Three new residential buildings have been delivered on the NPD-strip in the neighborhood Overvecht, in Utrecht. The three buildings, forming DeBuurt (The Neighborhood) together, accommodate 343 energy-efficient rental houses. Commissioned by AM Flux has designed three courtyards for the residential buildings. The gardens of the courtyards each have their own appearance and character, in which the resident is invited to encounter and to be outside. The public space around the buildings is designed by Flux and was commissioned by the municipality of Utrecht. The space connects a lively plinth with entrances and various cultural facilities. In the public space a transition arises between the more urban side (which is located directly next to the shopping centre of Overvecht) and the other side, which lies on important green structures in Overvecht.
Commissioned by the municipality of Utrecht (public space) and commissioned by AM (courtyards)
Flux has worked on the HWBP project book 2022 and conducted a design study into dikes and biodiversity. Biodiversity is an important theme for the HWBP Program. That is why the designers of Flux landscape architecture were asked to take a fresh look at this theme. In the design study, they have explored the impact of the broad concept of biodiversity and sketch possible scenarios for a biodiverse dike of the future. In collaboration with graphic designers Koehorst in't Veld and copywriter Sofia Opfer.
As part of a selection procedure, commissioned by the municipality of Apeldoorn, Flux has developed a spatial vision for the main street of Apeldoorn. In the vision the main street will be developed into an attractive green line from station to Palace Het Loo with park-like qualities. The new Parkstreet will have a high residential quality, aims at forms of slow traffic and through a maximum green design, there will be space for nature and water retention.
Project Utrechts Heuvelland on RTV Utrecht
Gerwin de Vries of Flux has been in the news of RTV Utrecht and on the radio to talk about the project Utrechts Heuvelland. Flux has developed a spatial future perspective for the Utrechtse Heuvelrug, commissioned by the National Park Utrechtse Heuvelrug, the municipality of Amersfoort and the Provincial Advisor Spatial Quality Paul Roncken. The project is part of the design research Holtland, a design research into new forms of forests in the Netherlands.
Flux has been given the assignment to develop a greenvision on Eindhoven. The vision is being developed to increase the green in the city centre, in which opportunities for biodiversity, climate and mobility are being utilized as much as possible. As development of the greenvision, 10 new green spots will be designed. Commissioned by the municipality of Eindhoven and in collaboration with TU Eindhoven, Acacia Water and Bureau Stadsnatuur.
Gerwin de Vries part of expertteam Tempo Province of Utrecht
The city of Utrecht is expanding and dwellings are needed urgently. This task of densification and the construction of new buildings, should be done with high quality. In order to realize this and to prevent delay, the programme Versnelling Woningbouw (Acceleration Housing) has been set up with a network of experts: TEMPO (Team external force to think along professional’s in residential development). This network helps municipalities, housing corporations and inhabitant collectives shortly with initiatives or will think along with a project or area development. Gerwin de Vries is one of the experts of the network TEMPO. TEMPO is multidisciplinary and covers elements that are important in housing development, for example: Design, Sustainability, Nature & Environment and Mobility.
Flux has developed a spatial future perspective for the Utrechtse Heuvelrug, commissioned by the National Park Utrechtse Heuvelrug, the municipality of Amersfoort and the Provincial Advisor Spatial Quality Paul Roncken. The project is part of the design research Holtland, a design research into new forms of forests in the Netherlands.
In the vision Utrechts Heuvelland the watersystem is taken as basis for the planning process. Both top, side and edge of the Heuvelrug are part of this system and form the basis for a new future perspective; the Utrechts Heuvelland. A new thickened edge of hedgerows, lanes, forest-rooms and city-forests are forming a gradual transition between the Heuvelrug and the surrounding landscape. This doesn’t only offer opportunities for new forests and recreation, but also enables seepage water to be absorbed quietly instead of quickly draining it. In the edges new forest structures are improving the reachability of the forest from the villages and cities and on the top of the Heuvelrug are opportunities for more nature, diverse deciduous forests and an improved percolation of rainwater. In this way recreation can be absorbed in the edges so that the heart of the Heuvelrug can be relieved. By developing new forests in the edges, there will be directed at strengthening the spatial quality of various landscapes around the Heuvelrug. In addition, the new forest contributes to greater transitions that are involved. In this way the linear forests improve the connection between the city and the country-side, will new forests be part of a sustainable agricultural system in the Gelderse Vallei and will new coppice forests arise in the estate-zone around Langbroek.
The project is part of the project Holtland, a design research into new forms of forests in the Netherlands. Flux sees a high abstraction level in existing researches about forest, without a deeper insight. Therefore, Flux believes that the research into planting forests in the Netherlands is crucial, with focus on diverse forest types, in a strong relation with both current challenges in the Netherlands and a concrete spatial development. The design research consists in three parts: the forest book with forests of the future, several case studies and an alternative forest vision for the Netherlands.
Four case studies have been set up with concrete locations. The stakeholders are: The Province of Utrecht, WWF, Synchroon and Staatsbosbeheer. The project has been financed by Stimuleringsfonds with co-financing of several parties. The focus group for the research exists of Berno strootman (National Advisor Landscape, engaged in the forest strategy of LNV), Kees Hendriks (researcher into forest of Alterra Wageningen) and Martijn Boosten (researcher and advisor at foundation Probos).
Take a look at the results of the case study Forests for Building here. The research into River Forests with the WWF is expected in the beginning of 2022.
The exhibition Sponsland was opened at the Grote Markt in Groningen, at the beginning of November. Maquettes of different bureaus were exhibited, including the maquette of Flux. The exhibition is about the future of the Groninger landscape and can still be visited on various locations.
Simultaneously to the exhibition, the book Sponsland was presented on Friday the 5th of November, where Gerwin de Vries of Flux was present. The project Edible Waddencoast of Flux is included in the book Sponsland.
Together with the Vereniging Deltametropool and Bureau Buiten, Jonas Papenborg of Flux presented the results of the project Landvestors II last Thursday. In the project Landvestors II, Flux has conducted research on how companies and residents (Landvestors) in the Dutch Region Brainport Eindhoven and in the German region Rheinische Revier can contribute on the development of an attractive and sustainable landscape.
The results are collected in the publication: Landvestors II, The Region
Flux part of movie open call Toekomstbestendig Landelijk Gebied
As part of a new programme of the Stimuleringfonds Creatieve Industrie, called De Nieuwe Ruimte (The New Space), Gerwin de Vries of Flux landscape architecture has been asked to tell something about the design research Holtland, a research Flux is working on at the moment. The interview was filmed at the office of Flux and in the forest as well.