Franka van Marrewijk wrote her master thesis about public space and infrastructure in the fast-growing city Dar es Salaam. She took the opportunity to coordinate a design studio with local urban planning students as part of The World Bank Tanzania team. She is member of AAMatters and has since her graduation worked on multiple urban design and research projects in East Africa.

Role
Urban designer, writer

Career starting point

After graduating I got the possibility to do more work related to East Africa. I am finding different ways everyday to do that in less presumptious ways than just designing buildings. I enjoy working in this context because it requires flexibility and spontaneously. 

 

Influenced by
The various places I lived in and the stories I hear. 

Why architecture/urbanism?

It's amazing to see how environments have so much influence on the health and happiness of people. It is for me a concrete way to make places and livelihoods step by step better. 

Design principles
Rotating between pencil, computer and conversations

Focus
Context sensitive design

Formula for success
Start by listening and change by doing

Obstacles for the profession
Copy-paste design