DERIX Timber Construction Award 2025
for apartment building ‘Poppies’

‘The construction team – success factor for economic efficiency and circularity’ – that was the theme of the DERIX Timber Construction Day 2025, a premium event to which the DERIX Group invites selected guests every two years. The event brings together leading minds from the construction industry, architecture, project development and the public sector to discuss the latest topics and the future of timber construction.

The special focus on teamwork as a guarantee of success was put directly into practice during the event: Between high-calibre specialist presentations and a panel discussion on a practical example of successful building in a construction team, project participants were brought into dialogue with each other as part of a moderated ‘Mix & Match’. This initiated and supported communication between investors and planners on the one hand and timber construction companies on the other.

The presentation of the DERIX Timber Construction Award was a highlight of the event. Four very different DERIX projects were nominated, all of which were characterised by a particularly innovative concept. The guests were able to vote on which of these four nominated projects would win the DERIX Timber Construction Award 2025 – and the majority decided in favour of the ‘Poppies’ project, which was presented by Eric Thijssen, architect at Marc Koehler Architects.

Eric Thijssen (3rd from left) with Markus Steppler, Nina Bendler, Simone Derix, Markus Derix, Johan Paul Borreman (from left to right) after the presentation of the DERIX Timber Construction Award 2025.

“My joy at receiving this award is enormous,” says Eric Thijssen after the award ceremony. “In a neighbourhood of Amsterdam that is characterised by its focus on circularity, we have built a residential building that even exceeds the high standards here! 80% recycled or renewable materials, 1,800 tonnes of stored CO2, integrated, large green spaces, water retention, solar energy – and all this assembled from prefabricated wooden modules that only had to be erected on site. It was great to implement this innovative project with the DERIX Group – DERIX’s special expertise in timber module construction contributed a lot to the fact that we were able to realise Poppies so smoothly,” says Thijssen, delighted with the award. Markus Derix, managing owner of the DERIX Group, summarised the day as follows: ‘I am delighted with this successful continuation of our premium event series ’DERIX Holzbautag”. After our memorable 2023 event in the Mülheim airship hangar, the bar was set high. But our 2025 event at the Innovatorium was in no way inferior – we also succeeded in combining an extraordinary location with inspiring content. It was particularly important to us to offer our guests more than just exciting, up-to-date information on timber construction and circularity. Once again, networking among the guests was a central concern – because early, interdisciplinary cooperation is the basis for successful work in the construction team.

Apartment building made of timber modules: ‘Poppies’ was honoured with the DERIX Timber Construction Award 2025