Naval Architecture in the present, an interview with Bas Mulder
by Mulder Design 25 Jul 2024 15:06 BST
Naval Architecture in the present, an interview with Bas Mulder © Mulder Design
Like Frank Mulder, Bas has little interest in futuristic avant-garde or experimental design concepts. The concepts he presents are always feasible. "If a client comes in to discuss one of our concepts, there is no question that it can be built," says Bas Mulder.
Q: How do you start a project?
BM: If the boat is for a specific client, we begin with a brief for a full understanding of the mission. We listen as much as possible. Some know exactly what they want and some don't. Our job is to realize their vision and also give them a surprise. By that, I mean to deliver on all their points and then create something new for them and that will look fresh in three years when the yacht may actually be delivered. The hull lines have to come first then we bring in the superstructure. As a studio, we had been leaning toward organic shapes in the 1990s and by that, I mean softer shapes. But with some of our latest concepts, we are looking at different styles and round, vertical or square shapes. It's still soft but with a few hard edges.
We design a bit minimal and try to make timeless rather than trendy lines.
BM: The bare essentials should be attractive. Balances are important to me. Get that right and the styling lines go on top. Because we are naval architects, the question from Day One is how will it perform.
Q: Speaking of smaller boats, you have been working on interesting dayboats and tenders as well as small cruisers. Talk about that.
BM: We are designing production boats as small as six metres. We work with so many yards and we learn a lot from that by observing their production methods. Production details are important; we need to think about how it gets built. We learn solutions that help the builder make a better boat. Small production boats can have a big developmental budget and it is practical to develop details that really work. We are working on six- and ten-metre electric boats now and a RIB in Holland.
Sometimes we have more projects on than people... Besides the production boats, in 2024 we have under way a 90-metre event boat with an extreme beam, a 50-metre triple water jet yacht in Turkey, a 30-metre, and two major refit projects.
Building on success and sound principles
Bas Mulder was 1 year old when he accompanied his father on a tank test. He participated in sea trials on Dillinger in 1991, fully 9 years before he officially joined the firm. Like his father, his background in boat building is important; he ran the yard and supervised the hull construction of the current holder of the world's fastest motor yacht title, The World is Not Enough (42m), launched in 2004. Now owner of Mulder Design, he describes how the studio is moving with the times along with project manager Marc van der Werf who also looks after business development.
Q: Some of your recent concepts are larger than any of the Mulder Designs currently on the water and some are explorers, which is a bit of a departure.
BM: There is no question that larger yachts, like our 70m Crystal concept, give you more room to develop a design. With our explorers, we think the trend is to design yachts that can perform that function without looking like a traditional explorer. For example, we have a client now for a fast explorer and it's definitely not what you would expect.
Q: Where do you get your inspiration?
BM: Cars and architecture- buildings and homes, mostly. I look at things that are very far away from yachts and if there is something there that is attractive and that works, I may see if it could be applied to a yacht. That's where the exterior staircase on Crystal came from, for example. A staircase doesn't have to take up room in the middle of the structure. From cars, I take the detailing and the tension of the intersecting surfaces, the changes in reflection, shadow, a little knuckle, and a little curve.
Q: You mentioned that you do not like the phrase holistic design, why?
BM: Because it's a trend word and to most people it is meaningless. We always keep everything in mind - the mission, the crew, mechanical spaces, headroom, accommodations, exterior spaces, tender stowage...We prefer to supply the total package of naval architecture, layout and styling because it is better for continuity. With many of the smaller production boats we do, we provide interior design as well.