Hidden landscapes: The metropolitan garden and the genius loci

This thesis aims at the landscape architecture of the enclosed garden as an expression of the genius loci: definition, analysis, typology and transformation. The process of metropolisation tends to eliminate, or at least hide, the underlying landscape. The research addresses the question of how the genius loci can be made accessible in the...

Suburbs and super-nature: How the Wasserkrater exposes an invisible landscape

What bearing can the expression of ‘place’ have on the ‘placeless geography’ of the suburban metropolis? Unravelling the design of the Wasserkrater garden, designed by Agence Ter between 1997 and 2000, points towards a possible reconnection between suburban metropolis and genius loci, the essence of the place.

Binnentuin/buitenplaats

Water gardens and roofs: A research into their potential for contributing to water problems in modern cities

Green Galaxies; An Interstitial Strategy for Restorative Spaces

While most people prefer visual, physical and conceptual open space where nature can be experienced, relating to the possibilities these spaces offer for psychological restoration. Since access to ‘restorative’ natural spaces decreases with growing urbanization, we need to create urban spaces that provide opportunities for restoration as part of...

Community gardens as learning spaces for sustainable food practices

Urban agriculture is an emerging topic and it is widely argued that it has considerable potential for sustainable consumption and production. Community gardening is a promising type of urban agriculture and questions have been raised like whether it has additional benefits for sustainable lifestyles and behavior, and we can understand community...

Assemblage Theory, Ecology and the Legacy of the Early Garden City

This study examines ideas that were drawn together by Ebenezer Howard (1850-1928) in his formulation of the Garden City concept originally published in 1898 in his influential book Tomorrow; A Peaceful Path to Real Reform, and subsequently developed at the first Garden City at Letchworth in 1903. Howard readily acknowledged his influences, which...

Metropolitan gardens: Gardens in the interstices of the metropolitan tissue

The heterogeneity of the contemporary metropolitan landscape has led to a multiplicity of intermediate spaces, in between and within the different tissues of the metropolitan landscape. These interstices can provide favourable conditions to be transformed into gardens. What design instruments can be discovered for these gardens to address the...

The Sigiriya Royal Gardens

Besides the efforts that are of a descriptive and celebrative nature, studies related to Sri Lanka’s historical built heritage largely view material remains in historical, sociological, socio-historical and semiological perspectives. There is hardly any serious attempt to view such material remains from a technical-analytical approach to...

Blijvend aantrekkelijk: Tuinwijken van de jaren '30

The central question of this study is to determine the spatial characteristics that govern the lasting appeal of private garden-city neighbourhoods of the interwar period. What are the social characteristics and circumstances of the period, the urban development and architectonic conditions, the principles of composition and the development...

Gestapelde tijd: Historische tuinen als eigentijdse ontwerpopgave

Bij het werken aan historische tuinen heeft de landschapsarchitect niet alleen te maken met de vele tijdslagen die een ontwerp hebben veranderd in wat het nu is – ook andere disciplines spreken zich uit over de waarde en waardevolle elementen die er in voorkomen. Dat leidt tot soms starre voorschriften die de objecten geen goed doen. Een...

Articulating the Site: The Reflection Garden as a Condensation of the Genius Loci

The term genius loci—“the prevailing character or atmosphere of a place,” as the Oxford English Dictionary defines it—has long been used to interpret landscape characteristics. Lately, however, it is being used, and abused, as a justification in just about any discourse. For spatial, aesthetic, and ecological discussions and social, cultural,...

The future prospects of electronic seed lists

For many botanic gardens worldwide, seed lists have provided a cost-effective means to replace plant losses in their collections for many decades, if not centuries. In seed lists, seeds are offered on the basis of what each garden can manage to collect and considers ‘of interest’ to other botanic gardens, some offering relatively few, while...

Governing mobile service innovation in co-evolving value networks

Mobile service innovation requires a broad set of resources and capabilities that are not controlled by one single actor. Equipment manufacturers, operators, content providers and application developers have to work together in so-called value networks in order to develop and offer services to end-users. There is serious debate as to how the...

The Sleeping Beauty awakes

A century ago it was decided that Delft was in need of a garden with &#180technical plants&#180. This summer the Botanical Garden that resulted celebrated its centenary with a world conference. After being neglected for decades, the garden now looks forward to a flourishing period.

Garden dream and reality

Workshop 3. Session 3.3: Expression and taste

Istana Bogor: An approach for restoration and a proposal for a new function of Bogor Palace Indonesia

This report contains a review of the historical background of the Bogor Palace and a technical inventarization and identification of its architecture. It further elaborates on the feasibility of new uses and their impact on the existing situation of the Palace as a building and on its setting in Kebun Raya, the Botanical Garden. Finally it will...