28/01/2026
It was a real pleasure to welcome Winy Maas as the keynote speaker of HOPE 2026 – Housing, People & Environment.
Winy Maas is a Dutch architect, urbanist, and educator, best known as the co-founder of MVRDV and as Professor at TU Delft, where he co-leads The Why Factory, a research lab dedicated to future cities, density, and speculative urban models. His work consistently bridges research and practice, addressing climate adaptation, housing typologies, and the social performance of cities.
Beyond his built work, Maas has authored and co-authored influential publications such as FARMAX, The Why Factory, The Vertical Village, Density Futures, and Copy Paste, which have shaped international discourse on urban growth, compact cities, and new forms of collective living.
At HOPE 2026, his keynote on Urban Growth & Global Health offered a sharp, forward-looking perspective on how cities can grow more densely while remaining healthy, inclusive, and liveable setting a strong intellectual tone for the symposium.
🔗 Learn more about his work and publications:
https://www.mvrdv.com/
Grateful to have had Winy Maas with us in Muscat, and thankful for the clarity, provocation, and optimism he brought to the HOPE 2026 stage.
