Cocktails & Conversations: Dikkie Scipio of KAAN Architecten

Cocktails & Conversation is a series of dialogues about design that brings an architect together with a critic, journalist, curator, teacher, or colleague to discuss current architecture and urban design issues. For this program, Dikkie Scopio of KAAN Architecten in Rotterdam will discuss how the selection of materials, the craft of assembly, and impact of the environment shape her firm’s projects. She will be joined in conversation with Claire Weisz, FAIA, Founding Principal of WXY, over a custom-crafted cocktail to be enjoyed by all attendees. A cocktail for each attendee is included in the ticket price.

Speaker:
Dikkie Scipio, Co-founder, KAAN Architecten

Moderator:
Claire Weisz, FAIA, Hon. FRAIC; Founding Principal WXY

About the Speakers:
Dikkie Scipio is one of the founding partners at KAAN Architecten, a design firm based in Rotterdam with additional studios in Paris and São Paulo. Educated at the Rotterdam Academy of Architecture and Urban Design and the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague, Dikkie is also trained in furniture and industrial design, leading to a particular focus on craftmanship within architecture. Engaged with the expressive potential of materials, she is Professor of Architectural Design at the Münster School of Architecture in Germany. Among her award-winning projects is the renovation and expansion of the Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Antwerp (Belgium), honored with a special commendation from the European Museums of the Year Awards in 2024. In 2023, she was named International Woman Architect of the Year by the Prix des Femmes Architectes in France, recognizing her leadership in both architectural practice and public discourse.

Claire Weisz is a Founding Principal of WXY, a New York based studio globally recognized for its community-centered approach to design, as well as a co-founder and former co-executive director of The Design Trust for Public Space. Her firm’s work has been recognized with numerous awards, most recently for the Storm King Art Center’s Welcome Pavilions and was honored as the AIA NY State Firm of the Year in 2016. Claire was awarded the prestigious Medal of Honor by AIANY in 2018, named one of Fast Company’s Most Creative People in Business in 2017, honored with the Women in Architecture Award by Architectural Record in 2019, and recognized as ENR’s New York Legacy Award Winner in 2024.