On 9 June, I transferred my shares to partners David Kloet, Jasper Nijveldt, and Darius Reznek at the wonderful Veldschuur barn on the Jagtlust country estate in 's-Graveland. As of 1 July, I will continue as an independent advisor.

For almost 25 years I, alongside Bart Brands and other fantastic colleagues, have had the pleasure of building up Karres en Brands: an internationally operating design office specialized in landscape architecture, urban planning, public spaces, and architecture. We have been able and allowed to create beautiful and unique projects, never alone, but usually in a team that included clients, fellow architects, and builders. These include Federation Square in Melbourne, the Nieuwe Ooster cemetery in Amsterdam, the SMK museum garden in Copenhagen, the war cemetery in Loenen, the new Oberbillwerder district in Hamburg, the award-winning design for the Fløtingsmuseum in Fedsund, Norway, and many more.

I am proud of our office, our people, and our projects in which we always ventured off the beaten track. We have always sought innovation and challenges that combined the talents of independent individuals so that they were more than the sum of their parts.

Thanks to co-founder Bart Brands, managing director Lieneke van Campen, and the three partners who took office in 2018 – David Kloet, Jasper Nijveldt, and Darius Reznek – the office has a strong and solid foundation. This means that I can feel secure about Karres en Brands’ future as I leave my post. From now on, the abovementioned partners form the new management of Karres en Brands. They are supported by a fantastic and ambitious team of talented employees. I am grateful for all of the inspiring collaboration with colleagues and clients, and I wish Karres and Brands a wonderful future with many more incredible projects!

As an external advisor, I will keep being involved with Karres en Brands and a number of my current projects, including the exterior space at the Binnenhof – the Dutch Parliament complex - and its new entrance for the public. In addition, I will personally continue to handle a number of supervisory tasks. Above all, I hope to take on other opportunities and challenges within or outside our field. I am open to new challenges that come my way.

Sylvia Karres