Trekvlietzone Den Haag

Trekvlietzone nature inclusive is focused on designing a nature inclusive built urban environment in the city of The Hague. The Trekvlietzone, situated in the former industrial area Binckhorst, will be developed into a new sustainable residential area. By approaching nature in natural symbiosis with the city, opportunities are created for a new establishment in which ecological cycles are formed.

Flux has made a design for the Binck Blocks, a 115-meter-high tower with a lush and green character that will introduce a new biotope to the Binckhorst. Green spaces that actively contribute to the synergy between flora and fauna and its environment are designed throughout the whole building. Together with a city ecologist from Bureau Stadsnatuur Flux has worked on developing a strategy that can be used for building this nature inclusive tower that will provide a new habitat for a diversity of animals, plants and insects. In this strategy the focus is put on the first 50 meters of the building, in this zone there is the highest concentration of animals and insects and therefore has the most chance of bringing the ecology into the building. By creating green pockets in the building, animals and insects are guided with steppingstones to find food and shelter on higher up in the building.

For a number of known species from the surrounding area there has be determined what the species needs in term of habitat, food and reproduction (nesting place of for instance a host plant). The focus has been put on species that are important for the diversity within the city: birds, bats, pollinators such as butterflies and bees, and insects in general. For each species the specific living conditions have been determined and measures have been taken in the design. The connection between species has also been included, allowing complete food webs to form within the building. Birds use the nest boxes for breeding, eat insects or seeds and berries from the plants. The seeds will be spread by the birds eating them allowing the plants to spread over a wider area. Bats live on insects (some eat up to 3000 insects per night) and the butterflies lay eggs on the hostplants. Caterpillars or larvae eat from the hostplants so that they can grow and pupate. Without the hostplants no caterpillars, without the caterpillars no butterflies. By incorporating all the conditions of the life cycle within the green structure a collection of cycles is brought together in the Bincktower en has a relation with its surroundings.

Trekvlietzone nature inclusive has the potential to set an example for a nature inclusive city with a high ecological value.

The Hague, Binckhorst, commissioned by ‘VORM ontwikkeling’ , first prize tender Trekvlietzone 1a 2018,  in progress , i.c.w. LEVS architecten, Bureau Stadsnatuur, renders by WAX, first prize tender Trekvlietzone 1b BinckPARK, in progress, i.c.w. Groosman architecten, Klimaatgarant, W/E Adviseurs, Buro Bouwfysica, Pieters Bouwtechniek, Vaecon, renders by Erik Stuit, healthy city, climate-adaptive city , natureinclusive, Flux landscapearchitects Utrecht 2018-present