About. 

Inventor, biodesigner and architect Bob Hendrikx strives to restore the parasitic relationship with humanity and its environment by expanding the horizon of human imagination and exploring living materials.

He believes in a world in which we work together with nature. A world in which our everyday objects become alive. Imagine living homes, self-healing T-shirts and bioluminescent streetlight.

Bob Hendrikx is the founder and inventor of the living coffin that turns humans into compost. His other works include growing world's first living home at the Dutch Design Week and buying a broken-down Detroit home for $1000 to make sustainable housing accessible for all.

Bob has been chosen as human of the year 2020 by VICE Media. His ambition is to empower and inspire people towards a living future by turning science-fiction into reality. Featured on (inter)national media platforms such as TEDx, Dezeen, BBC, Guardian, Futurism, WWF, United Nations, Fox News, NOS and NRC. #nature #science #design  

Being born and raised in Eindhoven - the city where Philips was founded - Bob saw the rise and transformation of a company and city in front of his eyes. He was fascinated by the movement of the urban fabric, and would ask his dad 'When will the city be ready?'. During his study of Architecture at the Technical University of Delft, Bob spend time in Detroit to experience not only the Henri Ford philosophy, but also to experience downfall (and rise) of a city in despair. 

Bob graduate from the Technical University of Delft on the 4th of July 2019 with a thesis on Living Architecture. During his Master Program, Bob was both part of the Faculty of Architecture as of the Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering. Following his curiosity, Bob managed to become part of the MIT Media Lab in Boston, USA. Similar to the TU Delft he holds the title of research affiliate here at the Community Biotechnology Initiative.

Awards & Exhibitions

A selection of Awards & Exhibitions of Bob Hendrikx work:
2022 - Albert de la Chapelle Art Foundation [Tammisaari, FI] 
2021 - Dutch Design Week 2021 - Dutch Design Awards [Eindhoven, NL]
2021 - Garden Expo Museum Tot Zover [Amsterdam, NL] 
2021 - 17th Venice Architecture Biennale Italian Virtual Pavilion [Venice, IT] 
2021 - Winner Philips Innovation Award [Amsterdam, NL] 
2021 - Mentioned VICE MEDIA Human of the Year 2020 - [NY, USA] 
2021 - Selected young talent by Dutch Financial Times [Amsterdam, NL]

2020 - Dutch Design Week 2020 - Selected for main building [Eindhoven, NL]
2020 - Cube Design Museum Solo Exhibition [Kerkrade, NL]
2020 - Spring Exhibition Verbeke Foundation [Antwerpen, BE] 
2019 - Dutch Design Week 2019 - Selected for main building [Eindhoven, NL]
2019 -10 day tour with Google X, NASA and Ycombinator [San Fran, USA]
2018 - Winner Pitch Competition All Energy Day [Leiden, NL]
2018 - Selected young sustainable pioneers of the Netherlands [Delft, NL]
2017 - TU Delft Student Inspiration Award [Delft, NL]  

Lectures

A selection of Lectures of Bob Hendrikx:
2021 - Urban Architecture Forum - Lecture [Moscow, RU]
2021 - MIT Media Lab Community Biotech - Lecture [Boston, USA]
2021 - Philips Innovation Award - Pitch [Amsterdam, NL] 
2021 - Judge at several events (eg. All Energy Day, YESDelft) [NL]
2021 - PVH Corporation - Lecture [Amsterdam, Netherlands]
2020 - Heijmans - Lecture [Rosmalen, Netherlands] 
2020 - TU Delft Architecture - Lecture [Delft, NL]  
2020 - Directorate-General for Public Works & Water Management - Lecture
2020 - Dutch Design Week 2020 - Lecture [Eindhoven, NL]
2020 - Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Germany [Berlin, DE]
2020 - TU Delft Industrial Design - Lecture [Delft, NL]  
2019 - TEDxAmsterdam - Lecture [Amsterdam, Netherlands]
2018 - TEDxAmsterdam Youth - Lecture [Amsterdam, Netherlands]
2018 - Detroit Athletic Club - Lecture [Detroit, USA] 
2018 - Big Improvement Day - Lecture [The Hague, NL] 

Publications

A selection of publications of Bob Hendrikx work:
2021 - Business Insider: These eco-friendly coffins making death less toxic
2021 - VICE: The Inventor Who Designed a Sustainable, Composting Coffin
2021 - Dezeen: Bob Hendrikx designs "living coffin" from mushroom mycelium
2021 - Guardian: First funeral held using ‘living coffin’ made of mushroom fibre
2021 - BBC: The 'living' coffins that recycle humans
2021 - NOS: Deze levende doodskist geeft je lichaam terug aan de natuur
2020 - DesignBoom: A Living Coffin
2020 - NRC: De opkomst van een levende doodskist
2020 - VPRO Mondo: TV Show
2019 - NRC - Hoe ziet het leven eruit in 2039?
2019 - RTLZ: Wonen we straks in huizen gemaakt van schimmels?
2018 - TijdvoorMax: TV Show
2018 - NRC: Hoe drie Nederlanders een duurzaam huis in Detroit
2017 - Washington Times - Dutch students turn Detroit blight into green home
2017 - Detroit News: Dutch students grow green home from Detroit blight
2016 - NOS: Delftse studenten kopen een huis in Detroit van één maand stufi