For the design firm Edhv in the Dutch city of Eindhoven, established rules and boundaries are a welcome invitation to break and overcome them. For the designers at Edhv insist on giving every idea the freedom to develop. Allowing it the necessary time is an important part of the process, as are disparate perspectives and the shifting makeup of the teams.

“Designing also means knowing when not to design. At Edhv we focus on research and concept before even thinking about how to design. This leaves open all possibilities until late in the process and leads to surprising results, drastic turns and bizarre discoveries. Something you would never have thought of at the start of a project. Things like that only happen if you can find the courage to let go of the control factor, the safe path, and embark on a journey into unknown territory. Error, failure, coincidence, and flaws are crucial ingredients of our creative process.”

“We like to see ourselves as architects. The only difference is that we don’t build buildings. We build identities.”