About ONE
Office for the New Earth (ONE) is a Design & Construct practice, based in the Netherlands, creating holistic interventions. Officially founded in 2022, after realizing multiple projects before in Greece. At the moment, ONE consists of a multidisciplinary team with expertise in environmental psychology, architecture, engineering, construction, and childhood development.
Governing Board
Michaël Vrijhof
Chairman | Architectural engineer
Since Michael went to Lesvos for the first time in 2018, he was destined to make a real impact in the world. Since then, he gathered his own groups of volunteers to realize multiple projects for children. With his strong spirit, he is one of the driving figures behind the foundations of ONE.
Michael is an architectural engineer with a MSc degree from the TU Delft. He is a specialist on the psychological and physiological impact of architecture on our well-being, mood regulation and brain development.
Niels Hofstee
Secretary & Treasurer | Civil Engineer
Niels Hofstee is a visionary structural engineer and Co-founder of Office for the New Earth. While working for pioneering engineering firms he embodied a mission is transform his industry developing tools for parametric and responsive design that liberate the design process for the sake of elevating Well-being. Driven by his heart, he now designs and builds fantastic structures for children that trigger playfulness and expand the imagination.
Niels is a civil engineer with a MSc degree from the TU Delft. He has worked as an engineer on a great variety of projects over the past couple of years through multiple offices. Thereby, he secures the safety and stability for all upcoming projects.
Board of Trustees
Anne van Onne
Chair board of trusties
From a young age, Anne has always had a strong sense of justice and has been driven by a desire to make a difference. She views the world with an open mind and always believes in the inherent goodness of people. Her journey to make a real impact in the world led her to ONE, where she is deeply committed to the foundation’s mission and the profound dedication of its two founders.
Anne works as a legal advisor in an academic hospital and previously practised as a solicitor for over 7 years. With her knowledge and experience, she is honoured and happy to contribute to ONE in her role as Chair of the Supervisory Board.
Frans Kortmann
Board member
Frans is always open to discuss new ideas and opportunities that can help in achieving fundamental impact in the world..
From the beginning Frans has been involved with ONE adding his decades of experience as an entrepreneur and CEO of his own company. Thereby, he makes sure Office for the New Earth is structured in an efficient way for the years to come.
Saskia Schoolland
Board member
Saskia Schoolland is a psychologist specializing in psychotrauma, and has extensive international experience. During her work in the slums of Rio de Janeiro and refugee camps in the Middle East, the Netherlands, Greece and Cyprus, she discovered the power of adding beauty to an environment. When you add beauty to an environment, you create a sense of value and recognition, making people feel seen and welcome.
With this vision, she likes to contribute to ONE and to building special, beautiful playgrounds where children are given the space to play carefree again and be themselves.
Supporting Team
Marianne Vollenhoven
Co-founder
From the very start Marianne has been defining the mission of the Organization. With a background in somatic trauma psychology, and child education she brings decades of knowledge into the art of creating healing spaces for the children.
Further, from a background in theology, she teaches us the intrinsic value of running an organization from a place of selflessness and the connection to higher ideal that connects us through our hearts.
Renze van den Brink
Furniture maker & carpenter
Renze is a skilled craftsman that enriches ONE with his knowledge on joinery, machines & tools, connection details and much more.
With his life energy, great determination and humor, he is here to create beautiful structures that elevate the human being.