Niels Datema

Director, Furniture & Industrial Design

Kigali, Rwanda

Niels believes that every scale of design can benefit its users, makers, and the environment. As Director of MASS.Made, Niels works closely with artisans and manufacturers, encouraging them to explore possibilities and push the boundaries of the production process.

Since joining MASS in 2019, Niels has played a pivotal role in developing MASS’s furniture design studio. He has managed the production of over 13,000 products for several large-scale projects, including Norrsken Kigali House, The Rwanda Institute of Conservation Agriculture, The Ellen DeGeneres Campus of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, and the 73rd FIFA Congress. His material expertise, hands-on skills, and capacity for problem-solving continue to be an asset in widening the horizons of MASS’s product catalog. 

Before MASS, Niels ran a product design studio in the Netherlands and Spain that served a wide range of clients, including renowned Michelin chefs and restaurants. Niels’ products have been featured in the collection of several retail brands and are sold around the world, from the Museum of Modern Art in New York to boutique shops in the Netherlands.

Niels holds a Bachelor in Product Design from the Design Academy Eindhoven, one of the world’s leading design schools. Before joining the Academy, he completed a four-year training program at HMC Amsterdam, gaining expertise in furniture design, interior design, and woodworking.