Niels Everaerd / Portfolio
Landscape architect / Urban Planner
CURRICULUM VITAE
contact: Niels Everaerd t: +32 474 23 12 78 m: everaerdniels@gmail.com Gavergrachtstraat 139, 9031 Drongen, Ghent, Belgium. Born on 9 March 1989, Ghent Education and internships 2011 - 2013: Master in Urbanism and Urban planning, LUCA school of arts, campus Ghent, Belgium
(Voluntary) work 1989-2013: Helping with the family business: agricultural works and selling fruit and vegetables 2008-2010: Head of the local youth movement in Drongen, Ghent
August 2012 - October 2012: 6 weeks research stay in Bangkok, Thailand. Research and development proposals for the rural Bang Khun Thian area in Bangkok., with a Vlir-Uos scholarship: Vlir-Uos supports partnerships between universities and university colleges in Flanders and the South looking for innovative responses to global and local challenges
Language proficiency: Dutch: Native speaker English: Advanced French: Good German: Basic
2010 - 2011: Transition year of Architecture (to be able to do the Master in Urbanism) at LUCA school of arts, campus Ghent, Belgium
Interests Travelling, nature, good quality food, politics, agriculture, swimming, music, rollerblading, photography, sculpture,...
November 2009 - April 2010: 5 months of internship at Lodewijk Baljon Landscape Architects, Amsterdam, Erasmus placement scholarship 2007 - 2010: Professional Bachelor in Landscape- and Garden architecture, Hogeschool Ghent, campus Melle, Belgium 2001 - 2007: sciences-mathematics at Sint-Paulus (secondary school), Ghent, Belgium Skills Adobe CS5: Indesign, Illustrator, Photoshop Autodesk AutoCAD 2013 Google SketchUp version 8.0 Office: Word, Excel, PowerPoint ArcGIS
PORTFOLIO OF WORKS
Because my master thesis of Urbanism and Urban planning is my latest project, it shows the best what my current vision on urban planning is, and therefore mostly this project will be explained. For this project we needed to find spatial solutions for the development of Ostrava, a city in the East of the Czech Republic. It’s a study on the importance of scales and the connection between the city and its surrounding and underlaying landscape. These themes are currently my biggest interests.
1/ Ostrava (CZ): A territorial system between urban valley and production landscape 2013: thesis in second master of Urbanism and Urban planning, Ghent 2/ Charleroi (BE): The transformation of an industrial centrality for a green metropolis 2012: second master of Urbanism and Urban planning, Ghent 3/ Bang khun thian, Bangkok (TH): Environmental tourism as a key for development 2012: summer-internship for a development program in Thailand with a VlirUos Scholarship 4/ Molenbeek, Brussels (BE): Structuring future development in West-Brussels by green space- and bike transportation-AXES 2012: first master of Urbanism and Urban planning, Ghent 5/ Beveren (BE): Landscape embedment for a new prison complex 2010: Amsterdam internship/ part of an interdisciplinary team, won competition ) 6/ Oostende (BE): Ensorpark 2010: Third year of studies in landscape Architecture, Melle
1/ OSTRAVA (CZ): A TERRITORIAL SYSTEM BETWEEN URBAN VALLEY AND PRODUCTION LANDSCAPE 2013: thesis in second master of Urbanism and Urban planning, Ghent The city is bigger than its current borders Ostrava is a city of 300.000 people in the Odra valley in the east of the Czech Republic. Due to its big amount of coal, the city exploded from a small town to an important economic core under the communist regime until 1989. 20 years later the mines are closed, the employment in the steel industry is decreasing and the city needs to direct the major transition that its about to go through. To be able to give a (spatial) answer to the problems and strengths of the city, we need to question what the real threats are for the city life and which opportunities there are, and more importantly, which scale has a spatial impact on these matters. The search for this scale seems to be half of the answer to the problem. Ostrava within the Czech Republic Looking at the most urgent problems (one of the highest rates of air pollution in Europe due to the steel industry, heavy flooding like the one in 2010 (picture)), we notice that the problems caused in the city (pollution) have an effect on the entire region and vice versa (flooding created in the agricultural valley due to intensification of the agricultural sector) Most cities developed together with their surrounding landscapes. Because the city has grown due to the coal mines and industry within its boundaries, the connection with its landscape (for regional food and leisure) is underdeveloped. Here lays the opportunity for a sustainable development. We need to start acknowledging that the city and its surrounding landscape are part of 1 big system. Natural boundaries and water basins seem to be connected to a regional culture, use of agricultural land and unemployment rates. By developing from the regional scale, we can pursue a sustainable system where the natural and cultural landscape layers interact and have a positive influence on each other.
Ostrava wirh the Odra running trhough
OSTRAVA AS A VALLEYREGION INSTEEAD OF AN ISOLATED CITY
Unemployment
Agriculture
Air pollution
Languages and dialects
National parks
Water basins (Odra in yellow)
A MIXED NATURAL AND URBAN STRUCTURE
The Urban Landscape: Advantages and mistakes by modernist urban planning
Ostrava
Bilovec
New towns with monofunctional neighbourhoods are the result of modernistic planning methods. This kind of planning disregards a natural organic growth of the city and a logical implementation in its landscape. Big scale building blocks where put in open parks in a similar way in the whole city. The different neighbourhoods therefore have no specific identity. Although there is an enormous amount of green space, it isn’t appreciated well by its inhabitants because of the bad maintenance of it and the lack of appropriation.
City Ostrava Masterplan The current plan still focuses on the separation of functions Nature/ dwellings/ industry/ leisure/ agriculture
The rural landscape: The original human settlements as the base for a urban AND natural network.
The original settlement patterns in this valley are strongly based on the curves of the landscape and the proximity of water. From the mountains small stream valleys come down to the central alluvial plain of the Odra. Streetvillages from up to 10 kilometers long guide these stream valleys in the whole Odra basin������������������������������������������������������������������������ region. Interesting about these settlement structures is that they combine living, working and leisure and that they strengthen the ecological structures of the stream valley and increase the biological value by the plantation of hedges, lanes and small orchards. The ecological structure and settlement structure have interesting interactions and make profit out of one another.
The town of Bilovec located southwest of Ostrava
A RENEWABLE LOCAL RESOURCE ECONOMY BASED ON AGRICULTURE An agricultural transformation on two tracks: Urban agriculture and intensive Agroforestry Transformation from current monocultural agriculture to Agroforestry The fertile agricultural lands in this region are a renewable source for a thriving future economy. Agroforestry is a combination of forestry and agriculture that increases the sustainable use of land. Next to having a more efficient land use and higher profits, agroforestry counters different environmental problems that are caused by normal agriculture. Trees produce building materials, energy and ecosystem services that are good for the agricultural crops as well as for the entire society: They help to improve soil- and water quality, they hold the water for a longer period in the soil (against drought and flooding), decrease soil erosion, can host useful insect, increase the organic material in the soil,... On a bigger scale, storing co2 and decreasing air pollution.
Original agroforestry-systems: hedges and trees on the borders of small parcels, orchards,..
The use of wood can stimulate a whole new industrial economy as well, going from construction material for architecture and design to energy from biomass to the beginning industry in oil-replacing woodfiberproducts.
A bald landscape is the result of current unsustainable agricultural methods
Current agroforestry within the intensive agricultural practice in the north of France
Urban agriculture in the Urban/Natural structure Next to big scale agroforestry, a downsizing of agriculture can happen within urban and environmentally vulnerable areas. Urban agriculture is as well environmentally friendly, because of its small scale, as interesting for the education and leisure of urban citizens. Within a mixed natural and urban structure, urban agriculture is a use of space that strengthens both.
Current intensive agriculture in the environmentally vulnerable plain of the Odra valley, just next to Rhabuvka, Ostrava, a densely populated district.
Urban agriculture in the form of a self-harvest-field in the area of Ghent, Belgium
A TERRITORIAL SYSTEM BETWEEN THE VALLEY AS AN URBAN BIOTOPE AND THE PRODUCTION LANDSCAPE
Current state
highway airport railway forested mountains forests nature reserves settlements: villages and city alluvial plain of the Odra river ponds
Reconversion of the valley: Because of the bad economic state the city is in, and the decreasing of the population numbers, there is no money to develop big new infrastructures and build areas. New development has to take full advantage of existing infrastructures and resources. The potential of the railway infrastructures and the agricultural land is enormous. The railwayssytem makes connections from the city to the rest of the valley and makes it possible to shift from Ostrava as a ‘compact city in the valley’ to a ‘whole urban valley as one city’.
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To transform this region to a sustainable system with a strong urban and natural structure and a economy based on renewable resources, 4 transformations need to happen. All of these 4 visions are interconnected and need each other to work as one sustainable regional system. The valley as an urban biotope and the productionlandscape will interconnect due to the mobility and logistics of the railwaysystem.
4 visions Mobility and Intensity: The spread railway infrastructure should be the spine of future developments with an intensification of activities at its stations. The valley as an urban biotope: Nature and men should develop within 1 structure because of the interesting synergies between them. By developing nature in existing urban areas and putting urban activities into natural areas, we strengthen the natural as well as the urban network. The mobility caused by the railwaysystem increases the use of the whole valley for urban activities. The production landscape: The transformation to agroforestry means an intensification of the land use and a higher profit of renewable resources. Logistics and Activity: The railway infrastructure connects the countryside and its raw materials to the industrial areas within the core of the city. Transport by railway gives opportunities to reuse a lot of empty industrial sites to develop raw material processing- and distribution centres where chain activities are possible.
Mobility and Intensity
double main railwayline single line railroad urban tram line existing bike network new bike paths the development of urban activities on transportation cross-sections, focused on railway stations
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The valley as an urban biotope
forests that become part of an ecological valley structure adding ecological value to the urban settlements expansion of the ecological valley structure/ connecting existing build and forested structures
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The productionlandscape
productionforests that aren’t part of the eco-structure transformation from monofunctional agriculture to agroforestry
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Logistics and Activity
railway network industrial sites which are accessed by railway the developing of logistic points where raw materials can enter the railwaysystem
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The transformed productionlandscape, logistically in direct connection with the industrial sites through the railwaysystem. The valley as an urban biotope, a structure where nature and men interact, formed by hydrography, strengthened by the mobility of the railwaysystem. Both working in one regional ecosystem
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6 EXEMPLARIC CASES To show how this regional vision can be appropriated, 6 exemplarily transformations are made.. These 6 together are the building blocks for the development of a regional sustainable ecosystem.
Agroforestry and small river valley: Bilovec -Productionlandscape Logistic point and waste treatment: Bilovec -Logistics and Activity
Raw material processing- and distribution centre: Vitkovice -Logistics and Activity
Leisure and urban agriculture: Polanka nad Odrou -Valley as an urban biotope -Mobility and intensity Market hall: Poruba -Mobility and intensity
Public space-axes and nature development: Poruba -Valley as an urban biotope 0
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Agroforestry and small river valley :Bilovec Localisation
current context
A transformation to Agroforestry from normal agriculture. Strengthening the natural structure of the stream valley by planting hedges and small woods. New urban activities like B&B’s, elderly houses,... in the current urban structure.
Regional vision
Local impact
Logistic point and waste treatment: Bilovec Localisation
current context
This final station which new serves only persons traffic is transformed to a logistic point where agricultural resources and wood from the countryside, and waste from the city can be loaded in and out.
Regional vision
Local impact
Raw material processing- and distribution centre: Vitkovice Localisation
current context
This gated industrial zone in the centre of the city can focus on a renewable industry on wood and agricultural products. There is room for food processing factories, plants for construction material, furniture factories or biomass energy plants. A part of the domain can be opened up for new activities that are linked to this industry, like a furniture market, a design school for architecture and furniture, research labs for new wood based materials,..
Regional vision
Local impact
Leisure and urban agriculture: Polanka nad Odrou Localisation
current context
The plain of the Odra river is part of the urban and natural structure. Next to developing more nature (woods next to the river), the trainstation makes it a good place for more urban activities: the current agriculture can make place for a horse riding school and urban agriculture ,where people from the city come to harvest the crops themselves, other leisure activities that make use of the natural environment are welcome: fishing, camping, canoeing, hunting, bird watching,..
Regional vision
Local impact
Market hall: Poruba Localisation
current context
A crossroads of tramways becomes a centre for the neighbourhood. By developing a square and an open market hall, we stimulate urban activities like farmers markets and local festivities
Regional vision
Local impact
Public space-axes and nature development: Poruba Localisation
current context
Bad maintained parks are the result of ‘too much space’. By concentrating open air activities on main bike paths, we can develop the rest of the park space into a more natural environment, helping to create the mixed urban and natural structure. The public space bike-axes is implanted next to public services like a pharmacy, shop ,school and a bar. Adding greenhouses on the flat rooftops and sport terrains, playgrounds, bbqplaces, dog meadows and vegetable gardens will increase the use of this axes and the encounter between people.
Regional vision
Local impact
my territory, my town!
2/ CHARLEROI (BE): THE TRANSFORMATION OF AN INDUSTRIAL CENTRALITY FOR A GREEN METROPOLIS 2012: second master of Urbanism and Urban planning, Ghent The necessity of the industrial centrality Charleroi is a city of 200.000 people in the South of Belgium at the Samber river and the canal Brussels-Charleroi. The current city is derived from three historic centres; Charleroi, Marchienne au Pont and Gosselies. Mining activities in the 19th and 20th century are the reason the city has got this big. Although mining was spread all over the area, there was one point, at the crossing of the Samber and the canal, where most of the coal- and steel plants were situated. This industrial area was the core of the booming agglomeration. The expansion of the city was focused mostly around this site and because of the enormous amount of people that came to work here everyday, this place was vital for the existence of the city and therefore should be seen as a centre as well. With most of the industry gone or dying, this place becomes an empty wasteland. The city invested till the 80’s a lot in a subway-infrastructure that connects the three
historic and one industrial centralities. Now, instead of investing in these centres, this city, that isn’t growing in number of citizens, is making the bad decision of investing in expanding its territory. Building new neighbourhoods for living and industry and neglecting its old ones, who are becoming empty again. Because of the sustainable infrastructure and the fact that these historic and industrial centres are a big part of the identity of the city, its necessary to redevelop them. Especially because the main problem of this city is its bad image, and this can be transformed the best within the centres. Without its industrial landscape, Charleroi wouldn’t be Charleroi anymore. Turning the image of a dark, industrial coal town into a new fresh image, without losing respect for the industrial identity it has, will be the biggest task.
3 historical centralities
Charleroi
Subway and waterways that connect the centres of the city
1 industrial centrality
Marchienne au Pont
Gosselies
Steel- and glasindustry
doelstellingen: Strategie voor heel Charleroi 6 actiepunten!
Expanding the build area, taking more green and rural space, neglecting the city centres
3 visions for the whole of Charleroi
A natural structure based on the waterways and greened industrial sites
Old centralities as economic attractive areas, stopping the further expansion
Cultural/ recreational network based on the waterways and greened industrial sites, and the old centres.
1 post-industrial landscape: 5 different plots to develop The area that has the most potential turning the negative image into a fresh one, is the old industrial centrality. Because of the big amount of infrastructure of roads, waterways and subway, it is very logical to invest in this area. The industrial landscape with old factories and waste mountains, called terrils, will help give this area a specific identity that no other city in Belgium has. By reopening an old waterway, an island is created which separates this centrality into 5 plots. By giving every plot a main function, we get an interesting heterogeneous urban landscape which is complementary to the historical centres. In the middle we have the ‘island of culture’. Underneath is the ‘quai of the entrepreneurs’ and east of it is the ‘university coast’. These 3 plots are developed in and around 3 industrial ‘cathedrals’ which are the 3 biggest steel-and coal plants that have to be renovated. West of the island the ‘Marchienne harbour’ will be a mixed living/working area and in the North, the canal and terrils at the ‘coalridge’ are the ideal landscape for inner city adventurous recreation like horseback riding, death rides, camping, skiing and water sports...
The industrial centrality formed into 5 different plots
A crossection of infrastructures at the heart of the industrial landscape
The mountains of coal-waste which are large green zones that are ideal for adventurous recreation
3 ‘industrial cathedrals’ that can keep the city’s identity when redeveloped
Industrial infrastructure that can be reused in a new ‘park’design
An industrial park that is complementary to the historical centres By reusing industrial infrastructure like buildings and bridges, the area keeps it industrial look. By adding different functions on different plots, the image of this place will become positive again. Adding a new subwaystation, pathways and lots of green will make the whole centrality accessible and will turn it in to one park. Afterwards different plots can be developed in different ways to prevent that this area will compete with the historical centres. No shopping or large scale housing here, new functions will be added that are complementary to the other centres and give it an equal importance.
This former industrial plant can have a new life as a place for culture and sports: concert halls, ateliers, exhibition rooms, indoor sports,.. Outdoors there is room for a sculpture garden, climbing walls on the monuments, a beach,..
This industrial terrain which still has some large active enterprises can, in time, be redeveloped in a mixed industrial area. Factories in combination with small scale housing, energy generation and food production in greenhouses on the rooftops.
Greetings from ‘camping Charleroi’!
3/ BANG KHUN THIAN, BANGKOK (TH): ENVIRONMENTAL TOURISM AS A KEY FOR DEVELOPMENT
2012: summer internship for a development program in Thailand with a VLIR-UOS Scholarship BANG KHUN THIAN UNDER THREAT
The Bang Khun Thian area of Bangkok is an aquacultural area with shrimpfarms, canals and canal dwellings. Coastal erosion and especially urbanisation from industrial plants are threatening the area. Because of the constant threat of flooding, this part of Bangkok isn’t suited for build expansion. To keep the area open there is need for more local resources and especially more understanding and thus knowledge of the locals and the people from all of Bangkok to stop the urbanisation.
Bangkok
Bang Khun Thian
Samut Sakhon
EDUCATION AS A KEY FOR DEVELOPMENT
We believe that environmental education will be the key to a new sustainable development. Environmental tourism can provide the knowledge for Bangkoks people, as well as more resources for the locals. This educational landscape can create environmental awareness for people from Bangkok and other tourists/ students. There is a lot to learn about water management, erosion protection, pollution combat, aqua- and agriculture, .. Learning from the past prevents making the same mistakes in the future. f.e. when doing an erosion project without educating, you won’t prevent people from cutting down mangrove trees and won’t prevent erosion in the future.. Different educational institutes and interesting projects can be part of a network. These are the ones we have visited and that can have a potential for further educational development.
1. KMUTT university: A gated campus that’s isolated and doesn't use it's environment, which holds potential for students from all over bangkok 2. Basic school: for local people 3. Salt farm 4. Shrimp farm 5. Coastal erosion reforestation project
Making these projects and schools more accessible will help creating a tourist network. Broadening the concept of ‘school’ will help to educate the locals. Knowledge islands, like the university campus, can become open community centres. Not only for direct education, also for sharing facilities such as computers, libraries, sport facilities,..
Above: University, Basic school ‘plant your own trees’ reforestation and aquaculture project Middle: Shrimp farm, Coastal erosion reforestation project Under: Salt farm
STRENGTHENING INFRASTRUCTURE, TOURISM AND AGRICULTURE FOR AN ENVIRONMENTAL DEVELOPMENT A development in Agriculture, tourism and infrastructure will be complementary to each other and strengthen this region.
Infrastructure: Using the landscape to its fullest! The tradition of water management and living by the water should be cherished. Transport over waterways is much more sustainable than over roads. This area has an incredible canal infrastructure that is under used. Public boat transport and boat taxis along the canal make the area well connected with Bangkok and Samut Sakhorn as well as the north (tourism and other (agricultural and seafood)transport). Crossroads between canals and roads can function as nodes to go from one sort of transport to another. The local centres where these transition nodes are, also provide bike rental points, agricultural markets, restaurants, etc..
transition node bike rental point sea food restaurant
canal khlongs
school
transition node
education point
bike rental point
TOURISM To promote tourism and start the environmental development of the area by enlarging local resources that can by used for further development, we made a movie that shows the qualities and potential the area already has. You can watch it on: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IajO72t0wqI The agricultural and environmental education is the perfect base for a new kind of tourism that is complementary to the one in the city of Bangkok (going out, shopping, see ancient architecture,..)
KMUTT UNIVERSITY A good place to start environmental education is at the KMUTT University campus, now a gated community that’s emancipated from its landscape context and doesn’t have any relationship with the neighbouring local community. We have the chance to get the city people (students) back in touch with the food chain, breaking the normal cycle of farmers trading their profession for city life. Urban people can get in touch with agriculture again. Furthermore we can make the campus self-sustainable, and use (or give back to) the environment, let it develop with campus, involve the surrounding communities in this process. We give place to the streetfood culture. The connection road between the community and KMUTT can be the new centre for the merged communities, with agriculture as the binding factor between these two groups, showing that environmental innovations can be the future for cooperation, development of the whole area.
We propose a variety of urban agriculture systems that can be implemented: 1/Communal orchard; free for everybody 2/ Harvest garden; maintained by locals, harvested by students and paying a small amount of money 3/ Wastelands on campus ground; lend out (for free) to (groups) of students to grow products for own consumption, selling to school restaurants or on the weekly market. 4/ Locals produce fruits, vegetables, herbs and fishes along the main street, sell their fresh products as well as processed foods. Some may open a (seafood-)restaurant along the road.
Street before
Street after: Streetfood culture on a bike friendly road along diverse aqua- and agricultural land
4/ MOLENBEEK, BRUSSELS (BE): STRUCTURING FUTURE DEVELOPMENT IN WEST-BRUSSELS BY GREEN SPACE- AND BIKE TRANSPORTATION-AXES 2012: first master of Urbanism and Urban planning, Ghent
Leopold the second, also called the ‘King Urban Planner’, expanded Brussels and gave it a strong structure of large green parks and lanes, which most of them are the main car roads of the city today. The plan developed green space, especially in the centre and the East of the city, neglecting future development in the west. Today, the west of the city centre has become one of the most densely populated, multicultural and definitely poor areas of Brussels. Because of the high pressure on dwelling development, this area is under the threat of losing more green and becoming unlivable in the future.
? Oh no, he didn’t?!
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We propose a bike road structure that is running straight to the canal, which has the most development potential of Brussels. The road system focuses on the proximity of current public services like schools, hospitals, sports infrastructure,... and of current informal green and parks. This new bike road infrastructure will be the backbone for future (re)development and fast bike transportation. Former inaccessible green zones will become more public and will give this part of the city a more open and green image.
Open Space
Heritage
Sportfacilities
Urban agriculture
resting places
playgrounds
ecologically valuable
tourism
A structure of green accessible spaces will ensure a more sustainable development of West Brussels and can bring back a balance to the development of the whole city.
Different axes can have different themes and can be developed towards their potential or by demand from their context. This particular one has a lot of resting places, sport facilities and Heritage. Derived from its specific urban context, it would be interesting to invest in playgrounds, urban agriculture and tourism.
BINDING THE BIKE-AXES TO THE URBAN TISSUE BY ADDING ACTIVITIES AND DESIGNING NODES OF ENCOUNTER
Zavelenberg agrarisch landschap tennisclub, 4 velden Stadsboerderij school woningontwikkeling speelbos kasteelruĂŻne
Grootbijgaarden Kerk en kasteelpark
Graaf van Vlaanderenplein Karreveld valley lineaire open ruimte, park en 1 tennisveld Kasteelhoeve van Karreveld Metrostation Graaf v. Vlaanderen theaterfestival Bruxellons!, feestzaal, kerstmarkt,.. hoogbouw + park eco-resto en -buurthuis Begraafplaats van appartementen Molenbeek publieke serres Sportvelden (7 tennisvelden, 1 hockyveld) amfitheater gasfabriek, cafĂŠ, B&B Gemeentplein van De vismarkt Koekelberg horeca park en sportveld evenementen
Woning- en kantoorontwikkeling parkgordel Speelbos Hunderveld hoogbouw met park 2 voetbal en 3 tennister reinen
sportvelden (6 tennis, 1 voetbal)
Current functions Added functions
volkstuinen horeca, winkels en katoren osseghem valley 3 open terreinen (2 voetbal, 1 baseball en atletiekpiste) en stadium Brussels school Hostel, fietsverhuur, natuurspeeltuin De grote markt van Brussel unesco werelderfgoed, horeca, manifestaties,..
CASE STUDY OSSEGHEM VALLEY
Functional map: Official use and design of places
1/ sports: gym, football and athletics
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2/ small playground/ park
3/ metrostation
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4/ school
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Map of informal/ multifunctional use: 1/ Urban farming by a group of Congolese men and women from the neighbourhood 2/ 7/ 8/ The streets as playground for children and dogs 3/ Monofunctional carparks 4/ 5/ Inaccessible open space 6/ A local enjoying the park
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Principles for the open space-development
1/ Design the minimal boundaries of open space
2/ Bike road central in the open space for an optimal perception of the green space
3/ Bike road as a binding element that units different parts to one green fluid space (like sport parks, schoolyards, cemeteries, parks..)
4/ Bike road as development-axes: Focussing new architecture and urban activities towards this axes. This will promote the use of these bike roads.
Example of a development-node: Eco-Resto and -community house, apartments and public greenhouses This part of the ‘Osseghem valley green space’ is focussed on the existing allotment gardens. This bottom up initiative can be the start of a development of the whole neighbourhood. There is room for an expansion of the agricultural area and by building public greenhouses, the neighbourhood can meet here as well during the winter. A new eco-resto can serve dishes with neighbourhoodlocal products at democratic prices. This building also functions as a community house; giving space to local activities and events. The square in front of this building is a node for interaction between this neighbourhood and the rest of Brussels. The new buildings are build next to unfinished blind walls. They ‘finish’ the build pattern and bind it to the new infrastructure. The greenhouses are put at the back of existing gardens to make a good private-public transition.
5/ BEVEREN (BE): LANDSCAPE EMBEDMENT FOR A NEW PRISON COMPLEX
2010: Amsterdam internship/ part of an interdisciplinary team, won competition )
The implantation of a design for a new prison was part of competition we won for the Flemish government. This design proposal was based on using elements of the historical landscape of the area. On a different scale, we used the convex fields as a system to define the parcels for the prison and the parking area. Also, surrounding them with upscaled waterways, that will benefit for collecting and cleaning the water, and rows of Populus trees. With this design, we try to strengthen a very fragmented landscape by using its trees, parcelling and curves.
Typical historical landscape of the region: convex fields, bordered by Populus trees and ditches
concept for landscape implantation of the prison complex
Final design: image by BEEL Archicten
The implantation at the border of the rural landscape can strengthen both rural as build space
6/ OOSTENDE (BE): ENSORPARK
2010: Third year of studies in landscape Architecture, Melle
The city of Ostend, at the Belgium coast, has plans to make a ring of parks around its city. Our assignment was to design one of these parks. The first park in the chain of green spaces is located next to the sea and will be called after the famous Ostend artist, Ensor. Because he is buried next to the small church that stands on the border of the terrain. The contrast of natural and cultural landscape The most interesting about this piece of land, is that it has a small line of dunes and a polder behind it. The contrast between the natural (dunes) and cultural landscape (polders as man made land) will be the base for the parkarchitectural design. To enlarge this contrast and make interesting spaces, the confrontation between the two will be enlarged by creating more dunes in the current polders. By giving another direction to the lines of the ditches in the polderlandscape than to the new developed dunes, the contrast gets even bigger. The new dunes will be surrounded by walls of cortensteel with openings here and there for people to discover them. The walls will harden the contrast as well. The grassland and ditches will be mown twice a year and in the dunes, different stages of succession will be maintained. This creates an attractive landscape with high ecological values.
The fishersmans cottage
View from the dunes to the polders
View from the dunes to the small church and the border of the city.
Fishermans cottages as Art- and Landscape-pavilions Next to the small church, there is one of the few fishermanscottages left ,who used to be very typical for this environment. The spreading of these cottages is the concept for a network of pavilions. These will be closed or half-open spaces where people can walk through and rest, participate or have a look at certain activities. Some of these pavilions are meant for art (workshoproom, video-installation, graffitiroom, exhibitionroom,...) to give artists from Ostend the chance to show or do their work in a public space. Other pavilions are meant for environmental education because there are a lot of interesting biotopes coming together here: the sea, shore, dunes, polders,... These landscape pavilions don’t have a roof. The landscape runs just through them. At the walls there is room for information and drawings about the creation and evolution about a specific landscape, the species that live in it, etc... One exception is the ‘sea-pavillion’ which stands on the dike, to attract tourists into this chain of parks, and which is a giant aquarium that hosts some of the north sea-fauna and -flora