Master of Architecture Studio Dutch Mountains
Seminar and Workshop, Communication Tutor
 Rotterdamse Academie van Bouwkunst
Rotterdam

Pioneer Plants (Extract)  a film by Antonia Riess

When I first visited the Zeeasterweg landfill in Lelystad, what caught my attention was the new ecologies that had emerged on parts of this very human-made landscape. Right next to the compartments currently being filled is a storage area for various types of soil. These different piles can remain there for days, months, or even years before they are typically sold again. During this time, as long as humans do not intervene, a seemingly random biotope develops, with a surprising diversity of plants.

Where do these soils come from? What kinds of plants are able to adapt so quickly to such a barren environment? How do these plants disperse? What rhythms and patterns can I identify?

These research questions led me to pioneer plants—hardy, resilient species that are the first to colonize barren land and develop a rich biodiversity in a short period. Often referred to as weeds, we typically try to eradicate them, but many of these plants have beneficial qualities.

Dutch Mountains 

INSTITUTION
ROTTERDAMSE ACADEMIE VAN BOUWKUNST 

PROGRAM
Master in Architecture and Design
Dutch Mountains 

DOCENTEN 
Design: Nasim Razavian & Hugo Corbett 
Research: Nasim Razavian & Hugo Corbett 
Communication: Mauricio Freyre 

While geological mountains are formed through the movements of the earth’s tectonic plates over the course of millions of years, anthropogenic mountains can appear on the surface of the planet over the course of hours. Examples are landfills, material depots, and dump sites. 

We understand such mountains as points of accumulation; as peaks within the landscape which bear witness to the fast changes to our environment caused by human activities. In this studio, we will approach the Dutch mountains, firstly, as sites of analysis where social, political, economic, geographical, and ecological forces come together and should be critically and spatially analysed. 

Secondly, we will use these new geographies, as possible sites for intervention and design; as places which have many potentials for architectural imagination. This studio weaves together theory, research, and design. The projects will vary from larger scale urban strategies to smaller scale design interventions. We will work with the medium of film and explore its potentials for the development of the projects.