Alumna Mirte van Laarhoven has won the final of the NLDelta Challenge Deel de Delta with her idea 'OnderwaterKabinet'. NLDelta will realize the plan together with her. € 40.000 is available for this.

Van Laarhoven invented an underwater forest, consisting of a group of dead trees that are jointly anchored under water. The water reef that is created in this way provides a boost for the underwater life and can also be used as a diving destination. Sediment deposition, plant growth and aquatic animals make the underwater forest more and more biodiverse over time, making it an increasingly interesting place for divers and snorkelers. An NLDelta marker  and an underwater camera create the possibility for recreationists to look at this special, normally invisible, delta world from shore. Van Laarhoven uses for this design a method that no longer starts from controlling nature but from 'go with the flow', literally, by using the flowing power of the Delta.

The jury says about the winning concept: 'Of all the finalists, Van Laarhoven is most interested in the delta with her idea. It is a plan that emphasizes the essence of the delta. With this idea, something is set in motion that contributes to biodiversity in the NLD area in the long term and is a sustainable experience. ' Van Laarhoven graduated in June 2017 as Landscape Architect at the Academy for Architecture in Amsterdam.

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