we

we design playful social landscapes

design and engineering studio

for public space that provokes interaction
and comes alive through play, sport and wonder

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about

Places that invite and connect

We believe public space plays a crucial role in how people connect with each other and with their surroundings. That is why we design social places that invite people to meet, play and move, based on local research and strong in-house engineering.

The result: unique spaces, landmarks and objects with an identity of their own.

vision

Living together happens in the space we share

On the neighbourhood square, on the roof of a residential tower, in nature or in the bustle of an airport. Wherever people come together, a place can make the difference: between hurrying past and staying a while, between living side by side and actually meeting.

A good place invites you in: to explore, to move, to play or simply to sit for a moment. That is how contact happens naturally, and how a place stays lively and liveable.

This only works if a place is accessible to everyone, feels safe and fits its surroundings. That is why we design places that invite people to stay, meet each other and belong. In this way, we want to make the space we share a little more human.

projects

Places with an identity of their own

Unpaved.Design is a young studio and our portfolio is very much in the making. Our experience is not: as a team, we have been working on projects in public space for years.

We design every project specifically for its place, so that it fits the brief, the context and the future. We would love to fill our portfolio with:

  • Playful landscapes
  • Social places
  • Landmarks and iconic objects
  • Artistic interventions and storytelling projects

Do you have a place or an idea that fits? We love to collaborate, for example with other designers, architects, municipalities, developers, brands or institutions.

approach

Imagination and engineering, rooted in place

At Unpaved.Design, spatial and social designers and engineers work together in one team, from the first research to the last screw. That way, imagination and engineering strengthen each other from the very start.

We listen to the place. We study the context, like to involve residents and users in the design, and keep in mind that once the place is handed over, it is theirs. That way, the design fits how a place is really lived in.

Design and engineering go hand in hand with us. That is how a bold idea also becomes buildable, safe, easy to maintain and able to withstand intensive use.

team

The people behind the places

We are a team of spatial and social designers and engineers, with more than twenty years of experience in public space. We combine spatial and artistic design with technical know-how, and we understand how places are used and maintained over the years.

Alongside our core team, we work with a flexible network of specialists: from makers and ecologists to education specialists and technical advisers. That way, for every project we put together the team that fits the place.

Core team

Frederike Top

Social designer
Creative director

A poetic dreamer with a concrete touch

Frederike is a socially engaged designer working across lighting, art and product design. Her work invites interaction and often reveals something unexpected in use, a playfulness she brings to every project in public space. As creative director she guards the design vision, from first idea to final delivery.

Background: Frederike Top Design (2007–2026), Head of Product Design at Willem de Kooning Academy Rotterdam (2015–2023), Design Lead at Carve Amsterdam (2023–2026).

Lucas Beukers

Engineer & product designer
Technical director

A systematic thinker with an eye for detail

Lucas works designs through to the smallest detail and follows them into production, from the finish of a single bolt to the placement of a play structure within its safety zone. His thorough knowledge of regulations and production lets him find the best buildable solution together with clients. As technical director he is the bridge between design intent and what actually gets built.

Background: Engineer at Carve Amsterdam (2008–2026), head of the CAM department at Eiso Bergsma Plexiglas (2006–2008).

Sam van Veluw

Technical designer
Business development

A sharp mind connecting design to delivery

Sam is a designer and maker who bridges the gap between idea and buildable reality. His work ranges from a travelling exhibition in six shipping containers to public space objects such as the P-Tree and the DIY Treehouse. He combines creative depth with organisational grip, which he brings to our projects and business development.

Background: MadeBySam design studio (since 2007), co-founder and creative director of SingleSpark (since 2014), owner of CNC Utrecht (since 2022).

Lars Hendrickx

Spatial designer

An original imaginer with a technical foundation

Lars combines a technical foundation in civil engineering with a conceptual, research-driven design practice. Social issues and historical context are often his starting point, and he develops spatial concepts that are both meaningful and buildable.

Background: Spatial Design at HKU (cum laude), technical and spatial designer at Carve Amsterdam (2022–2026).

Extended team

Susanna Vissani

Architect

An engaged architect with a landscape soul

Susanna works at the intersection of landscape and architecture, connecting built structures with the public realm. She has designed playful public spaces worldwide, from masterplans to small gardens.

Background: Architecture at Politecnico di Milano, LAND landscape architecture (2017–2020), Carve Amsterdam (2020–2026), Planomie studio (since 2026).

Bertineke Visser-de Lange

Designer of green outdoor spaces

A designer of living green with an eye on the future

Bertineke designs green spaces made to be lived in. After eighteen years as a product designer, she brings a strong sense of form, an eye for detail and an understanding of technical feasibility to her work with plants. She combines lush, ecological planting with clean lines, and tests new plant combinations and techniques in her own trial garden. She designs for and with the people who use a place, making their surroundings greener step by step.

Background: Industrial Design at TU Delft, product designer at NPK design and VanBerlo (18 years), her own studio Bloei Groenontwerp (since 2022).

contact

A place in mind?
Let’s talk.

info@unpaved.design