Astrid Bennink The small economy landscape The manufacturing industry as motor for landscape development astridbennink@gmail.com +31 (0)6 42105609 www.linkedin.com/in/astrid-bennink-b7a1b91b
Amsterdam Academy of Architecture Graduation Projects 2015-2016
Landscape Architecture
Astrid Bennink The small economy landscape The manufacturing industry as motor for landscape development
Assignment Many Southern European regions are in a deep crisis, both ecologically and economically. In those places where agriculture was the only means of existence, all hope seems to have vanished. People are moving to the city and abandoning rural areas. The Italian coastal region Le Marche has unique origins with a small-scale, agricultural landscape that was cultivated intensively by the inhabitants. Fruit, olives, cereals and vegetables were grown together in strips. Traces of the old cultural landscape are still clearly visible, such as the structure of old country roads and historic farms on foothills. With the disappearance of the age-old mezzadria sharecropping system, things have changed. Agricultural companies are growing substantially every year, while at the same time they are still doing a lot as in the past. The reality is becoming increasingly evident: empty houses and the grave consequences of erosion are clearly visible. There is a lack of cohesion between old and new. If the current trends continue and no clear future prospects for the landscape are created, the value of the region will decrease even further. Opportunities In Le Marche, the manufacturing industry is an important part of the local economy. There is global demand for distinctive (quality) products, such as hand-made shoes or musical instruments. This manufacturing industry consists of family companies of various sizes and has been traditionally intertwined with the agricultural industry. Individual family households formed closed economies, in which the family members made almost everything - from food to clothes to furniture - themselves. Tradition and craftsmanship emerged in the countryside. The connection with the land has remained intact due to unchanged types of ownership. That means that a strikingly large amount of young people are engaged in (sustainable) agriculture, as opposed to their parents who - due to stories about poverty - were actually opposed to the farming life. The project In this graduation project, the active, local manufacturing industry is deployed to put the landscape into use (once again). In addition, I see the increasing interest in sustainable agriculture among the younger generation as the motor that will set those new developments in motion. Through directing the existing forces and processes, a vibrant and future-proof region can emerge within decades that also offers recreational prospects, and which will also see the return of the natural diversity. A region that can be seen as an example instead of lagging behind. The small economy landscape is a development strategy that avoids the impending demise of the landscape and instead explores its opportunities. Not so much through the arrival of newcomers, but by telling the story behind the landscape. And by utilising the strengths of the people and the local economy.
Graduation date 07 06 2016
Commission members Karen de Groot (mentor) Harro de Jong Silvia Lupini
Additional members for the examination Mirjam Koevoet Saline Verhoeven
Astrid Bennink
PRODUCTION DISTRICTS IN LE MARCHE
clothing, textile wooden furniture leather, shoes mechanics musical instruments
45
km
Landscape Architecture
The landscape structure in the past, now and in the future
improve the accessibility of the
repair broken
lanes
banks
combat erosion
connect companies through landscape
The traditional casa colonica is the centrepiece of the landscape development
S
M
freelancers / self-employed people
collectives / start-ups
AGRICULTURAL SECTOR
reinforce historic country
MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY SECTOR
region
The players / users
companies that aim for quality improvement
L
large companies
large-scale companies
Astrid Bennink
1
3
2 4
5
Example elaboration development property
2 1
3
4 5
The five brick structures
1. The hybrid property
2. Strong rural network
B
A=B B=A
A
3. Terrace farming
4. The multifunctional planting structure
5. The adventurous stream valley
Landscape Architecture
fruit trees sandy path recreational use Vitis
Olea europaea
Malus domestica
Pyrus
Prunus persica
Prunus domestica L.
Prunus avium L.
Prunus armeniaca L.
Prunus dulcis
Ficus carica L.
Juglans regia
Morus L.
Prunus avium L.
Olea europaea
Malus domestica
low crops
terrace border (brick)
ap p ro
x. 3 m
Accessible small-scale farming Two-sided planting at the highest point of the road Species include: - Morus alba - Prunus - Olea
Verges for the reinforcement of the road
Shadow
ap pr ox
. 7. 5 m Morus L.
Inviting country roads
Species include: - Quercus pubescens - Quercus ilex - Ostrya carpinifolia - Ulmus minor - Fraxinus ornus - Acer campestre - Spartium junceum - Crataegus monogina
Sandy path
Steep edge 1:1
app rox . 6 me tre s
The multifunctional green structure
Fraxinus ornus
Acer campestre
Spartium junceum
Crataegus monogina
Quercus pubescens (roverella)
Quercus ilex (leccio)
Ostria carpinifolia
Ulmus minor
Astrid Bennink
The new landscape structure
Maintenance path / walking route
In repairing the stream valley, initial attention will be paid to crossings with roads and paths
White road crosses the valley
Stream valley
Architect, Master of Science Urbanist, Master of Science Landscape Architect, Master of Science Architects, urbanists and landscape architects learn the profession at the Amsterdam Academy of Architecture through an intensive combination of work and study. They work in small, partly interdisciplinary groups and are supervised by a select group of practising fellow professionals. There is a wide range of options within the programme so that students can put together their own trajectory and specialisation. With the inclusion of the course in Urbanism in 1957 and Landscape Architecture in 1972, the Academy is the only architecture school in the Netherlands to bring together the three spatial design disciplines under one roof. Some 350 guest tutors are involved in teaching every year. Each of them is a practising designer or a specific expert in his or her particular subject. The three heads of department also have design practices of their own in addition to their work for the Academy. This structure yields an enormous dynamism and energy and ensures that the courses remain closely linked to the current state of the discipline. The courses consist of projects, exercises and lectures. First-year and second-year students also engage in morphological studies. Students work on their own or in small groups. The design
projects form the backbone of the syllabus. On the basis of a specific design assignment, students develop knowledge, insight and skills. The exercises are focused on training in those skills that are essential for recognising and solving design problems, such as analytical techniques, knowledge of the repertoire, the use of materials, text analysis, and writing. Many of the exercises are linked to the design projects. The morphological studies concentrate on the making of spatial objects, with the emphasis on creative process and implementation. Students experiment with materials and media forms and gain experience in converting an idea into a creation. During the periods between the terms there are workshops, study trips in the Netherlands and abroad, and other activities. This is also the preferred moment for international exchange projects. The Academy regularly invites foreign students for the workshops and recruits wellknown designers from the Netherlands and further afield as tutors. Graduates from the Academy of Architecture are entitled to the following titles: Architect, Master of Science; Urbanist, Master of Science and Landscape Architect, Master of Science.
Landscape Architecture
Amsterdam Academy of Architecture