Rex van Beijsterveldt

Water gedreven

Water driven
- a breathing river landscape 

Rivers like the Rhine and the Meuse serve as vital lifelines for both humans and nature. However, with the ongoing changes in climate and the detrimental impacts of river and landscape cultivation, we're reaching a new breaking point. This design research advocates for a transformative approach to the Dutch river region. The river area starkly showcases the extreme ramifications of climate change. Both severe droughts and heightened flood risks exert significant strain on this landscape, especially in the low-lying river polder regions along the riverbanks.   

These susceptible zones are crucial in devising a comprehensive strategy to alleviate the impacts of climate change on the Dutch river landscape. Such a strategy not only provides hope for nature and farmers but also demonstrates the potential when water and soil are guiding. This method addresses the adverse outcomes of climate change and an overly cultivated landscape but also aids in extensive nature restoration and introduces innovative land use forms in these new conditions. Rain and river water can be stored and later used during drought through a vast and smart water management system. The outcome is a low dynamic breathing landscape that gives and takes, powered by an innovative water mechanism. This vision encompasses a series of water basins within the river polders, each with its distinct function, land use and beauty.  


Graduation date: 21 August 2023
Graduation committee: Mirte van Laarhoven (mentor), Saline Verhoeven, Gerwin de Vries 
Additional members for the exam: Ziega van den Berk, Roel van Gerwen