This graduation project and the main topic that will be addressed derives from the context of the Hembrug terrain, in which the studio ‘Revitalising Heritage’ is placed. The problem statement, based on the initial site analysis, illustrated that the green and historical character of the Hembrug terrain may disappear due to the new proposed developments. These plans for extra housing and working spaces are pushing the greenery further outside of the city centres and putting
pressure on the ecological quality of the area. This led to the research question that will be explored in this project. ‘How can the re-design of the heritage site of Hembrug facilitate ecological growth and increase biodiversity while contributing to the public awareness on the importance of preserving nature?’ The combination of natural preservation and architectural design is a field that has been developing lately under the term ‘urban ecology’. This research field ventures beyond the traditional approach towards ecology and introduces the city as an ecosystem of its own. The theme of urban ecology is strongly represented in the program envisioned for the area of Hembrug, but also in the design approach for the area itself. The landscape and architectural design should reflect this combination of nature with the existing built fabric and can be viewed as an experiment to test the principles of urban ecological design.