Let our building be a sanctuary for your ideas, a catalyst for your collaborations, and a home for your transformation.
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It was founded by Maurits van Hoogevest, a fifth-generation builder whose experience in traditional development led him to a radical question: What if we stopped building for capital and started building for community, ecology, and future generations?
In 2021, Building The New helped bring Common Woods to life, a neighborhood bordering the Nimmerdor forest reserve in Amersfoort.
Built entirely from timber, powered by shared renewable energy, and designed to strengthen rather than sever our connection to nature, Common Woods became proof that another way of living was possible.
The Building stands at the southern edge of this neighborhood, where the forest begins. It is a place where the inner work of transformation meets the outer work of regeneration.
The world is facing intertwined ecological, social, and economic crises. Old systems are no longer serving life - they extract rather than regenerate, divide rather than connect.
At this moment, transformation requires more than good intentions. It requires spaces where people can slow down, reflect, reconnect, and develop the clarity needed for lasting change.
The Building exists because inner growth and systemic change cannot be separated. Leaders, changemakers, artists, and communities need places where reflection becomes action - and action becomes sustainable transformation.
We believe in a world where personal growth inspires action that regenerates communities, ecosystems, and society.
We envision a world where ecological restoration fuels economies. Regeneration as an operating system, rather than damage control.
Human and ecological systems thrive through relationship. Connection is not a luxury - it is the foundation of collective intelligence. We strengthen the ties between people, places, communities and bioregions.
We do not seek cosmetic change. We aim to redesign the underlying architectures - cultural, economic, ecological and governance layers - that shape society.
Change must be felt, not only described. Embodiment integrates mind, body, land and story. Experience transforms information into understanding, and understanding into wisdom.
The work produces replicable models for regenerative living. Communities where balance between people, nature, and economy becomes reality. Each project serves as proof, then template, building momentum for systemic change.
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Building The New creates residential neighbourhoods where people, nature, and economy work in balance. Through regenerative development, leadership retreats, and community initiatives, the organization turns vision into reality rather than reports or plans.
The Building is a direct expression of that mission - a space for the inner work that makes outer transformation sustainable.
After Common Woods demonstrated that another way of living was possible, The Building became the permanent home for continued experimentation, collaboration, and systemic reimagining.
Here, ideas grow into projects and projects into communities, making The Building a living prototype of Building The New’s vision.
Founder & Director
Head of Operations
Head of Communication
Facilities Assistant
Massage Therapist
Maurits van Hoogevest | Founder & Director
“For me, stillness shows up when I step away from the noise - in the woods, in front of fire, in the moment itself. Two things you might not expect: I’ve always wanted to make a film, and if I could do it all over again, I’d love to be a modern ballet dancer. Give me a day off and I just get restless - turns out doing nothing is harder than it looks.
Something I live by:
Favourite words: Anything by Daniel Christian Wahl - a thinker who weaves regenerative design with deep ecology in a way that actually feels possible.”
Evelien Wilting | Head of Operations
“On mornings when my partner takes the kids out, I do my rounds through the garden, check the flowers, and feed the chickens. That’s where I come back to myself. Same goes for an ice-cold lake on a warm day with the sun glistening on the water. One thing to know about me: I cannot nót organize something. Friends’ weekends, retreats, kids’ festivals, raves, funerals - bringing people together is second nature.
Something I live by: Nothing beats a family picnic or a dance floor marathon
Favourite words: Braiding Sweetgrass - by Robin Wall Kimmerer”
Liv Stig | Head of Communication
When my kids are asleep and I can hear the trees whisper in my garden, silence shows up and slows the world. For me, it only exists in contrast to sound. Fun facts: my favourite food is vanille vla from ‘de Weerribben’, and I only listen to macho Latin American music when I’m home alone. Free afternoons consist of playing the guitar, laying tarot cards, drinking cacao, or reading - doing nothing is something I haven’t quite mastered.
Something I live by: Learn to do a little less, a little more often
Favourite words: Anything by Alba de Céspedes - a feminist avant-la-lettre with a brilliant mind and a wicked sense of humour.
Aga Masazystka | Massage Therapist
Being alone, without rush or noise or expectation, is where I come home. Usually in nature, or just by sitting in silence - although a good massage can take me there too. You’ll find me at my happiest walking with my dogs, listening to music for hours swapping new discoveries with my husband, or cooking something nourishing.
Something I live by: No plan, no pressure.
Favourite words: Women Who Run With the Wolves - by Clarissa Pinkola Estés
