The (Re)Valuation of Landscape through Architecture

Abstract

In an ongoing movement of urbanization, life seems to mostly happen in planned environments while the untouched part of the world sometimes seems to be disconnected from people’s lives. These landscapes can only be fully understood and valued by a physical, sensory experience of it, not by looking at 2D representations. What defines a person’s relationship to the landscape they live in? And what role can (landscape) architecture play in this?

Norway is characterized a self-evident relationship to its natural landscapes through its cabin tradition. By looking at this phenomenon, where living in natural landscapes and the city is combined as quite an extreme contrast, the relation between landscape, architecture, and way of living can be explored. Literature study is used to explore the historical and cultural background of this specific way of living. A theoretical concept of the process of valuing a landscape through getaway architecture is formed by comparing existing theories. Through qualitative interviews with young Norwegians residing both in Oslo (urban environment) and in their cabin (getaway architecture: focussed on landscape experience/way of living), accompanied by visual techniques, their valuation of landscape through architecture is analysed. The sensory experiences present in their cabin life are analysed using architectural scores, where these are related to physical elements in the process of valuing a landscape. The outcome of these analyses is translated into a generic set of tools and strategies for designing a type of ‘getaway architecture’.

The transition to a contrasting situation, that of the Netherlands, is made to test these tools and strategies. The design goal is set: a revaluation of a currently undervalued landscape, the cultural polder landscape that is so typical for the delta country. In order to shape a good transition, two steps need to be taken in between the research and the design part. The first step is an investigation into the Dutch way of living, in a similar way to the literary exploration of the Norwegian way of living. The logical next step is using this information to choose a design location and analyse it. As the landscape design develops a sensory and physical experience of the polder through routes in order to achieve an understanding and valuation of it, building sites are designated within this open landscape, reacting on the historical mill structures. One of these locations, the most private one being the holiday home is chosen to elaborate upon. The layering of the – at first sight – flat landscape is unfolded through (landscape) architectural elements and the sensory experience is designed with the element of time (day/night and seasons) as a guiding theme. The new place on the dike refers to the historical mill biotope which is inherent to the understanding and thus valuation of the landscape by the visitors.