By Hans Oerlemans & Tobias Volbert; Urban Design Alliance Queensland; 2014; Brisbane; ISBN 979-0-9924423-1-6
By Hans Oerlemans & Claudia Baldwin (USSC)
Presented at the PIA Queensland State Conference 2013 in Mackay
Published in: Queensland Planner; Summer 2013; Vol.54; No.4
The issue
The city of Meppel is extending into a sensitive cultural landscape. A district half the size of the current city will be developed in the next 25 years. The plan needs to be respectful to the landscape, well connected with the city and produce a finished result in every phase.
Our statement
In New-Peat Lands everybody will live at a meadow, creating a district where city and landscape slide into each other.
Our solution
The typical cultivation pattern of the landscape is the base for the urban plan. Instead of the usual complete filling, we introduce an alternative civil engineering method. Thus we can retain all ditches, as base for both the urban water system and the development framework. Build-up parcels are alternated with agricultural meadow zones. Three distinct ribbons further elaborate the framework. Large-scale recreational facilities and a finely meshed network of paths join the city to the new district and the landscape.
Data
| Client: | City of Meppel |
| Location: | Meppel, The Netherlands |
| Area: | 737 ha. |
| Year: | 2003-2005 |
| Status: | Ratified |
| Partners: | OKRA landscape architects, Tauw environmental consultants, Goudappel Coffeng traffic engineers |
More information? Click:
Nieuwveense Landen_Project Documentation
Nieuwveense Landen_Process & Scenario Game
Nieuwveense Landen_Master Plan Summary
or the pdf-icon at the bottom of this page.
The issue
The village is threatened to be submerges by the advancing city. The new extensions need to strengthen the village identity, setting it apart from the city.
Our statement
The village atmosphere is in essence an organically grown, small-scale urban fabric. Visually dominated by green and the surrounding landscape. And mixed use is knitted together with a strong social cohesion.
Our solution
Vistas and routes connect the new neighbourhoods to the landscape and to the village centre. The street profiles are diverse, with a mix of housing types and staggering fronts. Little squares, public gardens and small fields contribute to the informal atmosphere. A centre for the mentally disabled is incorporated and maintains the public gardens. Parking is kept out of view on the brick-paved roads. People, houses and green dominate the image, not cars, although they are functionally fully included. Sustainability aspect like stormwater retention and local energy production are also integrated.
Data
| Client: | Koopmans Projects, with City of Deventer |
| Location: | Schalkhaar, The Netherlands |
| Area: | 17.5 ha. |
| Year: | 2005-2007 |
| Status: | Ratified, Under construction |
| Budget: | € 6.0 million (public space) |
| Partners: | Bentvelsen Fleer Architects & Urban Planners, OKRA landscape architects |
More information? Click:
Schalkhaar_Project Documentation
or the pdf-icon at the bottom of this page.
The issue
The centre of town is deteriorating and loosing costumers. Retrofitting the urban structure needs to enforce its economical competition power.
Our statement
The centre needs to be made livelier: draw, house and keep people. People attract more people and that keeps business running.
Our solution
The strategy focuses on creating more atmospheres to experience, adding people and enhancing physical connections. The centre amenities (shops, events, services) are more clearly zoned around the historical central street. Adding small squares, parks and alleys, places to sit and stray, diversifies network of public spaces. Improving the connections with the surrounding neighbourhoods increases the natural flow of people through the centre. Adding dwellings diversifies the centre and increases the basic volume of public, improving liveliness and the attraction of other people.
Data
| Client: | City of Hoogeveen |
| Location: | Hoogeveen, The Netherlands |
| Area: | 23.1 ha. |
| Year: | 2007-2009 |
| Status: | Ratified |
| Partners: | OKRA landscape architects, attuned with joining centre parts by Soeters Architects and Atelier Dutch Urban Planners. |
More information? Click:
Hoogeveen Centre_Project Documentation
or the pdf-icon at the bottom of this page.
The issue
The National Government aspires to put this area on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Therefore the archaeological values in the landscape need to be protected. Economical detriments need to be compensated within the landscape itself.
Our statement
The two historical layers, now blurred into each other, need to become separately readable. This opens up a whole new world of economical potentials.
Our solution
First we research the possibilities to protect the archaeology. Interactive with all stakeholders, we attune the archaeological ambitions to the acceptable level of new developments. With the outcome, we design a landscape framework, clarifying the rational land-claim. This hosts a set of story lines, illuminating the archaeology. Together they create a clear structure for adding wind turbines, increase recreational attraction and additional income, and thus free up space for the desired archaeological protection.
Data
| Client: | Province of Flevoland, with Lelystad City, Dronten Council, Farmers Coop. Swifterbant |
| Location: | Flevoland, The Netherlands |
| Area: | 38.2 km2 |
| Year: | 2003-2004 |
| Status: | Ratified |
| Partners: | OKRA landscape architects |
More information? Click:
Swifterbant_Project Documentation Swifterbant_Process & Scenario Game
or the pdf-icon at the bottom of this page.
Development plan for reinforcing the coast to sustain sea-level rises and improve economic and spatial quality of the seaside town.
Data
| Client: | Waterboard Rijnland, with National Government, Province of Zuid Holland, Katwijk Council |
| Location: | Katwijk aan Zee, The Netherlands |
| Area: | 57 ha. |
| Year: | 2008-2010 |
| Status: | Ratified, under construction |
| Partners: | Arcadis consultancy, OKRA landscape architects, Alkyon water engineers |
More information? Click:
Coast Reinforcement Katwijk_Project Documentation
Coast Reinforcement Katwijk_Process & Scenario Game
or the pdf-icons at the bottom of this page.
The issue
On this 19th century harbour peninsula, the terrain of a big harbour company is going to be turned into housing. On the edge with the old neighbourhood a park is planned. This park needs to become the glue between the two quarters.
Our statement
This park has to be designed as the warm, cosy and lively living room of the neighbourhood, in contrast with the open, rough harbours surrounding the peninsula.
Our solution
We see a clear conflict between the wish-list, budget and surface in the brief. So we first play a scenario game with all stakeholders, community included, to clear up the brief. With the results we design a park that is both green and active. Colourful, with seasonal effects in the planting, to take delight in and talk about. Multifunctional paved and sunken sport-fields form an active centre and gathering place. Additional seats and functions through the park give various grounds to sit down, watch and meet other park users.
Data
| Client: | City of Rotterdam |
| Location: | Rotterdam, The Netherlands |
| Area: | 2.4 ha. |
| Year: | 2001-2005 |
| Status: | Constructed |
| Budget: | € 1.5 million |
| Partners: | OKRA landscape architects |
More information? Click:
Kaap Park_Project Documentation
or the pdf-icon at the bottom of this page.
The issue
Typically small-town extensions are small generic city extensions. They are blind to the town’s characteristics, killing its identity. This extension needs to reinforce and repair the town’s spatial quality.
Our statement
To strengthen the town’s character, the parcelling of the landscape has to be the base for the developments structure. Spatial principles derived from the organically grown village have to be the base for the design.
Our solution
The design is based on the long-stretched parcelling of the landscape. Two parallel streets open up the building plots. Trees and protruding alignments give reason to little deviations in the street profile, creating an organically grown appearance and slowing down traffic naturally. Plots for individual owner-builders and small-scale developments are strategically mixed, providing architectural structure. A green zone in the middle creates a communal area and a vista to the landscape. Rules for a changing building line instigate collaboration between the new residents, creating a neighbourhood community already before they start to build and live here.
Data
| Client: | City of Meppel |
| Location: | Nijeveen, The Netherlands |
| Area: | 6.2 ha. |
| Year: | 2003-2009 |
| Status: | Ratified, Constructed |
| Budget: | €1.3 million (public space) |
| Partners: | OKRA landscape architects, DAAD architects, B+O architects, SKA architects |
The issue
The park suffers from vandalism, pollution and unsafety. Private used areas are all fenced off, leaving the park heavily fragmented. Nobody feels responsible for the left over public space. Now there is budget for a partial renovation.
Our statement
The central focus of this park should be free green space for everybody to use and open to the whole neighbourhood. Fixed uses gather around this free space.
Our solution
Despite the tight schedule, we decide to make a master plan first, to determine with the whole community the aims for the park. Decided is that all vulnerable functions need to be fenced off. We gather them in one, specially designed fence. This fence opens up over tens of meters on all sides. In- and outside flow into each other when the park is open. For the public part we design a strong framework, of a meadow surrounded by low flowering planting and a walk-around, all with many triggers to play, sit and meet.
Data
| Client: | Sub-Council Feijenoord, with City of Rotterdam |
| Location: | Rotterdam, The Netherlands |
| Area: | 5.7 ha. |
| Year: | 1999-2005 |
| Status: | Constructed |
| Budget: | € 8.1 million (w/o market) |
| Partners: | OKRA landscape architects |
More information? Click:
Afrikaander Square_Project Documentation
or the pdf-icon at the bottom of this page.