leading sustainability consultants & designers
Projects
Our projects weave innovation into the fabric of cities, industries, and ecosystems. From the visionary Salesforce Park to the community-driven UCo, and the pioneering Orchid City, we transform bold ideas into sustainable realities.
Dive into our journey of transformative projects since 1999, below.
Designed in 2001, this house was beyond its time in providing an affordable, sustainable habitat that could be aggregated in various patterns in a new suburb of Kalgoorlie, Western Australia. Drawing on traditional moorish and middle-eastern architectural types, the house features a wind tower t…
The Merredin Spirulina plant is one of the first projects we applied systems thinking and our holistic, systemic approach to innovation, using ecology as the core driver. The concept, developed in 2000, outlines the case for a spirulina algae plant and a highly unusual but stunningly effective a…
The Daadkracht project is the design of a four story mixed-use building in the heart of the old city of Rome, offering three spectacular apartments, shops, and a restaurant. Part of the design is a city park bordering the Tevere river, a church and various other historical buildings. The project…
Except designed a new type of museum used for teaching with four distinct collections of artefacts, musical instuments, and prints, located in the center of the Wesleyan University Campus.
Salesforce Park and Transit Center in San Francisco is a one-of-a-kind transport and recreation complex located in one of America's most exciting cities. The jewel of this crown is Salesforce Park. This vast green space on the 8th floor of a transit center showcases how inner city concrete jungles …
This concept reinvigorates the redevelopment of Fort Point, Boston, Massachusetts, by proposing a strategy to reduce city-wide traffic congestion and increase property values and liveability that significantly contribute to the city's resilience.
This concept transforms downtown Shanghai into a fully sustainable community regarding energy, food, water, and jobs. The plan, designed for expo 2013, combines a range of sustainable innovations and advancements with exciting designs and urban agriculture. The result is a valuable and visually spe…
On the steep slope of one of the edges of Toronto’s ravine system, we created a design for a place for contemplation, introspection, and shared spiritual expression. A place with no prescribed belief, where people of all walks of life can experience what is sacred to them in their way. The project …
Situated between the highway and train tracks and bisected by the Maas river, the Maasterras is a large urban area soon to be developed by Dordrecht and Zwijndrecht, the Netherlands. Except was commissioned to create a visionary document for this area to help policymakers, developers, and investors…
The Portal to Venlo offers the greenhouse industry in the east of the Netherlands a model to develop a sustainable industry. The project re-imagines an existing greenhouse industry area, currently fragmented, inefficient, dangerous for bicycle tourists that cross the area, and in general rather una…
The Rotterdam Collective (RoCo) is a real-world laboratory of experimentation and radically new business models for sustainable development. Located in the heart of Rotterdam, this innovative and productive workspace has been operating in full swing since December 2009.
The RGD manages and maintains all the real estate for the Dutch government, which, with such an extensive portfolio, has many ineffectively-used buildings. Except developed a scan to analyze a specific object, identify potential beneficial uses, and plot a redevelopment plan.
What are the key projects necessary to make the Netherlands CO2 neutral in 2040? That was the central and massive question put before Except and Posad by the Dutch ministry. A surprising single answer was found: by applying network, and system analysis, a more transparent, decentralized and accessi…
This project introduced, for one of the first times, a complete sustainable transition plan for a large social housing area, towards self sufficiency, that is both realistic, feasible, and became wildly successful particularly on social impacts. It centers around the then-problematic post-war socia…
Dandelion is a next generation (web 3.0) software application that binds scientific, social and economic data from all over the world in an immersive visual environment. It's like google on steroids, allowing you to visually fly through three dimensional realms of information, putting it at your fi…
Polydome is a revolutionary approach to greenhouse agriculture that offers the possibility of commercial scale, net-zero-impact food production. The Polydome system strategically interweaves a variety of crops and animals, taking advantage of every inch of the greenhouse while eliminating the need …
BKCity is a magnificent listed monument of more than 30,000m2 functioning as the faculty of Architecture of the TU Delft. Except created a phased plan to make this historic educational building energy and carbon-neutral within ten years. The plan converts the building into a didactic tool that p…
Greenprint features over 150 pages of innovations in our homes, cities, and daily life, from eco-houses and neighborhoods to streetlamps activated by moonlight, social innovations, urban agriculture, and more. Greenprint shows how sustainability can change your world across a range of scales.
What exactly is an energy-neutral home? What are the benefits, costs, and options? What does it look like? Will I have a better quality of life? Except partnered with TNO, an independent research organization, to compile and publish the House of Energy, a comprehensive book that answers all of thes…
Under the name of Excellent Areas ("Excellente Gebieden"), several Dutch home construction companies and municipalities are engaged in an experiment to use the building standards of 2015 and 2020 today. There is much to learn from the nature of these building standards before they can be applied pr…
Except collaborated with Yale University to develop a customized online carbon calculator for the Yale Community Carbon Fund. The calculator allows anyone to estimate their carbon footprint and directly support projects that offset their impact.
Social housing organization Woonstad and the city council of Overschie wanted to make their neighborhood more sustainable but had little idea where to start. To help provide an answer, we quickly scan the area to find its opportunities. We made a custom inspiration book filled with possibilities to…
This project visually explores the Dutch wastewater sector moving toward 2030. It takes a closer look at the role of wastewater processing facilities in providing clean water, renewable energy, and valuable material inputs for the future society. The vision for 2030 concerns the role of wastewat…
Except carried out a study with Posad to help address the current housing stock and expansion problems in Flanders. The project aimed to provide solutions to Team Vlaams Bouwmeester and their approach to contributing to the International Architecture Bienniale Rotterdam.
Miya's Sushi in New Haven, CT, has been our favorite restaurant for years, and good reason. Miya's is a home away from home that produces award-winning fusion sushi that places heaven on your tongue while at the forefront of social and environmental sustainability. We aided in developing a strat…
Symoto is an online software application that enables the development, simulation, and monitoring of large-scale material and energy cycles, including urban metabolism, industrial symbiosis, and the circular economy. The Symoto software enables organizations to relatively quickly develop models and…
The Hortus Celestia concept is a vertical farm tower designed for Naaldwijk, the Netherlands. The concept tower rises 28 stories above the greenhouse-filled landscape, offering 14 farming floors with embedded expo centers. The concept tower functions as a demonstration center for innovative Dutc…
This exciting office jungle in a glass cocoon is an energy-neutral circular plug-in retrofit for empty industrial real estate. It integrates all facilities and luxuries a stimulating cooperative office environment can wish for today. The Crystal Forest is a modular system that can be built and r…
This project researches a sustainable district heating system in the Dutch city of Tilburg, developed with our consortium partners. The vision includes ecological and social sustainability and functions as the starting point for all parties to cooperate toward a sustainable and carbon-neutral heat …
The Opportunity Map Wastewater Processing visualizes the twelve most critical sustainable opportunities within wastewater processing. Users will see and discover sustainable opportunities in their municipality or region and find examples to help them. The result is an opportunity map presented…
For Eneco Wind, we visualized the local impacts of wind turbine development in a visual infographic. The graphic is used by Eneco Wind in conversations with local stakeholders and helps to guide the conversation to address all topics and impacts. Using the illustration to steer the conversation, al…
This research project investigates how the city dweller influences the food system. It explores new disruptive developments and proposes actionable steps to improve consumer connectivity to the food system. This approach enhances the relationship between actual demand for healthy and honest produce…
A major challenge within the carpet manufacturing sector is securing the right resources to continue production. We partnered with MODINT and DNV and adopted system mapping and visualization techniques to offer insight into interventions and transitions the industry can take toward a more circular …
This project illustrates examples of domestic waste water use. By showing simple sketches of complex systems, the illustrations create understanding of pressure sewage, natural filtering, and mini filtering.
This project developed a roadmap of the meat processing sector in the Netherlands, including production and processing companies and their suppliers. We partnered with DNV, experts in assurance and risk management, to explore and portray opportunities to optimize the energy and material flow of the…
One of the biggest challenges city planners face is integrating public transport better to enhance resilience and sustainability. Except created a vision to address this in collaboration with public transport stakeholders and experts from Rotterdam. The concept came into being through several inten…
The IJfietstunnel project presents an alternative bicycle route between the center of Amsterdam and the north, currently serviced by overcrowded ferries. Plans for expensive bridges, new tunnels, and cable cars for cyclers are consistently proposed. However, converting the existing IJtunnel could p…
This project arose from the common desire of WWF and Lafarge to contribute original research to move the construction sector towards a sustainable future. We examined 11 exemplary urban districts and neighborhoods, from inception to habitation, and a systemic and holistic perspective. We identified…
“Zevenkamp through our eyes: a story of three students and one neighborhood” is an urban transformation project by Except Academy, a learning platform for interns at Except. We developed an inspiration book which tells the story of our journey and experiences while investigating Zevenkamp, the seco…
This project saw Except support the IUCN in their year-long development to prepare a new forum format, from concept development, stakeholder involvement, and preparation of the challenges. On 17th April 2015, IUCN organized the Leaders for Nature forum in Eindhoven, resulting in 10 key challenges r…
The Dutch online Natural Capital Atlas offers hundreds of maps that portray ecosystem services in the Netherlands. The Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment, initiator of the Atlas, wants to develop the website with users further. We guided a consultation process with municipalities and co…
Will Estonia be the first proud owner of a Polydome sustainable agriculture system in the world? During the second half of 2015 we researched the feasibility of a Polydome in the Arkna Eco Park. Our study and supporting business plan were funded by Horizon 2020.
We brought together 60 Dutch municipalities, water boards, and businesses to discuss climate adaptation in a working conference. What are the current complexities in adapting our living environment to extreme heat, periods of drought, and changing rainfall patterns? These adaptations are often comp…
In cooperation with the Dutch Foreign Office, we organized the trade mission to Detroit of May 2015 for over 25 organizations. The program established new permanent business partnerships of Dutch agri- and horticulture and innovative companies with their American business, governmental, and communi…
Van het Zuiverste Water ('from the purest water') was a stakeholder-led trajectory supported by Stadsstromen to help the Municipality of Almere futureproof their water management approach. Except Integrated Sustainability was asked to attend several vital meetings to contribute expertise and help i…
For the Beije family, we developed high-performance energy and water neutral villa renovation concept. It sits at the edge of the forest in Elst, part of the Veluwe national park area. The 400m2 villa is reconstructed mainly by the hands of the family, utilizing natural and local materials, among w…
In collaboration with the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), Except developed a new data management program to develop thousands of sustainable fisheries worldwide. The MSC is a growing organization in an increasingly data-driven world, seeking to improve, expand, and streamline its data faciliti…
Arkna Eco-Park is a redeveloped 671 Ha site dating back to 1527 and is now a high-quality tourist destination in Rakvere, Estonia. Except helped design and construct the park into a wellness, nature, and personal development destination, to include regenerative closed-loop agriculture, ecosystem-se…
This catalytic and multi-tenant office design has a core ambition - to create a fully integrated and self-sufficient business precinct, helping create a healthy, inspirational, and productive workplace. Partnering with Schiphol Real Estate - and 70+ different stakeholders and experts - we are boost…
On behalf of Staatsbosbeheer (Dutch nature management agency), Flevoland Province, and the municipalities of Almere and Lelystad, Except developed a vision document for the future development of Oostvaardersplassen National Park in the Netherlands. The report offers a vision, performance goals, and…
Amsterdam Schiphol Airport was born at Schiphol-Oost, over 100 years ago. Today, it incorporates a business park that could use more atmosphere and vision to distinguish itself from other business parks in the surrounding area. In collaboration with Schiphol Real Estate (SRE), Except developed a vi…
Natural Capital, whether recognized or not, plays a crucial role in our economy. To help clarify the relationship between economic activities and natural capital, Except and NXTE developed the Natural Capital Quick Scan. The scan delivers instant insight and suggests dozens of ways to mitigate risk…
The Urban ReGen program delivers redevelopment plans for sustainable cities and neighborhoods, integrating all major sustainability aspects in one program. Its approach works across all social, economic, ecological and physical aspects of a city. The approach works for large metropoli, region…
Self-driving vehicles will change the urban environment drastically. The Self-driving City Research uncovers insights into the significant changes and how to adapt to them. Who will use self-driving cars, what will their effects be on the urban fabric, businesses, and citizens? We show patterns and…
Except Integrated Sustainability, along with our partners at the municipality of De Marne, Groningen province, Staatsbosbeheer, and the Pieterburen Seal Center, conceptualized the glorious Wadden Sea World Heritage Center. Located in Lauwersoog, the project creates a unique experience of the Wadden…
IKEA Media Production engaged Except to showcase the sustainability achievements and ambitions of its 200-million-copy catalog. Together we created a storytelling infographic for the IKEA customer-facing staff and a data-packed dashboard for internal stakeholders such as store co-workers, catalog p…
With more than 200 million copies printed each year, the IKEA Catalogue Supply Chain Dashboards helps to address the sustainability of the world's most extensive annual print run. IKEA Media Production has worked diligently to improve the catalog's performance but engaged Except to find even better…
The Utrecht Community (UCo) is the national center for sustainable entrepreneurship in Utrecht, the Netherlands. Located in the heart of the city, UCo fosters a community of over 180 pioneering sustainability-driven entrepreneurs and SMBs, and is an outstanding example of innovative and sustainable…
For Inter-IKEA, we boosted the sustainability of the world's entire paper supply chain, using IKEA's catalog and one innovative big data tool. The tool includes data dashboards for purchasers, suppliers, and retailers, affecting the entire life cycle of the catalog, all of its suppliers, and subseq…
The society of Dutch architects BNA published a design study named 'Highway x City.' The study investigated the spatial consequences of replacing traditional with electric and self-driving cars. In 2017, Except partnered with and contributed to the Utrecht A27/A28-team Science Park, and helped conc…
LC Packaging serves customers across the globe with packaging products to protect, preserve and transport goods. Except was requested to assess its baseline sustainability performance. At the product level, we examined reusing Flexible Intermediate Bulk Containers (FIBCs) and found a significant CO…
Sircle, formerly known as Europe Hotels Private Collection (EHPC), is an independent Dutch hotel chain driven by innovative hospitality and locally inspired concepts. Except partnered with Sircle to help develop a concept for a new generation of dynamic, diverse, and holistically designed hotels th…
Except, in collaboration with KWS-Infra and GAIM, organized an innovation session to develop a sustainable approach to demolish a part of the Catharijnesingel in the center of Utrecht. The process includes considerations and responds to the sustainability goals set by the municipality of Utrecht.
ReGen Villages is a one-of-a-kind master plan for a self-sustained housing neighborhood of 203 houses in the Netherlands. Located in Oosterwold, the 25-hectare site is only a short 20-minute journey from Amsterdam and exemplifies a regenerative, affordable, and genuinely sustainable community.
We're facing many challenges this century, and to address them, we need concrete and visualized examples of what our world can look like toward a sustainable future. This project joins over 150 experts in sustainability, design, engineering, and policy to create a realistic perspective on a pos…
The Integrated Sustainable Agriculture Initiative (ISAI) responds to Egypt's pressing need for ecosystem restoration and enhancing sustainable food production. This joint venture between Foresight for Development and Innovation (Egypt), Except Integrated Sustainability (Netherlands), and in close c…
Historic sites struggle to find business models that protect and optimize their cultural heritage in a rapidly changing world. The owners of the medieval castle of Sterkenburg in Driebergen decided to take up this challenge, looking for new ways to reignite its economic and social value. They engag…
Blue Green Infrastructures (BGI) increase the resilience of urban and rural landscapes, integrating their core functions with natural features and processes. Hurdles exist in the process of translating BGI-related knowledge and data from science to practice, and a tool that facilitates this transfe…
Young and energetic people worldwide are tired of talking and want to get out and make a difference to help our planet - Regen Festival provides just that. These vibrant events offer interactive spaces and learning experiences through music, culture, and relaxation while assisting visitors in disco…
Serenity Farms is the world's largest and fully self-sufficient greenhouse facility, providing profitable food production and sustaining communities in some of our harshest environments. Even more impressive, the complex sources seawater, is powered entirely by solar energy, and provides fresh frui…
Herenboeren farms (Gentry Farmers) are based on a revolutionary community-owned and managed sustainable farming model. Developed in the Netherlands, the farms close resource loops and use circularity and agroforestry to establish sustainable community-owned and operated farms. This project aims to …
This project recognizes and promotes a shift in the construction sector towards reigniting the popularity of wood in building construction. By applying a systemic whole supply chain transition approach, it hopes to achieve a 30% increase in the use of wood in housing and office buildings in the Net…
During the spring of 2019, the municipality of Roosendaal in the Netherlands took the initiative to develop an "Action Plan to Future-proof City Center of Roosendaal." Except Integrated Sustainability, along with the local citizenry, conceptualized holistic designs that contribute to building a mor…
The IKEA Foundation's Agricultural Livelihoods Team works on new strategies to utilize the foundation's grants to boost the livelihoods of smallholder farmers in central Africa and India. We worked with the foundation to create a new strategy, using systems thinking and long term impact analysis at…
Sustainability, health, and happiness are increasingly demanded by consumers, particularly by the younger generations, and Heineken is at the forefront of several exciting and societal-wide transitions. Except Integrated Sustainability had the opportunity to work with Heineken Netherlands (HNL) to…
Van Hasselt's Urban Garden is a transformation of an inner-city parking lot into a climate-adaptive and biodiverse urban garden in the city of Roosendaal in the Netherlands. Designed together with the municipality of Roosendaal, the garden is a unique showcase for nature-inclusive design and climat…
The Hangang Green Jade masterplan transforms a polluted industrial area into a lush, green, and vibrant urban space. By combining nature, technology, and developing local culture, the area is transformed into a hub of arts and technology for over 50,000 residents. Working in collaboration with UNSt…
The Loup project addresses the redevelopment of the Wolvenplein Penitentiary, a former prison complex built in the mid-1800s beside one of central Utrecht's canals. For this concept, Except collaborate with Fakton, Groosman Architecten, OKRA, and ABC Vastgoed to produce a unique and sustainable vis…
This Refreeze project aims to reduce temperatures, retain and encourage ice growth in the Arctic. It will bring together a consortium of experts and organizations to design a research plan, obtain technology, finance, and an appropriate legal framework to enact a mitigation program that aids in clo…
Orchid City is the world's first future-proof and self-sustainable real estate development framework, using proven practices to build resilient communities, anywhere in the world at any size. Orchid City can realize astonishing 140% net-positive, affordable and regenerative neighborhoods and cities…
EISAP promises to be home to Europe's most innovative, circular, and sustainable agro-park. The concept centers around a 1500 ha regenerative industrial park and nearby oil-shale power plant in eastern Estonia. It aims to develop a net-zero pathway and significantly boost efforts to move away from …
ViCo is Vietnam's first national center for sustainability in Ho Chi Minh City. In a time of great demand for sustainable solutions, ViCo supports and connects socially and environmentally-driven businesses, entrepreneurs, and policymakers to bolster Vietnam's sustainability and potential as a regi…
The Netherlands is facing challenges in expanding its housing stock in a future-proof manner - strategically, qualitatively, and sustainably. Except Integrated Sustainability, in collaboration with the municipality of Middelburg, has researched and designed an expansion plan for the village of Sint…
Sircle Collection is a hotel developer and operator working across four European countries, with 13 hotels and 26 restaurants and bars. Already a sustainably-driven company, we supported Sircle in the development of an new organization-wide sustainability vision and strategy. In the process, Sircle…
The Landscape of the Circular Economy delves into the journey of material flows across landscapes, capturing the implications and opportunities in detailed illustrations. These drawings not only provide a comprehensive overview but also provoke essential questions about shaping our living environme…
Starprint Vietnam (SV), a key player in Vietnam's packaging industry, is spearheading a sustainability revolution. Partnering with Except Integrated Sustainability, SV utilizes the innovative Symbiosis in Development (SiD) framework to redefine its approach. This trajectory sees SV focusing on crea…
Regenerative Community Tokyo (RCT) is Japan's first sustainable knowledge institute, situated in Tokyo's new "SAAI" Wonder Working Community. Its mission is to tackle complex urban challenges through collaborative efforts that transcend traditional corporate and administrative boundaries. Except se…
The Hexagonal Living project introduces an innovative housing concept designed for small communities that prioritize self-sufficiency, environmental harmony, and integrated living. The hexagonal structure merges residential, agricultural, and ecological spaces into a seamless experience, allowing r…
What steps does a dedicated company take when it strives to deepen its sustainability efforts in the industry? This question came to life when Pizza 4P's, known for their commitment to sustainable practices in South-East Asia, partnered with us to enhance their strategic approach.
This project developed a roadmap of the meat processing sector in the Netherlands, including production and processing companies and their suppliers. We partnered with DNV, e…
Oct 2014
This project developed a roadmap of the meat processing sector in the Netherlands, inc…
A major challenge within the carpet manufacturing sector is securing the right resources to continue production. We partnered with MODINT and DNV and adopted system mapping a…
Apr 2014
A major challenge within the carpet manufacturing sector is securing the right resourc…
This project visually explores the Dutch wastewater sector moving toward 2030. It takes a closer look at the role of wastewater processing facilities in providing clean water…
Jul 2012
This project visually explores the Dutch wastewater sector moving toward 2030. It take…
The Merredin Spirulina plant is one of the first projects we applied systems thinking and our holistic, systemic approach to innovation, using ecology as the core driver. …
Jun 2001
The Merredin Spirulina plant is one of the first projects we applied systems thinking …
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