Amsterdam Academy of ArchitectureGraduation Projects 2014-2015Landscape architecture

+31 6 47978618marijnebeen@hotmail.comwww.marijne.netLandscape architect / H+N+S Landschapsarchitecten

Marijne BeenhakkerNew perspective for the Hollandse HoutHow a boring and eroded polder forest quickly changes into an ecologically rich and significant area

Landscape architecture

With my project, I want to stand up for the forest areas in Flevoland. The forest is a relevant part of the Flevopolder. It stimulates the senses and offers shelter to human and animal in a rational, open landscape. Flevoland has a relatively large amount of forest on clayey soil. That is unique, due to the suitability of the soil as cultivated land. Forest on clayey soil can, if given the chance, develop into a an extraordinarily beautiful type of forest: lush, rich in species and structure, with many spring bloomers. 'New perspective for the Hollandse Hout’ is an example of a possible new phase for forests in Flevoland.

The Hollandse Hout is a forest of approximately 850 hectares, which stretches like a solid block between Lelystad and the Oostvardersplassen nature reserve. It was designed at the beginning of the 1970s and was assigned a multi-functional purpose, with wood production as dominant factor. The forest was intended to be the future recreational area of Lelystad and a buffer to an industrial area (the current Oostvaardersplassen nature reserve). It is made up of a collection of irregular sections with monocultures, of which half are poplar. The intention was to gradually transform sections with poplar into sustainable deciduous trees species, and to make the forest attractive to visitors through structures grown over time. That never happened.The sections with poplars are now on the verge of collapse. The forest is boring, with hardly any open spaces, does not really belong anywhere and the forest experience is disrupted by motorised traffic. The unique potential of forest on clayey soil, as lush flowery type of forest, is being hindered by the current developments. In short: the forest area is in need of renewal.

DesignI visualised the genesis of the Oostelijk Flevoland area in a poetic way with an animation. It shows the transformation process from open water to fertile agricultural polder. Long polder lines, the planting of reed for drainage of the mud flats and the use of succession planting for the ripening of the soil were essential to this. Using a differentiated approach for the eroded poplar sections, I translated these elements in the forest.

Within the grid of the current forest structure, part of the poplar sections are flooded and part is included in a new, agricultural business. In this way, variation and vitality is created, and the forest opens itself to the surroundings. The wet parts are located along a widened polder trail and consist of reed and alder. The new land is located on the polder road, which is marked by a rapeseed verge. The land includes an intensively and an extensively managed section. Along the meadows and existing broad grass paths, there is a extended, continuous forest border on the sunny side with an abundant white spring bloom. The long polder lines become fast routes for slow traffic; there are various trails from popular areas on the edges of the forest.

A process has been devised for the transformation into a ‘natural’ forest mosaic for the remaining poplar sections. The development of this would take hundreds of years without intervention. By using an innovative method, whereby different forest development phases are imitated with new plants and shrubs, a direct alternation between closed and open, light/dark, wet/dry and warm/cold arises. The richness of forest on clayey soil is revealed here within the space of a lifetime.

Graduation date13 04 2015

Commission membersBerdie Olthof (mentor) Karen de GrootPaul Roncken

Special thanks toRonald Buiting

Additional members for the examinationIvonne de NoodMirjam Koevoet

Marijne BeenhakkerNew perspective for the Hollandse HoutHow a boring and eroded polder forest quickly changes into an ecologically rich and significant area

Marijne Beenhakker

Visitors centre Oostvaardersplassen nature reserve

Recreational programmearea around the surfing lake

Care farm with orchards/ tree-lined meadow/lane to stables

Trail across the contours of former forestland

Trek with alder and reed land;cabins at sea level; vista Almere / Lelystad

Shed and meadows with white-blooming forest border

Polder road with rapeseed verge

Existing broad grass paths with white-blooming forest border

Farm with arable land

Tree-lined meadow with oak trees area around historic ship

Trek along farm/tree-lined meadow/Knardijk

Landscape architecture

Shed and meadows on the polder road, with rapeseed verge.

Forest structure, divided into typologiesPolder structure of waterways, trails and roads

Tackling deteriorated poplar sections: 1. flooding along trail

2. survey in new farmyard along the polder road 3. transformation into ‘natural’ forest mosaic

Types of forest borders, along meadows and existing broad grass paths

Context

Oostvaardersplassen nature reserve

Lelystad

new housing development Warande

Hollandse Hout

A6

Markermeer

Knardijk

trail

polder

road

Soil development: planting reed Productive landscape: rapeseedWet past: Zuiderzee Polder lines: Knardijk

Marijne Beenhakker

Fields with reed and alder along the broadened trail to the Knardijk. The inverted ridges with alder create a spatial effect in combination with the dyke and the water.

The Torenvalk trail with fast bicycle connection from Lelystad through the forest to the Knardijk.

Landscape architecture

Image caption

Darker, more open forest with beech (SE side)

Light, layered forest with sweet cherry (NW side)

Forest development over time

Example elaboration ‘natural forest mosaic’ at plot level (based on the methodology of R. Buiting).

Existing section with sustainable hardwood- partially strong thinning out

‘Tree phase’ to be developed- leave several poplars as dead wood- in addition to existing sustainable forest to ease the transition

‘Dense phase’ to be developed from scratch- chopping down all poplars

T=0

T=15

T=40

poplar

willow

ash

maple tree

beech

fir

oak tree

maple tree

beech

fir

common oak

small-leaved lime

hornbeam

hazel

new forest

dense phase (35%)

tree phase (55%)

open phase (10%)

‘forest development phase’ per eco-unit

‘forest development phase’ per eco-unit

starting point

existing sustainable forest

existing conservation

30% thinning out

50% thinning out

open phase (10%)

Marijne Beenhakker

Image caption

White-blooming forest border along existing broad grass paths and farmers’ fields that light up in the spring, as poetic element of forest on clayey soil.

Amsterdam Academy of Architecture

Architects, urbanists and landscape architects learn the profession at the Amsterdam Academy of Architecture through an intensive combination of work and study. They work in small, partly interdisciplinary groups and are supervised by a select group of practising fellow professionals. There is a wide range of options within the programme so that students can put together their own trajectory and specialisation.With the inclusion of the course in Urbanism in 1957 and Landscape Architecture in 1972, the Academy is the only architecture school in the Netherlands to bring together the three spatial design disciplines under one roof. Some 350 guest tutors are involved in teaching every year. Each of them is a practising designer or a specific expert in his or her particular subject. The three heads of department also have design practices of their own in addition to their work for the Academy. This structure yields an enormous dynamism and energy and ensures that the courses remain closely linked to the current state of the discipline. The courses consist of projects, exercises and lectures. First-year and second-year students also engage in morphological studies. Students work on their own or in small groups. The design

projects form the backbone of the syllabus. On the basis of a specific design assignment, students develop knowledge, insight and skills. The exercises are focused on training in those skills that are essential for recognising and solving design problems, such as analytical techniques, knowledge of the repertoire, the use of materials, text analysis, and writing. Many of the exercises are linked to the design projects. The morphological studies concentrate on the making of spatial objects, with the emphasis on creative process and implementation. Students experiment with materials and media forms and gain experience in converting an idea into a creation. During the periods between the terms there are workshops, study trips in the Netherlands and abroad, and other activities. This is also the preferred moment for international exchange projects. The Academy regularly invites foreign students for the workshops and recruits wellknown designers from the Netherlands and further afield as tutors. Graduates from the Academy of Architecture are entitled to the following titles: Architect, Master of Science; Urbanist, Master of Science and Landscape Architect, Master of Science.