ABOUT

Hedwig Heinsman presents Tiny Penthouses at La Biennale di Venezia

Venice, May 2025 — Artist, architect, and entrepreneur Hedwig Heinsman has been invited to present her project Tiny Penthouses at the 19th International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia, curated by Carlo Ratti.

Tiny Penthouses introduces an urban strategy that addresses urgent global challenges—climate change, housing shortages, and social fragmentation—by adding adaptive living spaces on top of existing buildings. The project references Le Corbusier’s Plan Voisin but radically reverses its premise: rather than demolishing and rebuilding, it proposes building on and collaborating with the existing cityscape.

At the heart of Heinsman’s approach lies the concept of 'radically reincarnating' architecture: structures and building elements produced with 3D printing technology from recycled materials, which after use can be shredded and reprinted into new constructions. Architecture thus becomes a continuously evolving organism rather than a static end result.

Heinsman shapes the temporary manifestations of these structures into luminous sculptures. From a distance, they appear as lamps and lighting objects; up close, they reveal themselves as mock-ups and detailed maquettes of Tiny Penthouses, projecting their floorplans. These autonomous light objects invite imagination, dialogue, and wonder.

At the Biennale, Heinsman presents Tiny Penthouse 02—a proposal for creating housing for art students atop the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam—along with a full-scale 3D-printed wall. This striking wall, with its round and tactile forms, has already earned the affectionate nickname 'Tette Wall' (Titty Wall) among Biennale visitors.

Location: Arsenale, Corderia. Section ‘Artificial’ - area 73

BIO

Hedwig Heinsman is an artist, architect, and entrepreneur. She is the co-founder of Aectual, the leading platform for 3D-printed circular architecture made from recycled waste materials, praised by Forbes as "The Ultimate Upcycling Approach." Aectual collaborates globally with brands such as Hermès, Tiffany & Co., MVRDV, and Patricia Urquiola, with investment partners including Tony Fadell’s BUILD Fund, AKEF, and DOEN Participaties.

Previously, Heinsman co-founded DUS Architects, known for pioneering projects like the 3D Print Canal House. DUS' work has been shown internationally, including at the V&A Museum and the Rijksmuseum, and has won multiple awards, including the Amsterdam Prize for the Arts.

Heinsman holds a cum laude master’s degree in architecture from Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, and also studied at Aalto University in Helsinki, Finland.

A recognized voice in architecture and innovation, she has been featured in media outlets including BBC, Al Jazeera, Op1, DWDD, Frankfurter Allgemeine, and Dutch Vogue.

Heinsman explores the city as a transformable canvas, blurring the boundaries between architecture, design, and art. With her solo project Tiny Penthouses, she invites a rethinking of how we build and live together: flexible, circular, and rich in imagination.