Soda is based in Arnhem and led by Ronald Buïel and Jorrit Noyons.
Buïel (1967, NL) and Noyons (1963, NL), both educated at ArtEZ, have been working together since 1999. Within Soda, Buïel has a broad expertise regarding the renovation and the redevelopment of (monumental) buildings, especially when it comes to museums. Recurring themes in his work are integrating both the existing values of a building and its surroundings, as well as the museum's and collection's specific story - both from the perspective of maximising the visitor experience. Buïel is also a regular guest lecturer at the Reinwardt Academy and the Heritage Academy.
Within Soda, Jorrit Noyons, who also studied at the Willem de Kooning Academy (Rotterdam) in addition to ArtEZ, is the designer pur sang. Leading principles in Noyons' work are art direction and concept development, in which she combines distinct form- and image concepts with a clear handwriting. Besides her many years of experience as a designer, Noyons has a strong affinity with visual art. She combines both in exhibition designs in which a clear (visual) narrative is the starting point and in which the visitor experience is key.
Soda's clients are institutions, companies and private customers. Amongst these, Soda has specialized in museums. Depending on the scale and the content of a project, Soda assembles a skilled team from a pool of professionals and firms - people and companies with whom Soda has worked for many years. This allows Soda to cover the entire process: from analysis, statement of requirements and designing, to project management and superintendence.
Associated team members:
Jerry Klok
Architect and project manager, specialised in heritage and museums
Jerry Klok (1965, CAN) studied HTS Bouwkunde (Arnhem). Subsequently, he worked as a structural engineer at an architectural consultancy firm. He then progressed to project leader/manager, specialised in the redevelopment of monumental buildings such as for Landgoed de Vanenburg (Putten). In 2009, he founded the construction consultancy firm 'Driepas'. His activities have since concentrated on both building management and project management tasks for museums and cultural institutions (such as Centraal Museum Utrecht and Tivoli Vredenburg), as well as transitions of monumental buildings (such as Fort de Gagel, Utrecht).
Berend-jan Engbers
Interior designer/architect and 3d animator
Trained as an interior architect at ArtEZ (Enschede) and with a professional background in architecture, Berend-jan Engbers (1972, NL) runs his own design practice 'Engbers Design, Bureau for Interior Architecture' since 2002. He has developed a broad expertise in the fields of design, creative insights, technical drawing, and digital visualisations.
Rutger Zwanepol
Energetica advice, installation consultant specialised in heritage and museums
Rutger Zwanepol (1983, NL) was educated in Electrical Engineering (SBBO Leusden) and Mechanical Engineering (Deltion, Zwolle). He also studied Technical Business Administration (Saxion University, Enschede), which enables him to connect technical content to process and management issues. After working as an installation consultant and business manager at an installation consultancy firm, among others, he started 'Energetica-advies' in 2020. Since then, he mainly operates as installation consultant for complex assignments such as investigating installation problems in museums, as well as designing technical installations for museums and other monumental buildings. Due to his involvement in projects such as the Centraal Museum Utrecht (analysis of existing technology and design of new situation) and the Stedelijk Museum Schiedam (integrated building analysis, installation design and supervision of implementation), he has gained extensive experience in the challenges associated with the often complex technology in such buildings.
Caro Delsing
Art historian and project manager, specialised in the management of exhibitions
Caro Delsing (1966, NL) studied Art History (Utrecht University) and Art Management (Amsterdam School of the Arts). After working as an advisor and a manager at an expertise centre for the arts, among other things, she founded 'Buro Delsing' in 2009. Since then, she is primarily active as project manager for (visual) art projects. Among other things, Delsing worked for the Rijksmuseum and was the project manager for large-scale (international) exhibitions such as Sonsbeek International and the Gelderland Biennial, in which she combines management experience with substantive and strategic insight.
Pieter Aartsen
Designer, specialised in exhibition design
Pieter Aartsen (1963, NL) studied architectural design at the AKI (Enschede). He worked as an independent designer until 1995 and subsequently as a designer at Donald Janssen Ontwerpers until 1999. Here, he became familiar with the museum sector and made the move to museum Naturalis (Leiden). At Naturalis, he realised a large number of diverse, also international, exhibitions and furnishings. From 1997 to 2019, he was a core team member with regard to the development and design of the new museum Naturalis. In 2020, he started his own design studio, 'studio-PA2'. Designing narrative spaces is and remains an interesting subject for him.
Esther Noyons
Graphic designer
Esther Noyons (1958, NL) studied Graphic Design at the Royal Academy of Art and Design ('s-Hertogenbosch). After having worked, among others, at Total Design (Amsterdam), Samenwerkende Ontwerpers (Amsterdam) and SDU (state publisher, The Hague), she started - in collaboration with Esther Vermeer - the graphic design studio 'Polyesther' in The Hague. Since 1995, she operates as an independent graphic designer under her own name. Major independent design projects include Corporate Identity for Toneelgroep Oostpool (Arnhem), Corporate Identity for ITA (International Theater Amsterdam), art director of the ITA design team in collaboration with Jan Versweyveld, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam and Toneelschuurproducties (Haarlem). Her modus operandi is a strong vision based on content. Independent. Associative, both in image and text.