Design in Public Space

Design in public space

STUDIO MAATWERK & STUDIO 1:1 SELECTED PROJECTS 2012

SELECTED PROJECTS STUDIO MAATWERK / STUDIO 1:1

CONCEPT / VISION This publication is a joint initiative of design studios Studio 1:1 and Studio Maatwerk. For several years, these spatial design studios have fruitfully collaborated on specialized design for municipalities and housing corporations. Even though we are two individual design studios, in both our visions the three characteristics; “involvement, daring and pragmatism� are highly valued. These qualities are found every time in our joint projects. To showcase these projects, and several others of our own, we have decided to bundle the best designs in the magazine that you have in front of you. Below we will expand in depth on our shared principles about design in public space.

JOINT VISION We design in correspondence with a context.

The outcome of a design process is dependent on the location, a need and the end user, whether it concerns an interactive wall painting or the shaping of a nature and leisure area. A successful interaction between these three elements is of central importance. To achieve this result we carry out carefully grounded research about the possibilities at hand and use the specific social and natural elements present.

We are involved. This means that we are involved with both the client and the end user. We communicate directly. At every step in the design process we allow for feedback to enter back into the loop. Since changes in peoples residential environments trigger passionate reactions, we positively channel, proudly ownership of the end

result to all those involved. We bring together the executive parties in such a way it can create social surplus.

We dare to do! We kick off energetically and bait out input from all sides. Differing opinions thus come together constructively. By spurring reflection during the process, we allow those involved to define the optimal form together. We consider, analyse and execute, to guarantee the design that works best.

On the next pages you will find a selection of fourteen projects. The focus is on completed projects in the municipal and social housing sphere, but for completeness we have added several projects that deviate on the basis of scale and status; from product design to master plan.

These projects show the breadth of competen-ces that our two studios posses.

AUGMENTED REALITY Studio 1:1 and Studio Maatwerk came up with a design for the painting of a side elevation of an apartment complex in Eindhoven, to make the building come alive with an ‘augmented reality’ smart phone app they additionally developed. As far as we know, this is the first time this technology is directly applied on architecture.

Title OpenHuisAR Commissioner Woonbedrijf, SWS Hhvl Design Studio Maatwerk & Studio 1:1 Status Completed Date/period October 2011 Location Von Flotowlaan, Eindhoven Involved parties de Eindhovense school Van Tour schilderwerken, Beyond Reality BV

OPEN HUIS AR

OPEN HUIS AR

DESIGN BRIEF Woonbedrijf asked Studio Maatwerk and Studio 1:1 to see how a regular paint job of the side elevation of an apartment complex on the Von Flotowlaan could add a surplus for residents and the neighbourhood.

APPROACH Studio Maatwerk and Studio 1:1 developed the idea to implement a new technique, augmented reality (AR), in public space. This technology uses a unique 2D image, called a ‘marker’. By pointing a smart phone camera on a marker, technology can project a second layer over real time video input. By implementing this technology, the studios are the first to give a central stage to AR in an architectural design. After testing the format, various parties were approached to realise the project. Multi media students from neighbouring graphic college ‘de eindhovense school’ developed the visual side of the application, while Beyond Reality was responsible for putting the app together. By involving students from the area at the same time, makes the project context specific and

creates the non-debatable connection between the college and the residents of the complex and immediate neigbourhood.

RESULT The result is in itself already a surprising design where a house shape graphic on the side elevation draws attention. The possible interaction via the free ‘OpenHuisAR’ app adds a spatial surplus to the project and allows the passer-by the chance to engage playfully and unexpectedly with an every-day surrounding.

This possibility encourages meetings and social interaction: the appearance of this modern phenomenon alone is reason enough for a chat between students and residents.

The role of the students in the design process similarly provides them with a sense of pride: responsibility for the realization of such a landmark strengthens connections between the college and the neighbourhood.

PICNIC TABLE XXL Studio Maatwerk designed and realised a unique oversized picnic table in an urban green space in the vicinity of the Karel de Grotelaan in Eindhoven. This up-scaled picnic table offers the user a place where they can feel small again and results in a surprising meeting place. The design was nominated for the ‘Brabantse straatkunstprijs 2011, an award for surprising street art.

Title Picnic table XXL Commissioner Woonbedrijf SWS Hhvl Design Studio Maatwerk Status Completed Date/period May - June 2011 Location Karel de Grotelaan, Eindhoven Involved parties Mieke Meijer, VanTour BV, Verse Beeldwaren

PICNIC TABLE XXL

DESIGN BRIEF Born from the “Design in the neighbourhood” project, commissioned by Woonbedrijf, Studio Maatwerk contemplated the design of a social and functional green space near the Karel de Grotelaan.

APPROACH Studio Maatwerk looked for a solution underscoring the ‘art of living together.’ Using the principle that a change of scale sorts out an alienating effect, Studio Maatwerk decided to enlarge the well known design of the picnic table. The thought behind this being that by enlarging the furniture, users will feel small and memories of childhood and the playfulness this brings along will be mobilized.

RESULT In public space, Picnic Table XXL creates an environment where one can experimentally engage with the space and others, whether it concerns a picnic with friends or an amazed chat about the design with an unknown passser-by.

BIRDCITY A city for a mixed bird community.

Eveline Visser researched how dwellings for city birds could be imagined that blend in with the urban enviroment in which birds live, thus stressing themes like scale, mass production and allowing a more pronounced visibility of the feathered city users.

Title Birdcity Design Eveline Visser (Studio 1:1) Status: Prototype Date/period January - June 2010 Exhibitions: Everyday Dutch; Selfridges – London, MyWay – Milan, Architectuur Bienale – Tallinn, Dutch Design Week – Eindhoven, ViaMilano; RAI – Amsterdam

BIRDCITY

Architecture biennale Tallinn, Estonia

BIRDCITY

APPROACH To meet the requirements birds have towards their habitat, Visser researched the housing needs of the feathered city dweller, who likes an urban home due to higher temperatures and the availability of food. She found out that a collection of birdhouses for so-called ‘holenbroeders’ can provide an urban residential complex for birds. Because of the specific requirements of the potential residents, sizing in bird city is a precarious matter. The blue tit prefers an opening of 28mm. width, the great tit 32 mm. and the tawny owl isn’t interested when the entrance is less than 80mm. While the one kind of bird likes a wide house, another might prefer a slimmer, tall dwelling.

The 33 joined birdhouses, providing the requirements for 33 types of birds found in the city, make Bird City an experimental residence for the urban bird.

Since diversity is also in the bird community a marker for success: not all bird like to live in each other’s space, and when placing the frame height and natural surrounding influence which birds will consider the collection of birdhouses a home. After the design was nominated for several design awards and had a successful showing at the 2010 Design Academy Graduation Show, Bird

City garnered much attention and the design, by now under the auspices of Studio 1:1, was shown in several major European design cities, including the London department store Selfridges.

RESULT The result of the research is a more than man-high frame with 33 birdhouses, inviting the same number of urban bird species. The moss green frame makes a big impression and refers with its shape to both plastic soldiers straight from the factory and an areal view of an urban plan. This play with up and down scaling makes the design stand out. The iconic image of the birdhouse also focuses attention on the presence of birds in the city. These and other unique features have made Bird City the object of interest of several architects and building corporations.

THE LEAF FENCE Acting upon instructions from Woonbedrijf, Studio Maatwerk designed a fence around two set of steps. The design resulted in a remarkably smoothly stiled red fencing with a leaf pattern incorporated. Studio Maatwerk incorporated in this design the existing staircase elements and managed to create a safe area with a friendly character.

Title The Leaf fence Commissioner Woonbedrijf SWS Hhvl Design Studio Maatwerk Status: Completed Date/period January-May 2011 Location Hedastraat, Eindhoven Involved parties Sol Sierhekwerken, Mary Fontaine (kleur kunstenares)

DESIGN BRIEF Woonbedrijf asked to come up with a shape and implementation of new fencing of a collective green space and an adjacent living area in an apartment complex at the Heda-straat. The existing fence had an aggressive air because of pins and barbs and was due to be replaced.

APPROACH Sudio Maatwerk decided to focus on fencing with a qualitative character, on one side functionally providing the residential complex with a safe emergency exit and on the other side adding a spatial marker to the neighbourhood. By accentuating the existing staircase element in the shaping of the fencing, the building is allowed to keep its features, creating an aesthetic fence in the public space.

Sol Sierhekwerk implemented the design, and in concordance with colour artist Mary Fontaine the bright red colour was picked.

RESULT The result is a charming design that at the same time meets its functional standards.

The leaf pattern creates a friendly character and the execution in slim lines accentuates a playfulness that shadow and light can even accentuate. Additionally, the promise of security is met without concessions towards the spatial experience of the residents.

THE LEAF FENCE

WALL PAINTINGS Cooperating with several housing corporations, Studio Maatwerk has accomplished various wall paintings in public space throughout The Netherlands. Although the function of the wall paintings varied from graffiti prevention to decoration of a neighbourhood, with every painting involvment with the neighbouring residents was key.

Title Wall paintings Commissioner Rochdale & Wooninc.

Design Studio Maatwerk Status: Completed Data/period 2008 to now Location Eindhoven & Amsterdam

DESIGN BRIEF Rochdale and Wooninc had varying desires, but all designs concerned the wish to sustainably & visually improve an area, often dealing with graffiti annoyance.

APPROACH Starting from the wish to involve residents in the projects and thereby creating a painting that is made for and by the neighbourhood, Studio Maatwerk met with local residents about the development of designs. In one case it only concerned the meeting with a committee of residents, but in other cases direct involvement through voting for and visually cooperating in the realization of the wall painting by the users of the area took place.

WALL PAINTINGS

RESULT The wall painting always resulted in the creation of a neat and enjoyable space, fitting its context and positively influencing the use of the area. On a wall where graffiti is replaced with an aesthetic design, the chance of relapse is small. Additionally, involvement of residents in the public space increases, since they have been consulted and have been part of the implementation.

RESEARCH BRIEF In this research, René Vullings focused on the function that lost buildings can have in a society and how these perished landmarks can be imagined, to facilitate memories about a specific time and place.

APPROACH It appeared to Vullings that in the current digital era physical and tangible connections with the past are rapidly decreasing in importance, whereas especially physical objects have the power with their imperishable nature to imagine strong connections. A cemetery, for instance, says something about the people that have lived in its surroundings and offers a place to remember these people and the past.

Every city knows of a history where buildings have been lost, trough war, fire, forces of nature, or simply because they weren’t

of use any more. In almost all cases where something is lost, remaining memories and personal stories play an important role. By highlighting the force of physical memories in his design, Vullings developed for The Lost City a series of buildings the city once contained.

RESULT Inspired on 17th-century ‘conversation pieces’ (objects used to start a talk), the Lost City is made of physical objects, conservation pieces, each referring to a lost building. In this way they represent and conserve memories and allowing talk about them to keep on flowing.

THE LOST CITY

With The Lost City, RenĂŠ Vullings presents a series of conservation pieces that symbolize the lost buildings of a city, to keep the memories that are connected with these buildings alive and the subject of conversation.

Title The Lost city Design RenĂŠ Vullings (Studio Maatwerk) Status: Prototype (graduation design) Data/period June 2011 Location Eindhoven

ICT EXPERTISE CENTRE Stichting Kennisnet asked Studio 1:1 to design and implement an ICT test and education space in their office building in Zoetermeer.

They decided to let the design be inspired by innovation, which resulted in a space that strongly stands out against the rest of the building, and both visually as functionally appeals to the new technology that is being demonstrated and tested there. The end result creates a thorough ICT experience.

Title ICT expertise centre ‘De Verdieping’ Commissioner Stichting Kennisnet Design Studio 1:1 Status: Completed Date/period October 2010 – March 2011 Location Paletsingel 32, Zoetermeer Involved parties Constructor De Wilde, Unique Lights, De Boer Technieken, Blok Meubel, Instaal, Kerst Koopman, Feek, De Kieviet modern wonen, Pixel Hobby BV, Jet & Kees Grafisch ontwerp, Uitvoerende Kunst

ICT EXPERTISE CENTRE

ICT EXPERTISE CENTRE

STICHTING KENNISNET

DESIGN BRIEF Stichting Kennisnet, a foundation and national expertise centre for ICT, asked Studio 1:1 to develop a space where a maximum of 30 teachers, education professionals and mana-gers could be inspired by the newest developments concerning ICT. With this space they were looking to create a meeting point for ‘ambassadors’ from several education backgrounds to look for advice on the effective use of ICT. APPROACH Looking at the floor level in the existing office building in Zoetermeer where the design would be implemented, Studio 1:1 decided to choose a flexible arrangement that would underscore the multi functionality of the space, thus allowing for plenary meetings, group work and individual use. Smart use of the space plays a role in determining the function of a work space: semi-closed off to the outside creates a think tank area, or casual standing spots for informal meetings.

They decided to choose a lay out in which every element contributes to an immersive experience with a low threshold and a central role for curiosity. To spatially enforce this experience, Studio 1:1 decided to play with the scale of common ICT objects. For example, they used the pattern of a print board on

the floor to intuitively indicate pathways and mirrored these with LED-lights in the same shape hanging from the ceiling, hid acoustic solutions in a panel made of second hand key boards and enlarged a blue foam internet plug. Apart from mainly own design, Studio 1:1 involved other designers in the concept phase. They also supervised the executive parties, tying together a smorgasbord of involved interests.

RESULT The result of the design is an expertise centre that clearly demarcates itself from the rest of the office building, amplifying the visitors’ sense of amazement in the spatiality of the ICT experience Straight lines and a guiding lay out ensure that the space can be used effectively intuitively, with varying levels of formality that facilitates all forms of knowledge exchange. The addition of scaling known ICT icons adds a uniting theme to the total, while each element still draws positive attention to its unicity.

ICT EXPERTISE CENTRE

DESIGN IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD By means of field work we made design in the public space by inhabitants of Eindhoven visible. The informal initiatives of residents shaping their own residential environment led Studio Maatwerk to develop five socially engaged products: the neighbourhood bird house, the flower pot street tile, the neighbour bench, the skyline fence strip and the picnic table XXL.

Title Design in the neighbourhood Commissioner Woonbedrijf SWS Hhvl Design Studio Maatwerk Status: Completed Date/period 2011 Location Gestel, Eindhoven Involved parties Ploegmakers Cultuurtechniek BV, Figuur Deco, Job Martens (designer)

DESIGN BRIEF Studio Maatwerk was asked to research how area improvements in socially challenged neighbourhoods could be brought closer to the inhabitants.

APPROACH Studio Maatwerk reasoned that with the motto: ‘Your turn!’ the initiative of living area improvement could be handed back to the inhabitants. By stressing living together, meeting and a proactive stance, they can partake in the process of designing their own life world. They researched that by bringing together people in the neighbourhood, a qualitative impulse is created that strengthens networks and consolidates already available competences. Inhabitants smartly show ‘the art of living together’ in their living space. By working from this quality, Studio Maatwerk has stimulated exchange between generations and cohesion between cultures. Incidental initiatives thus gain the potential of being a useful improvement to the neighbourhood.

By similarly involving the inhabitants in the execution of the design, the meeting can DESIGN IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD

lead to an exchange between them, shifting common differences to the background and improving existing networks and extending social cohesion in the area. Finally, products like the neighbourhood bench and the flower pot tile are offered to the residents, for them to improve their own home and the area. For example, when the picnic table XXL arrives at the location still unassembled, residents are invited to put it together and it can be used for activities during that action day, and later as a meeting place in the neighbourhood.

RESULT Working from the initiatives Studio Maatwerk unearthed in their research in the area, the studio developed in concordance with residents and other designers a range of five products born from the wishes of a specific area. These products offer a stage for meeting and stress the art of ‘living together’, to allow a neighbourhood improvement that empowers the residents by urging them to act.

A CONNECTION BETWEEN TOWN HALL AND CASTLE Studio Maatwerk collaborated with Jan-Pieter Meeuws by designing an addition to the urban plan urban planner Aad Trompert made for the municipality of Geldrop. The goal of this design was to add a green and ‘slow’ character to the Mierloseweg as a natural connection between the village centre and the castle gardens.

NATURAL AXIS DESIGN BRIEF The Geldrop municipality asked Studio Maatwerk and Jan-Pieter Meeuws to develop a plan that would change the perception of the Mierloseweg to create a green connection between the centre and the castle gardens.

With the changing role of Geldrop in the back of their minds, an integration of the rural vicinity and urban green was desirable.

APPROACH The design collective decided that by changing the spatial lay-out, Mierloseweg could get a much greener and slower character. Now the street is clearly divided from the green vicinity, but adaptations can create that instead the street can function as a connection between the centre and the castle gardens.

The area will become more friendly to pedestrians and cyclists and cars will get the feeling of being a guest, which will clearly slow down traffic and improve the atmosphere.

In a climate where the focus is more and more on growth, potential and profit, Studio Maatwek and Jan-Pieter Meeuws gathered that regional, natural and high-quality are important features of a village area. The search for a personal identity and the need to be unique are important factors to take into account. These elements will create the future identity of the village. Similarly, these elements are decisive for people in their choice to relocate to a village, close to amenities but with nature around the corner.

RESULT The design collective reasons that the Natural axis fits the strategy of the centre’s urban plan.

This concept shows that a connection of he centre with the rural areas in the vicinity and the castle gardens add several qualities and are important to the village. Residents can fully experience the high-quality green and visitors are encouraged by a beautiful side of the Geldrop to spend more time in the municipality.

Title Natural axis Commissioner Municipality Geldrop Design Studio Maatwerk & Jan-Pieter Meeuws Status Design concept Date/period 2010 - 2011 Location Mierloseweg Geldrop Involved parties Municipality Geldrop, Stichting De Langzame Stad, Goudappel Coffeng (traffic expert), Aad Trompert (urban planner)

REDUNDANT HOUSES Studio Maatwerk cooperated with residents and illustrators to give redundant houses ready to be demolished in the village of Geldrop a new figurative function after habitation ended.

This resulted in a colourful ensemble that was also very well received by the neighbourhood.

Title Redundant houses Commissioner Wooninc.

Design Studio Maatwerk Status Completed Date/period 2008 Location Volmolenplein en Twijnstraat, Geldrop Involved parties Bunnik BV, Decofiti (illustrator), Mattijs Arts (illustrator), Michiel Vlaanderen (illustrator), Jongeren Centrum de Lounge

DESIGN BRIEF Often confronted with redundant housing to be demolished, housing corporation Wooninc. asked Studio Maatwerk to come up with a way to treat the buildings in between habitation and demolishing. Exactly at the moment that the windows are nailed shut, the house stops being a home, and becomes a memory of what was once there. The confrontational character of the boarded up house is the only thing that remains.

What can these relegated buildings still mean for the neighbourhood? How can they be used anew in their temporary state? How can an adaptation give them new charisma?

APPROACH Studio Maatwerk opinionated that exactly during the time of vacancy, the house will have to be used to add something extra. This is to prevent that the houses that are sometimes empty for a longer period, have a negative influence on the neighbourhood. The idea to dress up the houses in colours and imagery was born. In cooperation with youth centre The Lounge, Studio Maatwerk came in contact with adolescents in the area who got involved with the design and implementation. Several illustrators were also contacted, and thus the relegated buildings were transformed into art objects in which the neighbourhood could recognize their own signature.

RESULT The result of the design was a series of relegated houses that after having lost their function as home, were now mobilized as art objects contributing to the neighbourhood. The project is marked by its ‘for and by the neighbourhood’ approach, giving the residents involvement in its creation and a sense of ownership of the result afterwards.

REDUNDANT HOUSES

REDUNDANT HOUSES

OPEN CITY HALL Eveline Visser combined in this graduation design the visual characteristics of the torn down city hall with the functionality of a ‘sports cage’, to offer adolescents a prominent place in the city and at the same time realise an aesthetic addition to the cityscape. Past and present, young and old can come together in a familiar meeting place with a renewed public function.

Title Open City Hall Design Eveline Visser (Studio 1:1) Status Graduation design Date/period February 2010 - June 2010 Involved parties Heras Hekwerk, Municipality Eindhoven, RHC (Regional Historic Centre)

RESEARCH BRIEF Keeping in mind the absence of sports facilities like football cages in the centre of Eindhoven, Visser researched the possibility to offer adolescents a way to connect more prominently with the inner city and develop the cage-like structures in such a manner that their place in the urban environment becomes an addition.

Because the cages are primalrily made out of fencing to keep balls from bouncing into the street, cages hardly add anything to their surroundings. This makes it hard for municipalities to find suitable locations for such adolescents’ meeting places.

APPROACH Due to the lack of enthusiasm for aesthetically unappealing sports cages in the centre of Eindhoven, Visser decided that her search had to lead to a design that would realise a figurative improvement Visser cracked the problem by using the old city hall in her design. This neo-gothic building was torn down in 1957. Because of a myriad of reasons, characteristic old buildings have throughout the years been demolished, creating a sense of loss for nearby residents. By using the shape of old lost buildings in the design of sports cages, a nostalgic reference to the past is combined with a functional arrange-

OPEN CITY HALL

ment. In this way a remarkabe and recognizable cityscape is brought back, and its public function resonates in the use of the space by adolescents as a meeting spot, facilitating several types of social events. Due to the focus on sports and culture, different groups can use the space. Adolescents can become more part of the city and aren’t forced to retreat to secluded places to proliferate their identity, allowing for connections to be established between generations within the city.

RESULT The steel frame of the Open city hall follows the contours of the lost building and is completed with the fencing around. This notable cage, peppered with a whiff of nostalgia, literally function as an ‘open’ city hall: the public function in sports and culture of the cage exemplifies the accessibility of the design. At the same time, the shape of the old cityscape adds to the environment by functionally imagining the past.

SOCIAL HALLWAYS CAVALLILAAN In the run-up to the desinging of a series of five entrance hallways to apartment buildings of Woonbedrijf on the Cavallilaan in Eindhoven, Studio Maatwerk moved into one of the flats to conduct research. To provide the residents with a wanted recognizability, own identity and security, they designed for the entrances an open and clear decorum and added an object that encourages informal contact between the tenants of each complex.

Title Social hallways Cavallilaan Commissioner Woonbedrijf SWS Hhvl Design Studio Maatwerk Status: Completed Date/period September-November 2010 Location Cavallilaan, Eindhoven Involved parties Job Martens (design benches), Spaan Projecten (execution upholstry), Van Tour BV

DESIGN BRIEF Woonbedrijf asked Studio Maatwerk to research the experience of residents of one of the complexes on the Cavallilaan. Since the flow of tenants moving in and out is high, there is only limited bonding between the residents and their living space. The question was how a renovation of the common areas could change this.

APPROACH Studio Maatwerk decided to spend two weeks in one of the apartments on the Cavallilaan to analyse the space and its residents. One of the outcomes of the research was that possibilities existed to morph the hallways into social meeting spaces. In every apartment complex an average of 30 households collectively uses these thoroughfares, which provides an ideal point for improvement. Studio Maatwerk realised that to give everyone a positive experience, spacious and clear decoration was important. Another outcome of the research was that to create a connection between residents and the living space, an own identity per flat is essential. Thus it was decided that

SOCIAL HALLWAYS CAVALLILAAN

each of the five complexes received a unique colour and shape to make the common areas - inside and outside - recognizable. To design the benches in front of the entrances, Studio maatwerk asked for the help of Designer Job Martens.

RESULT Each of the five entrances was done up in a recognizable colour and basic shape, resulting in unique identities that encourage connection between residents and their living space. Anonymity is countered, nr. 128 has become the building with the blue triangle. In this manner every block becomes personalized by ventilating a clear identity. The hallways have been completely renovated and in front of the entrances meeting spaces have been created that invite residents to meet up, if only for a small chat. The benches in front enhance the possibility of social interaction.

THE EHN In his graduation design, Lucas Zoutendijk conceptualised the possibility to use the Dutch high-voltage network as natural corridors in the ecological main structure (Ecologische Hoofd Structuur). This allows the available space that is a result of building limitation around the high voltage network to be mobilized as a high-quality ecological connection. This project has recently been selected after application through Studio 1:1 by Fonds BKVB and the Nai in Rotterdam for “Studio for Unsolicited Architecture” funding. The resulting research, in collaboration with professional partners, will be presented in June 2012 in the Nai (Nederlands Architectuur Instituut).

Title The Ecological High-voltage Network (EHN) Design Lucas Zoutendijk (Studio 1:1) Status: Work in progress Date/period February - June 2010 (graduation design) January 2012 – Current (Studio for Unsollicited Architecture) Location The Netherlands Involved parties .Fabric (urban planning and architecture), LOLA Landscape Architecture, Alterra wageningen UR (ecological research institute)

Ecologische Hoofd Structuur Ecological main structure Hoogspannings Netwerk High-voltage Network

1 - Connect natural areas

2 - Recreational green

3 - Nature in the city

RESEARCH AND DESIGN BRIEF The research question for this design was how the current lay-out of the Duth highvoltage network could be used to strenghten the ecological main structure (EHS). In a context of government cutbacks on nature conservation and an ongoing search for usable space, a combination of the above elements seemed to offer a valauble solution.

In 1995, the Netherlands defined the goals for the EHS, which included the improvement of connections between so-called ‘hubs’ by implementing green corridors. The provinces are responsible for executing this policy, and have to be done by 2018. However, research shows that the connection process is moving slowly. The deadline is at risk.

APPROACH Research shows that in hundreds of instances, the high voltage network crosses urban areas in the Netherlands. Since this space remains free from construction, especially in built-up areas an empty strip can be found. Most of the time neighbouring houses face away from the strip, which is hardly used at all.

Additionally, it turns out that in the following years 155 new neighbourhoods are planned in areas that are already populated with highvoltage cables. Here even a bigger strip will be free of development compared with older areas, since the norm has changed in 2005.

Zoutendijk researched how spaces below the high-voltage networks could be used to be part of the EHS, creating a new ‘Ecological High-voltage Connections’. By superimposing these two networks it became visible where such connections can be imagined.

Surprisingly enough there are options in both rural and urban areas. In this manner,

neighbouring nature parks are actually connected instead of separated by the city or neighbourhood.

By looking at soil type and water level, it can be determined what types of ecosystem can be realized. This becomes the base for which mamals and amphibians can then use this new ecological high-voltage connection.

RESULT The result of the research is a list of possibilities, that are currently being developed further after Studio 1:1 won a prestegious grant from the “Studio for Unsollicited Architecture” to further develop the Ecological High-voltage Network. Prior research by Zoutendijk has led to the invitation of the right professionals each to reasearch their specific areas of expertise, while Studio 1:1 draws up the integral policy advice, including a focus on town planning, landscape architecture and urban ecology.

In this phase of the research it turns out that a multitude of possibilities exist, where both nature conservation and leisure green can be implemented, depending on the specifics of the context. However, it is clear that the conception of the EHN has revolutionized the use of space and appeals to a society-wide growing involvement with conservation issues.

COLOFON This publication is a joint initiative of design studios Studio 1:1 and Studio Maatwerk.

STUDIO 1:1 www.studio1op1.nl info@studio1op1.nl Lucas Zoutendijk, Eveline Visser studio address Westblaak 111 3012 KH Rotterdam STUDIO MAATWERK www.studiomaatwerk.nl info@studiomaatwerk.nl Bjørn Andreassen, Rene Vullings, Laurens Manders studio address Akkerstraat 30 5615 HR Eindhoven TEXT Reinier J.M. Vriend GRAPHIC DESIGN Erik Slijpen www.erikslijpen.nl PHOTOGRAPHY All photography; Studio 1:1 & Studio Maatwerk with the exeption of; Picnic table XXL, Meeting hallways Cavallilaan, Canopy fence & Design in the neighbourhood: Verse Beeldwaren www.versebeeldwaren.nl ICT Expertise Centre ‘De Verdieping’: Sanne Donders www.sannedonders.nl The Lost City: Vincent van Gurp www.vanvincent.nl

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