The five commandments of Nice Developers Developers Nice guys Robert and Mark strive for change, connection, and sustainability.

At the end of 2019, Robert Winkel and Mark Compeer presented themselves as Nice Developers: the friendly neighborhood developer. A shared interest in people, frustration with the current development climate, and a dose of entrepreneurial spirit brought them together. In 2021, their ambitions and motivations remain unchanged, but they have gained useful insights. They have an even clearer vision of where their field of work should be heading, a challenge they have summarized in five commandments that will lead to the desired progress. The result? An innovative project such as SAWA, with a strong identity, inclusivity, biodiversity, and room for connection.

'Nice guys' Robert and Mark exclusively build for a city where their children can grow up safely and where they themselves wish to grow old, so reads their statement. Specifically for future generations, they aim to contribute to healthy neighborhoods and cities. They have fulfilled this promise in recent years: they contributed to a healthier city precisely by not contributing 'a stone' (a play on words, meaning not building with traditional materials). Their first award-winning wooden building, SAWA, will soon rise in the heart of the Lloydkwartier, where architect Robert Winkel himself lives and works. In the same neighborhood, at Westzeedijk 467, the duo opened their own traditional Dutch pub: Nice Place. Why? Mark: "The pub was vacant, and we thought it would be nice to create a place here where we could welcome people. During the construction of SAWA, local residents can come here with questions."

Nice Place illustrates how Nice Developers : with humor and a clear vision of what suits a specific location.

You're guaranteed to leave here with a 'wooden head' (hangover), but that's not so much due to the SAWA beer on tap, but rather to the gentlemen's timber construction ambitions. Here at the bar, driven ambition, belief in good intentions, and witty jokes alternate. Robert: "Do you know what color that is on the ceiling? Nicotine yellow!" The color was deliberately chosen, as were the snake plants on the windowsill and the Persian rugs on the table. The bar stools with faux leather upholstery and the dartboard were also carefully selected to suit the place. And that's precisely how Robert and Mark operate: with refreshing humor and a clear vision of what suits a specific location, and why.

A remarkable start with SAWA

Although both gentlemen have successfully completed numerous projects – Robert has over 25 years of experience as a developing architect, and Mark has been working in area development for 15 years – the innovative residential building SAWA is their first joint achievement. However, it will only truly be successful once it stands. Robert: "It's great that we're receiving all sorts of awards, but its realization is a long journey of constantly one step forward, two steps back." It was certainly not the easiest path they chose, starting with a 50-meter-high residential building constructed entirely from wood. Mark: "The building will be constructed entirely from cross-laminated timber (CLT), which offers many advantages. The building is more sustainable because it stores CO² and its wood can be reused later. Furthermore, its construction time is shorter than building with concrete. The innovation in SAWA lies in the clever combination of design solutions and technical implementations." The result is a building with a load-bearing structure composed of over 90% wood. Robert: "That makes it challenging and fantastic at the same time. It was also received that way, with significant media attention and registrations from interested parties. That was a special start for us."

SAWA represents the sum of its parts, offering the desired change, connection, and sustainability.

SAWA is delivering on the bold promises Robert and Mark made at the start in 2019. "Too few rental properties are being built in Rotterdam for middle-income earners, but they are needed. We see opportunities there. Making a profit is not an end in itself for us. Of course, we have to earn money, but first and foremost, we want to work together to achieve great things that add value. By adding communal facilities, for example. And by building rental properties where people can live for €700 to €1,000 per month. That is not happening enough at the moment, and we want to fill that gap." With 50 rental properties in the mid-range segment and 59 private sector properties (rental and owner-occupied), Nice Developers is demonstrating Nice Developers SAWA that it can be done, if you want it enough. Robert: "Sustainable timber construction, lots of greenery for biodiversity and climate adaptability, a rooftop vegetable garden for the neighborhood, a zero EPC, and a good balance between rental and owner-occupied homes: SAWA is truly the sum of its parts."

Speaking of sharing: according to the gentlemen, every development should start from shared values. That is the most important of the five 'commandments' that are central to everything Nice Developers : Shared Values, Inclusivity, For the neighborhood, Innovation in Wood Construction, and Biodiversity.

Shared Values | engaging in dialogue and finding common ground

A project must always commence with shared values; everything that follows is a derivative of them, Robert believes. “This is how we approach the future, by continuously seeking connection based on shared values. These shared values become increasingly important when engaged in urban densification. Precisely when people live in such close proximity, it is crucial to find common ground. For me, the joy in what we do lies in giving something beautiful and beneficial back to the city, something that is needed and that many people appreciate. It is precisely there, in beauty and necessity, that urban dwellers connect. “Societal motivations play a significant role in our work, and this was also the case with SAWA. We seek partners and residents who share our perspective and values. While this is sometimes a struggle now – in the 'old' world, the focus is primarily on maximizing returns – the mindset on this is shifting. Soon, it will be the norm; everyone will recognize and share these values.”

Inclusivity | making and keeping housing accessible for everyone

Making housing accessible and affordable for all target groups—including professions that are essential to a city, such as police officers, nurses, and teachers—is an important goal for Nice Developers. Mark: “Inclusivity is a frequently heard term, but of course for good reason, because it is still too often lacking. It is difficult for people with low and middle incomes to find affordable housing in Rotterdam. This makes it all the more important to take everyone into account. That became our starting point, and with SAWA we are putting our money where our mouth is. Almost half of the 109 homes are mid-range rental properties.” Robert: “So we will soon see people from all walks of life in SAWA, and not just wealthy white people over the age of 60. SAWA should reflect the city.”

Want to meet Mark and Robert personally? Feel free to visit Nice Place. Email for a non-committal appointment.

For the Neighborhood | knowing where you live, work, and do business

The claim 'your friendly neighborhood developer' encapsulates the importance of the neighborhood. Mark: "We are residents ourselves and look at what we do through that lens. We are both fathers, and our children are growing up in this city. Partly for them—and all other children and young people—we ask ourselves what kind of city we want to leave behind for them and all future generations." With Nice Developers , Robert and Mark Nice Developers actively helping to Nice Developers the city in which they want their children to grow up and themselves to grow old. The duo believes that in order to be a good city for people, more attention must be paid to people in project and urban development. Robert: "The game is too often played by professionals who are distant from the neighborhoods in question, causing them to systematically overlook the people who live and work there." It is precisely this part, talking to local residents, that Robert and Mark enjoy. It gives them insight into how residents use their neighborhood and ideas about how they can make people's daily lives a little more enjoyable and easier with small interventions. Robert cites the playground that he and his wife created in their own neighborhood years ago as an illustration. Every day, he saw children playing there, including his own. It was obvious that SAWA would need a place for people to meet. The vegetable garden on the roof of the residential building will soon be directly connected to the existing Tuin op de Pier (Garden on the Pier). Robert: "We want to improve neighborhoods from the bottom up. SAWA is a result of that, just like our office pub Nice Place. They should become beacons for the neighborhood, where we gather ideas and experiences from the neighborhood. We hear things from local residents that we couldn't come up with ourselves." Robert chuckles as he explains that the idea for SAWA came about while talking to the neighborhood. "We are extremely transparent. As soon as we have an idea, we share it.”

Innovation in Timber Construction | the natural step forward

Building with timber seems so logical: it is faster, reduces CO₂-emissions and is easier to reuse than concrete. Yet the transition to timber construction in the Netherlands is not a foregone conclusion. Robert: "Wood construction has so many advantages and is also much more enjoyable than building with concrete. It is a natural product, it is alive!" Mark: "We need to reuse more and more, including in construction. When you crush concrete, you end up with concrete granules with limited reuse potential." Wood will continue to be valuable in the future, and Nice Developers to demonstrate that there is enough knowledge available to take the next step. Robert: "We can make a positive contribution to the climate crisis with this. You would think that timber construction would be encouraged, but nothing could be further from the truth. The construction world is lagging behind in terms of sustainability, but in order to move forward, someone has to want it and consider it important." Yet they do not call themselves idealists. "We are realists who want to show what is possible. We want to challenge the status quo, contribute to a long-term vision, and thereby contribute to a better future."

Biodiversity | the bee is not a trivial matter

Within this long-term vision, the gentlemen foresee a significant role for 'the new generation.' They hear the demand for what they aim to offer: the convergence point of shared values. Robert: “Biodiversity is so crucial. If bees become extinct, we will have no food. That realization does not seem to resonate with many people. Young people are much more conscious of this. The construction of SAWA would have been simpler and cheaper if we had omitted the vegetable garden and the kilometer of planters, but for us, this was essential. These are the elements that make the building literally and figuratively green. In an era where water retention and the reduction of heat stress are more important than ever, one is obliged to consider greening. As far as we are concerned, it's all or nothing, because it IS possible! This is how residential buildings in cities worldwide should look in the future.”

Five Commandments for Progress and Growth

With SAWA as its first challenging project, Nice Developers has chosen Nice Developers path of greatest resistance and progress. Robert affectionately refers to it as a bipolar project, but to be honest, they wouldn't have it any other way. The desire for innovation makes Robert and Mark consciously seek out the limits of what is possible, because that is where the challenge and the opportunity for progress and growth lie. That is where the added value lies, for people and the environment. That is where stacked ambition transforms into the sum of its parts, with a result packed with values that they prefer to share with others.