In recent months, several schools visited Flux: students from the University of Manitoba (Canada), Larenstein and TU Delft were given a tour through the office and introduced to the design practice of Flux. It was very nice to do and is also important to exchange, as far as we are concerned this can only contribute to a stronger field! With presentations by Kris Kersten, Robert Kapel, Fábio Alzate Martinez, Gerwin de Vries, Britt Piek, Hylke Vonk and Rixt Meeuwisen.
Flux has developed a vision for the river Hunze in Groningen, commissioned by the municipality of Groningen. The vision shows how the Hunze could once again play a stronger role in and around the city of Groningen, both in the water system, urban transformations and in greening the city. The Hunze thus forms an essential structure for the city of Groningen, drawing landscape into the city. There are opportunities here for water storage, cooling and improving biodiversity. Urbanisation can also be oriented in the form of new edges along the Hunze. Various subareas together form a characteristic series along the Hunze, but each requires a specific approach. The vision depicts the opportunities and also proposes specific spatial design principles.
In collaboration with Lieke Jildou de Jong (Landscape Collected) and commissioned by the municipality of Groningen.
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Broadcast EenVandaag (from minute 14:00)
On 28 September, Flux organised a symposium on the opportunities for new forest in the Netherlands. With the design research Holtland Flux has done several cases on new forest, over the past two years, and worked with several partners in these researches.
In existing studies on forests, Flux sees a high level of abstraction and a lot of focus on surfaces. Therefore, Flux considers it valuable to investigate the planting of forests in the Netherlands. Here the focus is on diversity of forest types, a strong relationship with major current challenges in the Netherlands and a concrete spatial elaboration. The Holtland design research resulted in four parts:
the Utrechts Heuvelland (i.c.w. Provincie Utrecht), Bossen voor bouwen (i.c.w. Synchroon), a study into Rivierbossen (i.c.w. WWF) and the Bossenboek (i.c.w. SBB).
As a common thread of the research cases Flux created a Holtland manifesto with the 10 most important lessons for new forests in the Netherlands.
Would you like to read the manifesto? It can be found digitally here and, on request, sent by post (mail to info@fluxlandscape.nl).
Torrential rains, periods of prolonged drought, a succession of tropical days: it requires adaptation of our stations and station areas. Commissioned by Bureau Spoorbouwmeester, NS and ProRail, Flux worked on the design research Climate Adaptive Stations, which developed concrete design tools for dealing with climate change at stations. In the design research, a GIS analysis was done of 25 stations in the Netherlands on 22 different climate issues and a specific climate profile and associated transition path was made for each station. This transition path links directly to the climate assignment, the strategy to be followed and matching measures for the stations. This transition path can be completed for each station in the Netherlands, providing a clear picture of the climate challenge, the strategy to be followed and the associated measures.
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Last summer, Gerwin de Vries lectured in a symposium on beauty, initiated by the National Cultural Heritage Agency and Staatsbosbeheer. In response to the spatial issues piling up in the limited space we have, this symposium was created to reflect on spatial quality and how we can achieve it. In the lecture, Gerwin talked about projects that have a landscape quality, but are also underlying robust enough to address current issues. For example, the Holtland project (research into new forest in the Netherlands), the Gangen research and the Wadden coast project.
Other speakers at this symposium were Adriaan Geuze (TU Delft), Kim Zweerink (Mooi Noord-Holland), Frits Gierstberg (Nederlands Fotomuseum), Gido ten Dolle (Ruimtelijke Kwaliteit BZK) en Anne van Kuijk (Provincie Noord-Brabant) en workshops van Marieke van de Blaak en Nelleke den Boon (Staatsbosbeheer), Roy Damen (B+B), Loes van der Vegt (Waterschap Drents Overijsselse Delta) en Loes Lansink (Waterschap Rijn en Ijssel).
Would you like to know more? You can watch the symposium here
Since one year, Flux has a new workspace in the middle of Rotsoord and we are very proud of our new office space. A large lunch table with space for meetings and debates, several meeting rooms, a garden to experiment with planting, a model room and, of course, a table tennis table adjacent to the office. The photo's were taken by Lonneke Buijs.
After a selection, Flux was commissioned to design Ringpark Zuid in Tilburg. The Ringpark Zuid has the potential to become a new city park for Tilburg, containing places to stay, urban programme, but also space for nature and water storage. The park forms an assignment together with the transformation and densification of adjacent building blocks. In collaboration with Studioninedots and Guido Wallagh. Commissioned by the municipality of Tilburg and TBV Wonen.
Flux went on a field trip to Paris! Over 20 projects were looked at and in this full programme the team also paid a quick visit to the agency Agence TER. The excursion consisted of a beautiful 3-day cycling etappe that included, among others; Parc de la Villette, Parc de Billancourt, La Petite Ceinture and Parc des Buttes Chaumont. With thanks to David de Boer for the tour in Jardin des Plantes. It was a nice combination of classical and contemporary designs with beautiful places and a lot of inspiration for our next projects!
The results of the design research Gangen have been presented. The research, which was started by Flux two years ago together with Synchroon, proposes to create 15 new landscape parks on the edges of several Dutch cities, where spatial quality is under pressure. The landscape parks can play a crucial role in major landscape challenges such as water storage, food production and increasing biodiversity. At the same time, they can create new recreational routes between city and countryside and offer opportunities for medium-density housing in the periphery. The concept thus answers both landscape challenges and the demand for new housing. The concept transcends the scale of landowners or municipalities and thus calls for new regional coalitions.
In cooperation with &Bogdan and Stadkwadraat and advisory board Sylvia Karres, Paul Roncken and Co Verdaas. The elaboration of the concept will be explored at several locations in the near future.
Would you like to know more? Take a look at the project Gangen or the website Gangen
After a selection phase, Flux has been commissioned to research and depict what the Netherlands could look like in 2100. In this assignment, different narratives will be developed for the Netherlands, answering issues around nature, agriculture, urbanisation and energy. Commissioned by the Ministry BZK and from the programme Mooi Nederland.
Image: Analysis of the Netherlands