Nico van der Laan (Leiden, April 17, 1908 - 's-Hertogenbosch, September 18, 1986) was a Dutch architect. His father, two brothers, Jan and Hans, and two of his sons, were also Dutch architects. Life and work Nico van der Laan graduated from the Technical High School (TH) in Delft in 1937. Together with his brother Hans, who entered the Benedictines in Oosterhout in 1927, he studied the general principles of architecture. After the Second World War Nico van der Laan became director of the Church Architecture Course in the Kruithuis in 's-Hertogenbosch (1946-1973), for which his brother Dom Hans van der Laan, among others, gave many lessons. Initially, ancient and Old Christian architecture was used as an example. From the mid-1950s, however, the course took on an increasingly personal signature and the Dutch architectural movement the Bossche School emerged from it. Among the most important churches by Nico van der Laan are the St. Johannes Geboorte in Nieuwkuijk (1949-55), the chapel of the Tiltenberg in Lisse (1951-53), the Sint-Martinuskerk in Gennep (1953-54). Many of Nico's church designs were created in close consultation with his brother Hans, who was two years older. For example, a sketch of the Gennep church by Dom Hans van der Laan has survived. Conversely, all of the Father's designs were drawn out at Nico's architectural office. Nico van der Laan had an architectural firm from 1946 that bore his name among others. (Source: Wikipedia May 2018)