Finch Buildings founder and director Jurrian Knijtijzer was one of the nominees for the ABN AMRO Sustainable 50 - the list of frontrunners accelerating the Netherlands toward a sustainable future.

With Finch Buildings, Jurrian has been working for more than a decade on his mission to make building with wood mainstream. Finch Buildings' modules have already saved more than 25,000 tons of CO₂ and projects such as Koelmalaan in Alkmaar and Project Pasteur in Haarlem show that modular wood construction is feasible, scalable and economically viable.

But what really sets Jurrian apart is that he looks beyond the Finch Buildings projects and makes a major contribution to the acceptance and scaling up of timber construction in the Netherlands. He actively contributes to sector-wide knowledge sharing and policy development, including as a member of the administrative core group of Futureproof Building. In this role, he translates practical experience into usable frameworks and stimulates cooperation between government, corporations and market parties. In addition, Jurrian constantly seeks cooperation with architects, developers and builders to further scale up timber construction. His open attitude and willingness to share knowledge make him a connector who inspires others and takes them along in the transition to sustainable building.

Thanks for everyone who voted for Jurrian! Meanwhile, the winner has been announced. On November 5, 2025, during Climate Summit GO, the award was presented to Paul de Ruiter of Paul de Ruiter Architects. From Finch Buildings, we warmly congratulate Paul on this deserved recognition. Paul is an inspiring example for everyone building a sustainable future.