Don Murphy knows what he’s talking about. He came to Amsterdam 20 years ago and stayed. Here he encountered a society in upheaval. A lust for life everywhere and an unbridled desire to dare to try new things, not out of boredom but rather necessity. Space in the Netherlands is a precious resource, whether developed or not. Land is valuable and protected at all costs from drowning in seawater with all the technology available. More than 25 per cent of the Netherlands is below sea level. Development and city planning are a part of the survival of the entire society. The future has already begun here. Don Murphy feels comfortable in these changing times, and has been a prominent figure in theorising new concepts for years. He teaches worldwide as a professor, lecturer or simply works as a commissioned architect.
Don Murphy quickly learned that what he wants as an architect could only be executed when he successfully influenced his clients and their opinions strongly from the beginning. He does this effortlessly, it seems – his intensity and expertise are outstanding. He is a passionate debater but never loses himself in unimportant technical jargon, rather always presents his arguments understandably. He even wrote a book about it: self-presentation and the importance of salesmanship for architects. A book that made him very unpopular with his colleagues, due to the fact that it calls the classical understanding of an architect in question.
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Don Murphy’s recommended locations for Amsterdam: