BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF W. WISSING (1920-2008) Willem Wissing was born in Rijswijk on September 27, 1920. From 1922 to 1926 he lived in Oosterbeek, after which the Wissing family moved to the city of Arnhem. Father Wissing traded at that time with Germany in weaving spools, tiles, sanitary ware, etc. However, during the crisis he went bankrupt and returned to the National Insurance Bank where he had previously been inspector for South Holland. He received another appointment, this time in Rotterdam. In 1927 the family moved to Rotterdam where Wissing went through the second and third grades of elementary school. In 1929, Wissing had to recuperate in the Eudokia Hospital due to a severe lung condition. His knowledge was brushed up by his father and by his mother who had been a teacher, so that later that year, staying with his grandparents, he was able to finish the third grade in Dirksland. In Rotterdam, Wissing completed the remaining three grades of elementary school and the Gymnasium. In 1939, Wissing began his studies in Technology at the Technical High School in Delft, where after a year he switched to Architecture. Interrupted by two years in hiding and employment in the German camp Nienburg (1943-1945), Wissing passed his candidate exam in July 1947 with a design for a youth hostel. He obtained his structural engineering diploma from Professor Zwiers in December 1948 with 'Museum aan het Plein 1813' and was the first in the Netherlands, in January 1949, to receive from Professor Froger the endorsement 'urban planning engineer.' This for 'Dennenkamp,' a competition for a new village center in Oosterbeek on the Dennenkamp. In late 1945, Wissing was one of the founders of the first action group of (architectural) students, Semper Spatium. This was a split off from the Architecture Study Circle of M.J. Granpré-Molière. Wissing was a member of the Roterdams Studenten Gezelschap during his student days. After obtaining his kandidaatsdiploma, Wissing joined Van Tijen in August 1947 for half weeks to finance the continuation of his studies. Wissing had great regard for Van Tijen and had a desire to become a public housing worker like Van Tijen. Wissing used the remaining days of the week to obtain his engineering degree. At Van Tijen, Wissing was inducted by Ernest Groosman and Jaap Schipper. Wissing took over some projects from both architects and during his graduation worked on the Babberspolder in Vlaardingen, Zuidwijk in Rotterdam-Zuid and the reconstruction of Velsen-IJmuiden. In Velsen, Wissing was immediately appointed supervisor and he would later remain involved with this municipality as chairman of the building standards committee until 1983. In September 1948, Wissing joined the Rotterdam group de Opbouw and the CIAM. At the time, Wissing lived in the Zuidplein flat next to Lotte Stam-Beese, Hans Hovens Greve and Wim Boer, all working at Stadsontwikkeling where Wissing was a familiar face by drawing at Zuidwijk. Wissing played an active role in the planning for Pendrecht, the E55 Alexanderpolder plan and Nagele. During the CIAM congresses, these plans were shown: the first Pendrecht plan in Bergamo (1949), Nagele in Hoddesdon (1951), the grid of the third Pendrecht plan in Aix-en-Provence (1953) and the model of the Alexanderpolder Plan III in Dubrovnik (1956). At the tenth congress in Dubrovnik, CIAM dissolved itself. Wissing, after the end of CIAM, belonged to Team X; a rejuvenated, more urban planning-oriented, international action group. Team X was founded in London in 1957 by Bakema, Wissing, Van Eyck and Rietveld, among others, along with Alison and Peter Smithson, Ove Arup and Volcker. Wissing was one of the organizers of the first and last Team-X congress in September 1959 in Otterlo. Special arrangements were made for Wissing, who functioned as an associate at Van Tijen and Maaskant. In 1949, Wissing was promised the partnership which, however, was always postponed. After a huge argument in December 1951 between Van Tijen and Maaskant, Wissing put pressure behind this promise. The title of independent architect he subsequently received was a preliminary stage for the title of partner. Maaskant in particular pushed hard to make good on this promise. July 1, 1952 is the official founding date of "Architecten- en Ingenieursbureau Van Tijen en Maaskant. Collaborating architect Ir. W. Wissing'. This created the opportunity for Wissing to work independently on projects within the firm. During the following years, several works were transferred to Wissing by both Van Tijen and Maaskant. Arrangements were made for financial completion. In 1955 Van Tijen and Maaskant officially parted ways, Wissing also started for himself with the "Bureau Wissing, architecture and urbanism. The fact that Wissing had not previously started his own firm was due to his need for interaction between architects. In the last three years that he worked as a collaborating architect with Van Tijen and Maaskant, however, he had already gathered nine men under him, so that in 1955 the transition to his own office gradually came about. The commissions with which Bureau Wissing began came from a variety of sources. In addition to its own acquired commissions, the bureau received works from Maaskant and Van Tijen, from Jan de Ranitz (Bodegraven and Barendrecht), from De 8 members such as Merkelbach (Nagele) and Mien Ruys (Bergeijk and Luyksgestel). Until October 1957, the Bureau Wissing had its office in the Groothandelsgebouw in Rotterdam, then moved into a new office with executive residence in Barendrecht. Ten years after its founding, the name of the bureau was changed to "Bureaux Wissing, architecture and urbanism. This had an organizational cause and was an expression of the idea that the design of the house stands in the totality of its surroundings. The term 'spatial design' appeared in the bureau name for the urban planning department, the name of the architecture department was expanded with the addition of 'efficient building methods'. The architectural department became a limited liability company in 1965, the urban planning department remained a private agency. The urban planning part changed to a private limited company in 1972 after which the architecture department followed suit. From this point on, shares were issued. In 1983, the organizational structure was changed to a holding company. The legal part of the firm, the legal planning consultancy, now became a separate branch. Previously, this department was part of the urban planning section. Wissing sold his shares in 1985 but served on the board of the holding company until May 1992. In September 1949, Wissing began teaching at the Academy of Architecture in Rotterdam (Voortgezet Bouwkundig Onderwijs). His lectures were titled "housing and residential district. For seven years he taught urban planning in Rotterdam, after which he supervised several final projects at the Academy of Architecture in Amsterdam. The lectures on "housing and residential neighborhood" are a result of the extensive research Wissing did in this area. Wissing did a lot of research in the field of urban planning, housing and efficient building methods. This interest resulted, among other things, in several choice plan houses, the system school 'Lage Landen' and written pieces on densities and linear developments, among other things. He regularly published about his buildings and ideas. In 1983 he compiled his ideas on the dwelling of the future. He immersed himself in the theories and systems of others. Wissing worked on many regional and urban plans for various regions and municipalities. As an architect, he focused primarily on housing, on the infill of his urban designs. Thousands of his choice plan single-family houses (types A5, A6 and A7) were built and just as many choice plan storey houses in system construction (B1007). It was of importance to Wissing that he made, in principle free of charge, all the subdivisions for his housing plans. Wissing also had properties under his own management under the N.V. Bouwlust. He was co-owner of Residentie Den Beiaard in Borgerhout, Belgium. Together with Kok Group Belgium N.V., he leased the apartments and retail properties. On January 1, 1980, the Bureaux Wissing joined the consortium Multi Industries & Technology Inc. The consortium had a branch office in Jakarta for acquisition and as executor of contracts, namely building 14,000 housing units for the satellite city of Rajabassa, a project for development aid in Lampung. Plans were made for this project but ultimately failed. During his career, as well as afterwards, Wissing was a member of many associations and served on several committees. The following are some of his memberships and appointments. Wissing became a member of the Bond Nederlandse Architecten (BNA) and the Bond Nederlandse Stedebouwkundigen (BNS) immediately after graduation. In 1954, Van Tijen and Wissing published two articles related to building density in the Tijdschrift voor Volkshuisvesting en Stedebouw, the organ of the BNS. As a result of this publication, Wissing was asked by the BNS to continue his studies on the Committee on Building Densities. Moreover, he was asked by urban planners S.J. van Embden and J. de Ranitz to do so within the "Standing Committee" of the International Federation for Housing and Planning (IFHP). Meanwhile, international contacts had led to the founding of its own International Association of Urban Designers (IVVS). The name by which this association became known was initially Association Internationale des Urbanistes (AIU). Some years later, Wissing and Ir. Thomas Nix came up with the English name International Society of City and Regional Planning (ISoCaRP). From 1965 to 1970 this organization can be called AIU, after that it speaks of ISoCaRP. In March 1956, the first meeting was held of the "Randstad and Delta" study committee, also part of the BNS. The committee met in the conference room of the South Holland Provincial Planning Department. Wissing was appointed in 1957 as a member of the "Vaste Commissie voor de Streekplannen" of the South Holland Provincial Planning Service, of which he was a member until 1982. In 1956 and 1960, Wissing served as treasurer of the BNS. From 1961 to 1987 he served on the Fee Committee, an arbitration body for problems between BNS members among themselves or with their clients. In 1953, Wissing became a member of the Zoning Manual Committee of the Netherlands Institute of Spatial Planning and Housing (NIROV). In 1956, he became a member of the Expansion Plans Manual Committee and the High-rise-Low-rise Building Committee, both also part of NIROV. Wissing was also a member of the Subgroup on Building Densities and Land Costs, established in 1958, and of the Subcommittee on Urban Design-Architectural Aspects. In October 1985, Wissing was one of the co-founders of the NIROV group "Free Integralists in Spatial Planning (VIRO)" and took a seat in the EUROPA working group. In addition to the building standards committee in Velsen, Wissing served on several building standards committees. From 1956 he was, among other things, chairman of the Bodegraven standards committee. In November 1989 Wissing succeeded the Dordrecht architect Kees Rouw as chairman of the Monument Committee Dordrecht. From 1990 to 1993 Wissing was acting chairman of the Welstandscommissie Dordrecht. In 1991, he was appointed chairman of the Subcommittee on Protected Cityscape in Dordrecht. From 1991, Wissing acted as chairman of the Monument Committee Barendrecht on behalf of Heemschut. Besides serving on various standards committees, Wissing was active as an urban planner for various municipalities. The archive contains documents relating to Architectura et Amicitia from 1958-1978. Wissing was one of its members. In 1966, an organizational framework called Linear City-Cité Linéaire-Bandstad developed within Architectura et Amicitia. Wissing had already done research in the area of band city developments or band-like subdivision forms. In late 1966, Wissing established a working group to prepare a work plan on Linear City that would deal with linear developments in the Netherlands. From 1958 to 1983, Wissing was one of the editors of the journal Volkshuisvesting en Stedebouw. Wissing also served as editor of the journal De Ingenieur, organ of the Royal Institute of Engineers, and of Bulletin, the organ of ISoCaRP. Wissing was appointed to the South Holland Visual Arts and Architecture Committee (part of the South Holland Cultural Council). In addition, Wissing served on the Energy Committee of the Spatial Planning Council (RARO). In 1971, Wissing was asked to join the Comité Protecteur of the Association Internationale des Amis de Le Corbusier. During the 1951 CIAM Congress in Hoddeston, Wissing was "adjoint" to Le Corbusier (1887-1965) whom he had met before. With this society, Wissing made several trips to Le Corbusier's architectural and urban planning projects. Wissing was named Officer in the Order of Orange-Nassau (1969) and Knight in the Order of the Dutch Lion (1985).