Employee portrait | Natalie van Nunen

Natalie van Nunen is an urban designer at Witteveen+Bos. Since 2023, she combines working in the Netherlands with stints in Dubai. Her goal: to be the link between Witteveen+Bos in the Netherlands and abroad.

Integrated design

‘As a child, I wanted to be a scientist because I wanted to understand how things work and how they could be different. My father and I used to take apart old electrical appliances. We’d look at their insides and then reassemble them. I have an aptitude for maths but also a creative side. Ultimately, I studied civil engineering at TU Delft.’

‘As an urban designer at Witteveen+Bos, I combine the creative with the technical. I devise and develop smart solutions for the design – or redesign – of urban environments. We approach design challenges holistically, explicitly investing in communication between the designers, stakeholders and project team. This ensures that we make a positive impact on people’s lives as well as on the environment. I find that incredibly valuable.’

Dubai and Singapore

‘I was born in South Africa and emigrated to the Netherlands when I was five. Witteveen+Bos has offices all over the world, which suits my international ambition. When an opportunity came along in Dubai, I seized it. I’m now in Dubai every few months, working on projects with colleagues in the Netherlands, Indonesia and Singapore as well as with those in Dubai. For an urban designer, Dubai and Singapore are fascinating because of the urban challenges they face, such as climate change.’

International link

‘The digital developments at our Dutch offices and those in our international offices have a lot in common. As a result, there’s a lot to be gained in terms of collaboration, exchange and talent development. My ambition is to be the link between the offices, knowledge and innovation in the Netherlands and our colleagues and projects abroad.  There’s value in connecting people from different corners of the world – together, we can achieve even more.’