Anyone worked in Rotterdam? I am preparing to work there in the summer of next year. Trying to gather some information on costs of living, estimated salary for architects, and other than OMA are there any other interesting firms to work for? Thanks for the comments!!!!
I worked there for a while. I lived outside of the city, but rent will - like any large city - vary a lot according to which area you live in (and where you work will probably dictate this). I'd say for a room you'd be looking at about €250 - 400 and for a flat about €450 - €650. As I say, it varies a lot and you can find many outside of those estimations.
If you are looking to research a bit, I recommend http://www.rotsvast.nl/. You can select English at the top if you're not too hot on Dutch.
In terms of interesting firms - there are tons! NOX shares the building of OMA but other than that, try looking on the NAi website. It's a great resourse.
if you're willing to ride your bike further, you can find an anti-squatting deal for typically 1/3 the price of normal rent. Though you have to be willing to put up with the possibility of 48 hours notice to move out, and lessened rights as a tenant.
If you rent in Schiedam (just west of R'Dam) you don't have to register with the city when you move in. Its a quiet small city with charm but perhaps too quiet and family-oriented for some. The southestern side of the city has lots of anti-squatting opportunities but its probably far from where you'll be working.
I was there last summer working at AVL, which is cool if you want to be doing more sculptural work/manual labor. Nio, sputnik, and lots of other smaller but exciting firms are all over rotterdam. OMA is huge and you work all the time for little pay... so you don't get much free time to travel around the country to see architecture, which is perhaps one of the best benefits of working in holland. Nuetlings Riedijk is another big firm with lots of projects all over holland.
People in holland are super friendly and most seem excited about the possibility of renting or sharing a flat with international interns or students, so dont be afraid to contact as many people as you can. They are also very used to architecture interns from all over the world looking for jobs and rooms.
also try http://www.kamernet.nl/ for rooms
and http://www.architectenkeuze.nl/ or http://www.nai.nl/e/visitors/sheet_architect.html for firms.
Try the now-ubiquitous craigslist for housing listings. There were a couple of postings last spring/summer about this topic, too, so check old posts for more info.
Rotterdammers are tough people. They're not known in the Netherlands as the nicest, so don't be put off by their behavior. I've felt pretty intimidated the few times I've been there.
Maybe we'll bump into each other... I hope to be at AVL myself this summer. Was it worthwhile, Doug?
it was crazy...we didnt speak Dutch, the people working at the Chineese place didnt speak any English. Needless to say I had some pankuchen and a fat joint later that night
squaresquared,
it was totally worth it for me, but others don't always have such a good time. its hard work and they have their way of doing things. Rotterdammers and the dutch in general seemed to be very straightforward... no beating around the bush or putting things in a nice easy way when it comes to communication, and this is very much the case at AVL.
when you get confirmation that you will be working there this summer, send me an email at hawtrainer at gmail dot com and i'll give you some more tips and details.
if yuo're gonna work with oma, they can probably provide some housing options to you, as there are always interns coming and leaving, you could probably find some other intern roommates, i guess this also works for some of the other firms mentioned...
oma is 400euros/month and after 4 months it s 600
if yuo're gonna work with oma, they can probably provide some housing options to you, as there are always interns coming and leaving, you could probably find some other intern roommates, i guess this also works for some of the other firms mentioned...
oma is 400euros/month and after 4 months it s 600
rent should be under 400 wherever you go... you ll be provided food all day long, and have no more time to spend money unless on some very late night drinks, which are quiet cheap too...
Thanks alot for the feedback, especially on the housing. Although, registering with the city? Is this for all foreigners?
OMA 400e/mo!! That is close to poverty!!! Is that wage about the going rate for most quality firms in Rotterdam? Also, what is the situation for knowing Dutch?
AVL is 200euro/month if you are a student... 150/month if you are not a student. Though sometimes you can get a bonus if you work it into your contract BEFORE you sign it.
400euro/month would have been nice... holland is not cheap. Shop for groceries at BAS.
i lived in schiedam so i didn't have to mess with any of the registration stuff, and i think some of the interns i worked with who did live in the city just chose to not register. Apparently its a way for the city to keep track of how many people are livng in each flat, to prevent fire safety issues with too many people sharing an apartment. Several other people told me its a way to keep track of the growing immigrant population, which the current conservative-ish gov't isn't very happy about. I don't know what the exact rules or procedures are, but ask your landlord and flatmates about it when you get there.
My two cents: if you're an American citizen, don't bother registering with the city if you'll be staying three months or less (maximum allowable time to visit on a vacation). They have gotten tighter with immigration laws and rules since 9/11 and also since the murder of Theo van Gogh. They may require you to get a work permit or residence permit, which is a long process (and a nightmare!). Dealing with the aliens' police certainly was a nightmare for me when I lived there. You might want to ask at the firm where you end up working, too, to see if they have specific details about registering or about visa requirements.
As for the pay: Some firms in New York give you "subway money", if anything at all, in exchange for summer employment. Don't feel too bad about the potentially low salary.
One more thing: Steer clear of all restaurants, not just Chinese. They're really expensive in Holland.
i dont know about having to speak dutch to work in a firm in the nederlands but i know on the street and in stores you dont really need to speak dutch unless you feel people are talking about you and you need to know what they are saying...
-keep us posted on how you are doing w/ this whole thing ... i would love to live/work there someday...like i said i LOVE this city!!! good luck!
the first meal i ate after ariving in the nederlands was a huge pankake the size of a plate w/ strips of bacon inside of the pankake. the bacon was soggy and the pankake was super thin...agghh nasty but so good....must of been the phatty we blazed before we ate
-the OJ was by far the best i have ever had...tons of pulp...mmmm!
-i think i ate french fries every nite walking back from the bars/hash bars to rotterdam central...theres a little stand outside the station...
BTW how the hell do you put mayo on your fries...now that is fuckin gross!!!
-sidenote- does anyone know if they tore down the bus station out side of rotterdam central...the big green trangular shaped roof...i think designed by koolhas - i think it might of gotten torn down recently b/c of a renovation project...yes/no/mabe so???
for accomodation you can always call Vliegenthart, he more or less provides all the housing/rooms for the international architure community in R'dam. He's a bit of a character but most of the time everything works out fine, hiss cell nr. is 06-53551625
Working in Rotterdam?
Anyone worked in Rotterdam? I am preparing to work there in the summer of next year. Trying to gather some information on costs of living, estimated salary for architects, and other than OMA are there any other interesting firms to work for? Thanks for the comments!!!!
I worked there for a while. I lived outside of the city, but rent will - like any large city - vary a lot according to which area you live in (and where you work will probably dictate this). I'd say for a room you'd be looking at about €250 - 400 and for a flat about €450 - €650. As I say, it varies a lot and you can find many outside of those estimations.
If you are looking to research a bit, I recommend http://www.rotsvast.nl/. You can select English at the top if you're not too hot on Dutch.
In terms of interesting firms - there are tons! NOX shares the building of OMA but other than that, try looking on the NAi website. It's a great resourse.
Good luck!
if you're willing to ride your bike further, you can find an anti-squatting deal for typically 1/3 the price of normal rent. Though you have to be willing to put up with the possibility of 48 hours notice to move out, and lessened rights as a tenant.
If you rent in Schiedam (just west of R'Dam) you don't have to register with the city when you move in. Its a quiet small city with charm but perhaps too quiet and family-oriented for some. The southestern side of the city has lots of anti-squatting opportunities but its probably far from where you'll be working.
I was there last summer working at AVL, which is cool if you want to be doing more sculptural work/manual labor. Nio, sputnik, and lots of other smaller but exciting firms are all over rotterdam. OMA is huge and you work all the time for little pay... so you don't get much free time to travel around the country to see architecture, which is perhaps one of the best benefits of working in holland. Nuetlings Riedijk is another big firm with lots of projects all over holland.
People in holland are super friendly and most seem excited about the possibility of renting or sharing a flat with international interns or students, so dont be afraid to contact as many people as you can. They are also very used to architecture interns from all over the world looking for jobs and rooms.
also try http://www.kamernet.nl/ for rooms
and http://www.architectenkeuze.nl/ or http://www.nai.nl/e/visitors/sheet_architect.html for firms.
go for it and best of luck!
MVRDV is another great firm based in Rotterdam.
Try the now-ubiquitous craigslist for housing listings. There were a couple of postings last spring/summer about this topic, too, so check old posts for more info.
Rotterdammers are tough people. They're not known in the Netherlands as the nicest, so don't be put off by their behavior. I've felt pretty intimidated the few times I've been there.
Maybe we'll bump into each other... I hope to be at AVL myself this summer. Was it worthwhile, Doug?
i had the worst meal of my life in Rotterdam..dirty Chineese food
WEST 8 IS LITTLE MORE URBANISH BUT EXTREMELY COOL!!!
-I LOVE THIS CITY - IT SHOULD BE THE PROTOTYPE OF EVERY MODERN CITY OUT THERE!!!
BTW NEVER EAT CHINESSE FOOD IN THE NEDERLANDS.....AGHHHH!!!
it was crazy...we didnt speak Dutch, the people working at the Chineese place didnt speak any English. Needless to say I had some pankuchen and a fat joint later that night
actually rotterdam is dutch for greasy chinese food, beware!!!
squaresquared,
it was totally worth it for me, but others don't always have such a good time. its hard work and they have their way of doing things. Rotterdammers and the dutch in general seemed to be very straightforward... no beating around the bush or putting things in a nice easy way when it comes to communication, and this is very much the case at AVL.
when you get confirmation that you will be working there this summer, send me an email at hawtrainer at gmail dot com and i'll give you some more tips and details.
if yuo're gonna work with oma, they can probably provide some housing options to you, as there are always interns coming and leaving, you could probably find some other intern roommates, i guess this also works for some of the other firms mentioned...
oma is 400euros/month and after 4 months it s 600
if yuo're gonna work with oma, they can probably provide some housing options to you, as there are always interns coming and leaving, you could probably find some other intern roommates, i guess this also works for some of the other firms mentioned...
oma is 400euros/month and after 4 months it s 600
rent should be under 400 wherever you go... you ll be provided food all day long, and have no more time to spend money unless on some very late night drinks, which are quiet cheap too...
Thanks alot for the feedback, especially on the housing. Although, registering with the city? Is this for all foreigners?
OMA 400e/mo!! That is close to poverty!!! Is that wage about the going rate for most quality firms in Rotterdam? Also, what is the situation for knowing Dutch?
AVL looks like an interesting shop!
the 400 euro/month figure is normal for interns
salary for an architect with 0-3 years experience would be in the 1500-2000 euros/month. could be less if an office tried it on and you accepted.
AVL is 200euro/month if you are a student... 150/month if you are not a student. Though sometimes you can get a bonus if you work it into your contract BEFORE you sign it.
400euro/month would have been nice... holland is not cheap. Shop for groceries at BAS.
i lived in schiedam so i didn't have to mess with any of the registration stuff, and i think some of the interns i worked with who did live in the city just chose to not register. Apparently its a way for the city to keep track of how many people are livng in each flat, to prevent fire safety issues with too many people sharing an apartment. Several other people told me its a way to keep track of the growing immigrant population, which the current conservative-ish gov't isn't very happy about. I don't know what the exact rules or procedures are, but ask your landlord and flatmates about it when you get there.
I agree with what Doug has said above...
My two cents: if you're an American citizen, don't bother registering with the city if you'll be staying three months or less (maximum allowable time to visit on a vacation). They have gotten tighter with immigration laws and rules since 9/11 and also since the murder of Theo van Gogh. They may require you to get a work permit or residence permit, which is a long process (and a nightmare!). Dealing with the aliens' police certainly was a nightmare for me when I lived there. You might want to ask at the firm where you end up working, too, to see if they have specific details about registering or about visa requirements.
As for the pay: Some firms in New York give you "subway money", if anything at all, in exchange for summer employment. Don't feel too bad about the potentially low salary.
One more thing: Steer clear of all restaurants, not just Chinese. They're really expensive in Holland.
your bicycle will be your best friend.
rotterdam is actually a turkish city, don't forget that. and turkish pizzas with ayran f'in rule.
public restrooms apparently are unnecessary. for men.
work at mvrdv, they are friendly people. at least when i was there.
consider living in delft, there are lots of student housing options, and it's a 45 min ride from the city by bike, 15 by train.
good luck!
can you still get doener's in the NL or were all the turks run out?
i dont know about having to speak dutch to work in a firm in the nederlands but i know on the street and in stores you dont really need to speak dutch unless you feel people are talking about you and you need to know what they are saying...
-keep us posted on how you are doing w/ this whole thing ... i would love to live/work there someday...like i said i LOVE this city!!! good luck!
the first meal i ate after ariving in the nederlands was a huge pankake the size of a plate w/ strips of bacon inside of the pankake. the bacon was soggy and the pankake was super thin...agghh nasty but so good....must of been the phatty we blazed before we ate
-the OJ was by far the best i have ever had...tons of pulp...mmmm!
-i think i ate french fries every nite walking back from the bars/hash bars to rotterdam central...theres a little stand outside the station...
BTW how the hell do you put mayo on your fries...now that is fuckin gross!!!
-sidenote- does anyone know if they tore down the bus station out side of rotterdam central...the big green trangular shaped roof...i think designed by koolhas - i think it might of gotten torn down recently b/c of a renovation project...yes/no/mabe so???
Yep, the triangle is gone, they're building a new station. Maybe the first Koolhaas that has been pulled down...
for accomodation you can always call Vliegenthart, he more or less provides all the housing/rooms for the international architure community in R'dam. He's a bit of a character but most of the time everything works out fine, hiss cell nr. is 06-53551625
weAREtheSTONES:
Are you working for West 8?
I just sent them an application and would love to come work there.
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