2nd prize of the competition Articulating the water, 2009, Almere, The Netherlands
Co-authors: Lisa Troiano, Joeri Bijster

The purpose of the project is to preserve the character of the polder area while referring to historical facts about the ways water was manipulated in order to achieve the present situation. To do so, the design uses old and recent historical remains and fragments of the polder and aims to introduce new structures that invigorate the existing situation. The layout follows the old river beds that are now hidden under layers of added infrastructure and soil. The rigid organization of the polder units, precisely defined for farming and similar purposes, is ‘broken’ by the restored path of riverbeds – readable from the historical geological maps. Along this path, observatory stations are designed in order to provide spaces for contemplation, but also to accentuate the landscape and the contrast between the manmade and the natural.