The Things We Have In common: The role of landscape architectural design in transforming landscape edges into commons

Over the past decade, within many fields, there has been growing interest in thoughts and theories from the commons. In commons theory, the conceptualisation of something as a commons, is a way in which a common resource can be protected from enclosure, overexploitation or neglect by connecting it to a community which uses, manages and (re...

Atlantic wall: the reverie before oblivion: Atlantic Wall ruins, history and memory in Den Helder

By exploring the intersection between post-war ruins and the city of Den Helder, history and memory, this project will examine the potential of post-war ruins in dealing with the fading history and memory of the past. Based on Pierre Nora's concept of sites of memory (lieux de mémoire), with the landscape biography study of Den Helder’s defence...

The hidden boundary

This research design project is aiming to explore the spatial and temporal continuity in Den Helder’s Defence Line boundary area which is acting as a transitional area in-between 3 main residential areas. There's a lot of history behind this defensive line area (hidden boundary) that people don't know. And sometimes this linear space is not...

In Completed: on - going open-ended designed places in Den Helder

The urban spaces that arise as a result of urban shrinkage and decay are loosely defined (Franck & Stevens, 2007). The ambiguity of these spaces provides a potential outlet for accidental or spontaneous encounters, informal activities and alternatives to our increasingly commodified, controlled and privatised 'open' urban spaces. Many...

Naturally, a port city often shrinks: Nature-based adaptation for Wadden Sea Den Helder coast

The North Sea has played an important role in European urbanization. Coastal cities thrive on the basis of port economy; but also shrink significantly once the dominated industry recessed. Today, under the threat of climate change, port-dominated homogenous development becomes rather vulnerable to disturbances. Den Helder is the Wadden port-city...

A blue scape of reflection: Creating a place of revival, using the solitude created by the dike, and the dynamic rhythm of the sea.

Since the industrial revolution we have become estranged from the sea. We became opponents instead of working together, and put up high walls to protect ourselves form the vagaries of an unpredictable sea. Somewhere along our path of progress, we lost our human connection to the sea. Before the sea became something we secluded, it was known for...