Nature Shed

A tunnel with an empty roof on top, practically in the middle of a residential area, how do you set that up as a municipality? The answer was quickly found: a park. And not just any park, but one that connects city and country.

World Forum is a public space designed by DS where all the puzzle pieces come together: the theme, the tranquillity, and the dune-like atmosphere.

First landscape then architecture is the motto of the process. Park Brederode is a clear example of this design attitude.

This triptych is our interpretation of Hieronymus Bosch’s “The Garden of Earthly Delights” (1480-1490). The painting, as the original, can be read from left to right, with every panel holding […]

De Buitenpoort is the name of a public transport hub, usually a train station, that makes the attractive countryside accessible from the city.

Amsterdam Vertical (Sloterdijk plots N1+N3) is the first nature-inclusive building complex in Sloterdijk. Through the coordination of measures in building morphology, architecture, planting choices, and management, the building complex becomes a habitat for a wide variety of urban flora and fauna.

The apartment complex in the heart of Spaarndammerbuurt, with its nesting stones and promising gardens, is an ideal place for people, plants, and animals alike.

The multidisciplinary team of Venhoeven CS, DS landscape architects and Studio Solarix developed a surprising proposal for the Design Challenge `Onze Energie Ons Landschap´. The design focuses on producing green energy cleverly and beautifully while simultaneously restoring connections within nature and limiting sound pollution.

In two workshops in the spring of 2024, experts and stakeholders, led by studio master Maike van Stiphout, sketched on the past as inspiration for the future of polder Rijnenburg. Based on the outcomes of the two workshops, we have defined four smart building blocks for creating development scenarios in which archaeology and cultural history are guiding.

Off the Platform, onto the Paths! Stations in the Metropolitan Region of Amsterdam are becoming the starting points for a day out in nature.

Around the Eurojust building grows a gently undulating dune landscape. The landscape absorbs the heavy security measures. The surroundings of Eurojust continue the World Forum (DS project) in terms of materials, linework, and planting.

Pop-up expo “Building for Biodiversity”, Rotterdam until September 23 Parallel to nextcity.nl’s presentation at the ongoing Biennale di Venezia, The New Institute is presenting the exhibition “Building for Biodiversity” on […]

Linck is the name of the nature-inclusive residential building currently being developed. An innovative part of the nature-inclusive approach is the loggia design.

Nature-inclusive design leads to a better quality of life for all creatures. Urban ecosystems are complex and designing for them takes experience. Many small steps in the right direction already have a positive impact. This insight led us to create this guide for urban builders.

DS created the landscape vision and image quality plan landscape for the Spaarne Gasthuis in Haarlem. The vision of the future landscape in the planning area is called Healthy Valley. The valley connects all the new buildings into a new Spaarne Gasthuis environment. And reconnects it to the city. The Healthy Valley is also a nature-inclusive valley. In the image quality plan, the nature-inclusive landscape vision is made concrete in the regulations for the landscaping and design of the buildings.

Station Krommerijn is the joint outcome of multiple sessions within the What If/What Now! program with a wide range of professionals and stakeholders, led by landscape architect Maike van Stiphout/DS and two urban planners Esther Vlaswinkel/SVP and Joram van Otterloo/IMOSS. In this picture of the future, we show how the landscape system shapes urbanization.

This building takes the next step in nature-inclusive construction: integrated design solutions provide space for plants and animals, residents get in touch with nature and knowledge transfer is facilitated with the excursion route and lab space. The main target species is the sparrow. The reward is when they will settle here.

We want solar panels and setups that fit into the beloved riparian landscape. For this we need to associate them not with a machine, but with the animal, so they can join the herds of sheep, cows and llamas. We want fair panels, European produced and recyclable. We do not want monoculture, but solar panels that support crop farming. Finally, we want panels that play with their colors to enhance the landscape experience.

The indoor gardens of ITC (International institute for geo-information sciences) have been decorated. It has become a beautiful collection of very large houseplants! And it sets the mood for the building. The planting plan was co-created by the young company Pi Booy plant advice.

Hofbogenpark is the park on the railroad viaduct, located in Rotterdam-north, between the A13 and Hofplein. Biodiversity and climate are central to the vision for the future of this special high-altitude park.

The city together with IPR selected 4 teams to draw a landscape and urban development strategy for the Rohan & Liben area with elaboration in a housing project, a park and in a participation plan. Our team included the Dutch firms DS and VenhoevenCS, and the Czech firms MOBA and Aquatis.

Whereas wild nature in the city is a relief to some, many still perceive it as neglect. If we want to increase support for nature-inclusive living environments, we must look […]

Before Fryslân was reclaimed, seawater deposited sand and clay particles freely in the landscape. The land was gradually raised and became habitable. A landscape of fertile clay soils emerged. People […]

The combination of a shady and leafy environment in urban areas makes it a fine and beautiful place to live and stay. To generate energy and enthusiasm for this, the City of Leeuwarden commissioned DS to create a plea for a greener city center. DS made a Kansenkaart, composed of three types of spatial elements, and a series of visualizations.

Tic Tac Toe is a residential tower for families, in the Ravel neighborhood of the Zuidas. It was designed by VMX and DS, commissioned by Edwin Oostmeijer project development. The first floor has communal spaces and the basement has bicycle storage. Each apartment has a “shed” on its own floor.

The Klein Plaspoelpolder neighborhood in Leidschendam is being developed by the municipality on a former industrial site and municipal yard. In this plan, we chose for the first time a common planting list for both the public space and the private roof gardens.

The Phyto Future project is part of the open call “Beautiful Production Landscapes” of the Stimuleringsfonds Creatieve Industrie and uses Amsterdam’s Petroleumhaven as a case study to theoretically apply the […]

The LifeCycle residential tower, 2nd prize winner for the Sluisbuurt lot 1C, has an additional façade layer that creates space for balconies, planters, shelter and nesting areas, PV panels and water reservoirs that provide water for plants during periods of drought, among other things.

nextcity.com celebrated its 10th anniversary in the IABR 2024 with a beautiful gathering. As of now, she continues as a publisher, of guides and more.

The Tilla Durieux Park at Potsdamer Platz in Berlin opened in 2003. It is a heavily used and beloved urban meadow. And that is equally the problem. The grass slopes […]

That the Dutch landscape is sometimes full of surprises is demonstrated by DS’ analysis of territory De Voorsterklei.

Castricum “the village by the dunes”. Castricum Station can become the link between Metropolitan Amsterdam and the dunes.

The Biodiversity Scan is a study into the opportunities for animals within a construction project.

The environment Eurojust is designed so that the landscape and architecture blend completely. This is the only way heavy security cannot dominate.

Biodiversity: nature is our living environment, a long period of separation between nature and mankind finally comes to an end!

Patients can now choose to receive their chemotherapy in the garden. The pavilion designed by architect Bart van der Salm is nature-inclusive.

The urban campsite, organized by Francis Nijenhuis and Annette van Driel, was the third urban campsite in a row. DS is the designer of the landscapes in which strange artworks find a place.

In close consultation with the project manager Jos Engels of Kennemerwonen and the architect Mark van Rooij of BRT architects, a special housing complex has been designed. With its 48 […]

The valley of the Goorloop is a robust ecological, hydrological and recreational connector of landscape and city. The admosphere in the valley is largely defined by the scenic quality of its edges.

The new borough named Achter ’t Holthuis stands on the sport fields east of the village of Twello. The new intervention knits together two existing estates into one big ensemble of forests, fields and lanes.

A long period of resisting any form of intervention in the Veerpolder and Klaas Hennebroekpolder has ensured that it is now the number one bird area. The municipality of Oegstgeest […]

The landscape of the Eemklooster will be rewilded, to increase the biodiversity and the nature experience for the micro-city citizens. DS is responsible for the landscape design. The plan for the urban and landscape redevelopment  is made by Urban frameworks, in collaboration with DS landscape architects.

To intertwine new construction and landscape and thereby create nature-inclusive environments, DS uses ISLA. What does that mean?

Advice to the municipality of Eindhoven on desired and undesired developments around Brainport Avenue.

The wastewater treatment plant is a beautiful natural area full of biodiversity, located in the heart of the Western harbor area. Objective The wastewater treatment plant in Amsterdam West is […]

The garden of KIT is by design a formal garden. The beautiful atmosphere comes from the planting choice, with especially nectar-rich and berry-rich plantings. The natural stone terrace around the reflecting pond is the eye-catcher. The De Tropen restaurant uses this terrace in the summer.

Less than 10 percent of today’s teens played in nature as children. This while nature experience has been proven to contribute to physical and mental health, social interaction and respectful treatment of the environment. Because everyone deserves to experience nature and stimulate the senses, we are focusing on nature experience in the development of the former Crailo barracks site.

Nesteljas (‘nesting coat’) are house facades with an integrated capacity to accommodate birds.

Views of nature have a positive effect on a patient’s recovery.

The new business park in Engelenburg-Noord is an example of a nature-rich and sustainable business park.

The new factory of CONO Cheese Factory is located in the meadows of West Beemster. The building seamlessly integrates with the landscape. What does that look like?

Two thousand years of history in your backyard: ahead of us, they know nothing; behind us, they know everything.

A turf under which lies a long history. Lift the turf and see who lived here and how agriculture was practiced. How the battle with the water and the struggle between noble families left their mark on the landscape.

A hospital in the middle of nature, this has a positive effect on healing and is relaxing for staff and visitors.

The goal is to transform a flat meadow landscape into an enchanting stream valley landscape. What is needed to achieve this?

Instead of viewing the natural area as separate from the residential area, you can consider the residential area as an extension of the natural area.

Biesbosch Central Station explores how nature can be combined with dense urban living. A new quality of life is being explored through the introduction of unexpected and spectacular experiences of nature for people and animals.

HABITAT is the result of a joint effort by DS, VenhoevenCS architecture+urbanism, IVAM (University of Amsterdam) and Wim Timmermans (lecturer Larenstein) as part of The Green Architecture Competition. HABITAT is […]

One of Rotterdam’s modernist buildings is dressed with a coat of climbing plants. The pool, which will be demolished, is temporary urban nature.