Rob Nijsse was born in 1953 in Amsterdam. He grew up in the little Dutch town Castricum near the dunes of the North Sea and the Dutch polder landscape behind these dunes.
From 1965 to 1970 he attended successfully a high school: “het Gemeentelijk Lyceum” in Beverwijk, with and emphasis on beta sciences.
After this high school he did not know what to study: both Archeology, Medicine, Astronomy an also Civil Engineering (Delta works!) had his interest. His father put him on Technical High school: the HTS Wiltzanglaan in Amsterdam. From 1970 to 1971 he followed with success the first year in Civil Engineering. His interest in building was born during this study so he shifted to the Technical University in Delft. From 1971 to 1979 he attended the courses of the Faculty of Civil Engineering in Delft. In 1979 he finished with success his studies with as specialisation: Public buildings and Bridges.
From 1979 to 1991 Rob Nijsse worked as structural engineer in the consulting engineering firm ABT in Velp.
In 1991 Rob Nijsse was appointed as consulting engineer, responsible for projects in the broadest aspect at ABT. Up to 2019 has fulfilled this technical role at ABT.
In 1994 he became member of the Board of directors of ABT. He fulfilled this position to 2007.
From 2003 to 2007 he was a part time professor in Structural Engineering at the University of Gent in Belgium.
In 2007 Rob Nijsse was invited to become a part time professor Structural Design and Mechanical Engineering at the Faculty of Architecture at the Technical University of Delft
In 2010 he was also appointed to be part time professor Building Engineering at the Faculty of Civil Engineering in Delft. He fulfilled this position to his retirement in 2019.
From 2009 up to now Rob Nijsse is in charge of the research at the “Glass Lab”, a part of the Stevin II laboratory of the Technical University of Delft.
In 2019 Rob Nijsse founded, together with Ate Snijder, the company Glass Swinging Structures (GSS) to design, calculate, build and sell special structures with a focus on glass structures.
In 2021 Rob Nijsse released a book about the relation between Architect – Structural Engineer with dialogues and sketches leading to new buildings.
Most Important projects of Rob Nijsse at ABT.
In his forty years long career at ABT Rob Nijsse has been in charge of many projects. We mention here the following, special in some aspects, projects, in chronological order:
- Glass pavilion in the Sonsbeek park, Arnhem. Architect: Benthem Crouwel. This project was only to be seen 1986.
- The Casino Lido project in Amsterdam, architect Lido: Maarten Evelein, architect Casino: Hans Ruijssenaars. In 1991 the building was completed and opened.
- The Robeco office building in Rotterdam. Architect: Wim Quist. In 1991 the building was delivered to the client.
- Glass Bridge in Rotterdam. Architect: Kraayvanger Urbis, Dirk Jan Postel. Opened for safe crossing in the air to people in 1994.
- Museum “Beelden aan Zee” in Scheveningen. Architect: Wim Quist. The building was opened in 1994.
- The Educatorium, a big building containing a restaurant and examination facilities for the University of Utrecht. Architect: OMA. Completed in 1997.
- Minnaart University building, Utrecht. Architect: Neutelings Riedijk. Opened in 1998.
- University Library Utrecht. Architect: Wiel Arets. In 2004 the building was completed and opened.
- Dutch Pavilion for the World Exhibition in Hannover, Germany, in 2000. Architect: MVRDV.
- Posbank restaurant in Rheden, Architect: Bjarne Mastenbroek. The building was delivered to the client in 2002.
- Teahouse on a bunker in Vreeland, opened in 2004. Architect: UNStudio, Ben van Berkel.
- Corrugated Glass Facades of the Casa da Musica in Porto (Portugal). Architect: OMA. The building was completed in 2005.
- Museum aan de Stroom, MAS, in Antwerp, Belgium. Architect: Neutelings Riedijk. In 2008 the building was opened.
- Bridge the Twist in Vlaardingen. Architect: West 8, Adrian Geuze. In 2010 the bridge was opened to pedestrians and cyclists.
- Crystal Houses in Amsterdam. Architect: MVRDV. Opened to the shopping public in 2016.
- Glass Truss Bridge at the Delft University of Technology. Tested by 60 marching students in 2016.
- Glass Swing, a playground item exhibited to the public on the Glasstec in Dusseldorf, Germany, in 2018.
