Dietz / Maartje Eggink / Raluca Firicel / Christiaan Frankin / Marylène Gallon / Michael Geensen / Juliana Generoso / Renata Gilio / Lisa Goes / Cristina Gonzalo Cuairán / Daniele Gregorio / Narine Gyulkhasyan / Walter Hoogerwerf / Aleksandar Hrib / Martine Huijsmans / Sophie Ize / Marlon Jonkers / Jan Teunis ten Kate / Moritz Kühl / Wouter Langeveld / Marco Lanna / Antony Laurijsen / Yinghao Lin / Nicki van Loon / Xingjun Low / Martina Margini / Ricardo Marmorato / Marija Mateljan / Edyta Milczarek / Hana Mohar / Hannes Ochmann / Laura Ospina / Natalia Poli / Giulia Rapizza / Giacomo Rizzi / Katarzyna Seweryn / Christian Sluijmer / Joeri Spijkers / Frane Stancic / Hrvoje Šmidihen / Aldo Trim / Rianne Weerdmeester / Jelmer van Zalingen / Yang Zhang / Samara Zukoski