And Search

A world to be won

Inspired by Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things, Search Director Anne-Marie Rakhorst attended a workshop given by Michael Braungart in London, in November 2006. In the course of a single afternoon, she became acquainted with that new, sustainable world that he envisages. A world full of dynamics, of positivism, of energy, of respect for our planet and of boundless opportunities. This convinced Ms Rakhorst that she was on the right track with her own book, Sustainable Development… a Global Opportunity. Her spirits buoyed, she therefore decided to take the initiative to market a Dutch translation of Cradle to Cradle. This would, after all, introduce the ideas and models of visionaries Braungart and McDonough to a broader audience.

Cradle to Cradle and the business community

Cradle to Cradle is a hot topic in the Netherlands. The impact of the documentaries on Cradle to Cradle – the projects and the range of ideas conceived by chemist Michael Braungart and architect William McDonough – that VPRO broadcast in its series Tegenlicht was quite substantial. Increasing numbers of weblogs, articles in the media, conferences, workshops and other initiatives bear witness to the fact that Cradle to Cradle is steadily gaining ground.

And now there is a Dutch edition of the book Cradle to Cradle. It is a source of inspiration for the business community, government, scientists, cultural creatives, builders, designers and anyone else interested in considering the future of the Netherlands PLC, and also serves as a springboard from which to bring Braungart and McDonough’s philosophy to life.

Cradle to Cradle and Search

Making better, more conscious choices is the first step towards Cradle to Cradle. And these conscious choices were therefore the first step that Anne-Marie Rakhorst took with her firm, Search, an engineering and consultancy agency that operates globally. However, the firm aims to achieve more; it is keen to pass on its knowledge of and enthusiasm about Cradle to Cradle to its clients. Furthermore, it intends to expand its range of services by rendering Cradle to Cradle construction and demolition practicable. Search provides training courses in this field, while also giving lectures on the subject, with a view to attracting as many entrepreneurs, politicians, cultural creatives, builders and citizens as possible to Cradle to Cradle. In all of the operations it performs, Search abides by the ‘Five guiding principles’ described in the final chapter of Cradle to Cradle, even though it is fully aware that ‘the transformation to an eco-effective vision will not happen all at once,’ as Braungart and McDonough put it. ‘The process is still very much a case of trial and error. And a great deal of time, effort, money and creativity will have to be invested in various areas.’

‘Five guiding principles’

The 'five guiding principles' that Braungart and McDonough at the back of their book are as follows:

1. Signal your intention.
2. Strive for 'good growth', not just economic growth.
3. Be ready to innovate further.
4. Understand and prepare for the learning curve.
5. Exert intergenerational responsibility.

Putting ideas into action

Search has put these ideas into action by expanding its range of services in the field of working conditions, safety, quality, environmental management, spatial planning, energy and water, to include consultancy on sustainable construction and demolition. Furthermore, it implements the Cradle to Cradle protocol wherever possible and whenever clients so request. The property market for new and renovated premises in particular benefits from this approach, as it enables the sector to make a significant contribution towards the improvement of our living environment.

Superior to standard

Compliance with the statutory requirements is essential in the execution of new building and renovation projects. Search, however, challenges its clients to go one step further. Although energy neutral construction is a step in the right direction, why not go a little further and construct a building that actually generates energy? Braungart and McDonough did just that at River Rouge, the Herman Miller plant and various other projects, including the Nike headquarters in Hilversum, the Netherlands. The quality of wastewater released from the ‘Rouge’ plant is actually superior to that of the water supplied. And this could also be achieved on Dutch projects. The same applies to internal air quality and the use of sustainable building materials. The Cradle to Cradle approach enables the construction of buildings that are superior to the statutory requirements. They are therefore better for mankind and the environment, while also yielding financial gains for the construction and property sector. Buildings constructed according to the Cradle to Cradle principle may be compared to the cherry tree that Braungart and McDonough chose in Cradle to Cradle as the basis for Cradle to Cradle design and construction. The cherry tree is symbolic of abundance: in springtime, the tree bears an abundance of blossom, which withers and falls once it has been pollinated, returning their ‘natural resources’ to the soil. Furthermore, the trees provide cherries for both human and animal consumption, while the foliage they lose in autumn also returns nutrients to the soil.

Cradle to Cradle in Amsterdam and Heeswijk

The knowledge and experience that Search acquired during the construction of energy-producing premises in Amsterdam and Heeswijk laid the foundations for expert consultancy in the field of sustainable construction and demolition and the implementation of the Cradle to Cradle approach. Wherever Search requires further support, however, it can rely on partners including MBDC, EPEA, VIBA/SVE and the Planet Prosperity Foundation. Cooperation with these parties enables it to offer clients the guarantee that the Cradle to Cradle approach will prove both feasible and profitable in practice.

Cradle to Cradle training courses

Search Training organises Cradle to Cradle training courses, seminars and presentations. Its training courses focus on the following points:

1. What is Cradle to Cradle?
2. Who are its founders and what are their principles?
3. How can Cradle to Cradle be implemented?
4. What are good examples of Cradle to Cradle?
5. How can Cradle to Cradle projects be put into practice?

The training courses are taught in a classroom setting by experienced instructors, who cover a number of case studies that render the material more appealing and comprehensible. The courses also feature workshops, lending participants the opportunity to inspire one another and exchange knowledge. Search Training is a nationally accredited training institute, which is best known for its practical training in the field of working conditions, safety, quality, environmental management, energy performance advice and sustainable development.

Cradle to Cradle seminars and presentations

‘Hear the word and pass it on’ is Braungart and McDonough’s motto. Search has picked up the gauntlet, and currently organises Cradle to Cradle seminars and presentations with a view to introducing Braungart and McDonough’s philosophy and vision to as broad an audience as possible. Search’s Cradle to Cradle seminars and presentations are characterised by their attention to practical Cradle to Cradle initiatives. The speakers and presenters use such examples to illustrate to the participants the opportunities that Cradle to Cradle offers to create a more liveable world, in which future generations will also be able to enjoy the abundance that Braungart and McDonough envisage.

Implementing Cradle to Cradle in design & production processes

In the opinion of Braungart and McDonough, every designer and manufacturer should adopt their ‘Five guiding principles’ as the basis for their design and production processes. Search provides courses for designers and industry, in which it explains how to implement Cradle to Cradle in industrial design and production processes. Search cooperates closely with its partners in this field: MBDC, EPEA, VIBA/SVE, the Planet Prosperity Foundation and their knowledge and client networks. This synergy allows course participants to benefit from the knowledge and experience of the broadest possible platform of Cradle to Cradle experts, who understand the process of putting Cradle to Cradle into practice.

The Netherlands needs to become an experimental field for sustainability

The Netherlands needs to become an experimental field for sustainability In mid-July the NRC Handelsblad newspaper published an article titled 'Urgenda - maakvanNederlandeenduurzameproeftuin,' which roughly translates as ‘Urgent agenda – turn the Netherlands into an experimental field for sustainability’. The article insists that the Netherlands will have to undergo more radical changes within the next 50 years than it has experienced during the past 500. This is necessary to achieve a better balance of the living environment, economy and social climate, thus eventually making the country more sustainable. However, the authors also insist that this will entail the entire redesign of the Netherlands. They are in favour of setting up a sustainability platform comprising leading figures in society; basically a combination of thinkers and doers. They quote such names as: Herman Wijffels and Peter Bakker (TNT) in the category thinkers, and Natasja van den Berg (author of Practical Idealism) and entrepreneur Anne-Marie Rakhorst as doers. These leading figures would be expected to spread the philosophy of sustainability, while inspiring and encouraging Dutch people to get actively involved.

Place sustainability high on the agenda

After reading this article, it should come as no surprise that ‘sustainability’ is an issue that is high on the agenda of Anne-Marie Rakhorst, Businesswoman of the Year 2000 and Director/Proprietor of consultancy & engineering agency Search. So high, in fact, that Ms Rakhorst published a book titled Sustainable Development... a Global Opportunity, in which, citing appealing visions, products and technologies, she puts forward an optimistic argument in favour of a concrete approach to a more sustainable society.

For further information, please visit the Search website.



	And Search A world to be won Inspired by Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things, Search Director Anne-Marie Rakhorst attended a workshop given by Michael Braungart in London, in November 2006. In the course of a single afternoon, she became acquainted with that new, sustainable world that he envisages. A world full of dynamics, of positivism, of energy, of respect for our planet and of boundless opportunities. This convinced Ms Rakhorst that she was on the right track with her own book, Sustainable Development… a Global Opportunity. Her spirits buoyed, she therefore decided to take the initiative to market a Dutch translation of Cradle to Cradle. This would, after all, introduce the ideas and models of visionaries Braungart and McDonough to a broader audience. Cradle to Cradle and the business community Cradle to Cradle is a hot topic in the Netherlands. The impact of the documentaries on Cradle to Cradle – the projects and the range of ideas conceived by chemist Michael Braungart and architect William McDonough – that VPRO broadcast in its series Tegenlicht was quite substantial. Increasing numbers of weblogs, articles in the media, conferences, workshops and other initiatives bear witness to the fact that Cradle to Cradle is steadily gaining ground. And now there is a Dutch edition of the book Cradle to Cradle. It is a source of inspiration for the business community, government, scientists, cultural creatives, builders, designers and anyone else interested in considering the future of the Netherlands PLC, and also serves as a springboard from which to bring Braungart and McDonough’s philosophy to life. Cradle to Cradle and Search Making better, more conscious choices is the first step towards Cradle to Cradle. And these conscious choices were therefore the first step that Anne-Marie Rakhorst took with her firm, Search, an engineering and consultancy agency that operates globally. However, the firm aims to achieve more; it is keen to pass on its knowledge of and enthusiasm about Cradle to Cradle to its clients. Furthermore, it intends to expand its range of services by rendering Cradle to Cradle construction and demolition practicable. Search provides training courses in this field, while also giving lectures on the subject, with a view to attracting as many entrepreneurs, politicians, cultural creatives, builders and citizens as possible to Cradle to Cradle. In all of the operations it performs, Search abides by the ‘Five guiding principles’ described in the final chapter of Cradle to Cradle, even though it is fully aware that ‘the transformation to an eco-effective vision will not happen all at once,’ as Braungart and McDonough put it. ‘The process is still very much a case of trial and error. And a great deal of time, effort, money and creativity will have to be invested in various areas.’ ‘Five guiding principles’ The 'five guiding principles' that Braungart and McDonough at the back of their book are as follows: 1. Signal your intention. 2. Strive for 'good growth', not just economic growth. 3. Be ready to innovate further. 4. Understand and prepare for the learning curve. 5. Exert intergenerational responsibility. Putting ideas into action Search has put these ideas into action by expanding its range of services in the field of working conditions, safety, quality, environmental management, spatial planning, energy and water, to include consultancy on sustainable construction and demolition. Furthermore, it implements the Cradle to Cradle protocol wherever possible and whenever clients so request. The property market for new and renovated premises in particular benefits from this approach, as it enables the sector to make a significant contribution towards the improvement of our living environment. Superior to standard Compliance with the statutory requirements is essential in the execution of new building and renovation projects. Search, however, challenges its clients to go one step further. Although energy neutral construction is a step in the right direction, why not go a little further and construct a building that actually generates energy? Braungart and McDonough did just that at River Rouge, the Herman Miller plant and various other projects, including the Nike headquarters in Hilversum, the Netherlands. The quality of wastewater released from the ‘Rouge’ plant is actually superior to that of the water supplied. And this could also be achieved on Dutch projects. The same applies to internal air quality and the use of sustainable building materials. The Cradle to Cradle approach enables the construction of buildings that are superior to the statutory requirements. They are therefore better for mankind and the environment, while also yielding financial gains for the construction and property sector. Buildings constructed according to the Cradle to Cradle principle may be compared to the cherry tree that Braungart and McDonough chose in Cradle to Cradle as the basis for Cradle to Cradle design and construction. The cherry tree is symbolic of abundance: in springtime, the tree bears an abundance of blossom, which withers and falls once it has been pollinated, returning their ‘natural resources’ to the soil. Furthermore, the trees provide cherries for both human and animal consumption, while the foliage they lose in autumn also returns nutrients to the soil. Cradle to Cradle in Amsterdam and Heeswijk The knowledge and experience that Search acquired during the construction of energy-producing premises in Amsterdam and Heeswijk laid the foundations for expert consultancy in the field of sustainable construction and demolition and the implementation of the Cradle to Cradle approach. Wherever Search requires further support, however, it can rely on partners including MBDC, EPEA, VIBA/SVE and the Planet Prosperity Foundation. Cooperation with these parties enables it to offer clients the guarantee that the Cradle to Cradle approach will prove both feasible and profitable in practice. Cradle to Cradle training courses Search Training organises Cradle to Cradle training courses, seminars and presentations. Its training courses focus on the following points: 1. What is Cradle to Cradle? 2. Who are its founders and what are their principles? 3. How can Cradle to Cradle be implemented? 4. What are good examples of Cradle to Cradle? 5. How can Cradle to Cradle projects be put into practice? The training courses are taught in a classroom setting by experienced instructors, who cover a number of case studies that render the material more appealing and comprehensible. The courses also feature workshops, lending participants the opportunity to inspire one another and exchange knowledge. Search Training is a nationally accredited training institute, which is best known for its practical training in the field of working conditions, safety, quality, environmental management, energy performance advice and sustainable development. Cradle to Cradle seminars and presentations ‘Hear the word and pass it on’ is Braungart and McDonough’s motto. Search has picked up the gauntlet, and currently organises Cradle to Cradle seminars and presentations with a view to introducing Braungart and McDonough’s philosophy and vision to as broad an audience as possible. Search’s Cradle to Cradle seminars and presentations are characterised by their attention to practical Cradle to Cradle initiatives. The speakers and presenters use such examples to illustrate to the participants the opportunities that Cradle to Cradle offers to create a more liveable world, in which future generations will also be able to enjoy the abundance that Braungart and McDonough envisage. Implementing Cradle to Cradle in design & production processes In the opinion of Braungart and McDonough, every designer and manufacturer should adopt their ‘Five guiding principles’ as the basis for their design and production processes. Search provides courses for designers and industry, in which it explains how to implement Cradle to Cradle in industrial design and production processes. Search cooperates closely with its partners in this field: MBDC, EPEA, VIBA/SVE, the Planet Prosperity Foundation and their knowledge and client networks. This synergy allows course participants to benefit from the knowledge and experience of the broadest possible platform of Cradle to Cradle experts, who understand the process of putting Cradle to Cradle into practice. The Netherlands needs to become an experimental field for sustainability The Netherlands needs to become an experimental field for sustainability In mid-July the NRC Handelsblad newspaper published an article titled 'Urgenda - maakvanNederlandeenduurzameproeftuin,' which roughly translates as ‘Urgent agenda – turn the Netherlands into an experimental field for sustainability’. The article insists that the Netherlands will have to undergo more radical changes within the next 50 years than it has experienced during the past 500. This is necessary to achieve a better balance of the living environment, economy and social climate, thus eventually making the country more sustainable. However, the authors also insist that this will entail the entire redesign of the Netherlands. They are in favour of setting up a sustainability platform comprising leading figures in society; basically a combination of thinkers and doers. They quote such names as: Herman Wijffels and Peter Bakker (TNT) in the category thinkers, and Natasja van den Berg (author of Practical Idealism) and entrepreneur Anne-Marie Rakhorst as doers. These leading figures would be expected to spread the philosophy of sustainability, while inspiring and encouraging Dutch people to get actively involved. Place sustainability high on the agenda After reading this article, it should come as no surprise that ‘sustainability’ is an issue that is high on the agenda of Anne-Marie Rakhorst, Businesswoman of the Year 2000 and Director/Proprietor of consultancy & engineering agency Search. So high, in fact, that Ms Rakhorst published a book titled Sustainable Development... a Global Opportunity, in which, citing appealing visions, products and technologies, she puts forward an optimistic argument in favour of a concrete approach to a more sustainable society. For further information, please visit the Search website. Home The book Cradle to Cradle in a nutshell Dutch edition Anne-Marie Rakhorst Braungart & McDonough Waste = food Concepts Heroes of the planet Cradle to Cradle In practice In the Netherlands And Search News Contact / Order form Weblinks Sustainable Development… a Global Opportunity Search
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