Susanne Vruwink

De Zaagkoele

The Saw Pit
From farmyard to circular sawmill, rooted in the Achterhoek region’s landscape


 
Welcome to the Saw Pit!*  
Amidst the sound of sawing and the rustling of oaks lies my graduation project: the circular transformation of a mixed farm into timber sawmill the Saw Pit. What began as a personal search for my role as an architect evolved into an answer to a pressing question: how can we unite agriculture, ecological restoration and circular construction?  

This project weaves together national debates on nitrogen and the future of rural areas with my own childhood on a farm in the Achterhoek. In this graduation work – where past and future converge – I have searched for a new balance and explored the circular opportunities hidden within agricultural heritage.  

Architecture  
Circular architecture demands a new role for the architect; one in which the consequences of every design decision are consciously considered. This project aims for the smallest possible ecological footprint, creating a new reality with its own form of beauty: circular aesthetics.   

The design is based on three pillars: Form Follows Function (programme) – which volumes are needed for the new functions to operate effectively; Form Follows Finds (harvested materials) – which materials and in what quantities are available in the current situation; and Form Follows Designer (concept) – shaping a circular aesthetic that fits both the location and its new function.   

Landscape  
A farm is inextricably linked to its landscape. The transformation of a farm cannot therefore be viewed in isolation from its surroundings. For this reason, the landscape plays a vital role in this project, with a focus on the blue-green infrastructure that is crucial for the sawmill’s operation.   

Through this combination of architecture and landscape, the Saw Pit demonstrates how reimagined heritage can contribute to a resilient and circular countryside.  

*Saw Pit: The water basin of a sawmill where logs were once soaked.  

Graduation date: 25 August 2025 
Graduation committee: Jeroen van Mechelen (mentor), Bastiaan Jongerius, Ruut van Paridon 
Additional members for the exam: Elsbeth Falk, Ira Koers