October 22, 2024 Awards, News
On the 22nd of May we celebrate International biodiversity day, proclaimed by the United Nations to increase understanding and awareness of biodiversity issues. One of our core beliefs is that a healthy city cannot be achieved without the inclusion of nature. We therefore put continuous effort to research and integrate the urban biotope in our projects.
A landscape-based approach can help address key spatial and scenic challenges in a densely populated region of Zuid-Holland.
We are proud to share the publication “Mission Knowledge Region by the Sea 2070” , produced in cooperation with Delft University of Technology, Atlas Research and The Global Institute on Innovation Districts.
By using a landscape approach, we are able to identify opportunities to improve the existing situation while incorporating housing, mobility, economy, water, nature and landscape in an integral way. The existing landscape and urban structures help us define opportunities for spatial-economic development and highlight spatial conditions that ensure a productive, socially and ecologically inclusive and future-proof direction for smart growth.
The collaboration aims to develop building blocks that serve as future perspectives; a unifying narrative that encourages long-term cooperation as a basis for sustainable knowledge sharing and resilient change.
The second book in the series about OKRA landscape architects.
In the quarter of a century of its existence, OKRA Landscape Architects has proven itself at home and abroad with valuable visions and designs for public space. Designs that testify to an integrated approach to city and landscape. Today’s problems are tackled with well thought-out solutions, with care for the historical lines and with fresh, original designs in which the human dimension is ultimately decisive.
This monograph discusses the most important projects of the last ten years and provides background to the work. Equipped with beautiful photos, impressions and plan drawings, the book gives a good picture of an agency that started as a group of friends of talents, but has now become a leading international professional occupation.
Mark Hendriks
Sofia Opfer
NL/ENG, Hardcover, 23×22 cm, 204 pages, Full Colour
isbn 9789492474506
In this book, the work of OKRA is considered and placed in the context of the development of Dutch landscape architecture. For the essay, Noël van Dooren spoke to partners and employees of OKRA, viewed projects, read their articles and studied their designs. In line with his research into representational techniques in landscape architecture, he became fascinated with the use of form and the way in which OKRA presents that form in images. That is one of the characteristics that distinguishes OKRA from other firms, including those firms that, like OKRA, arose at a time when the majority of today’s leading landscape architecture firms were founded. He also discovered the other side of OKRA’s work. It is not about form, but about time, use, flexibility and the development of new concepts that may never be built.
OKRA wants to do better than average. And the agency has proven that it succeeds – as evidenced by the many awards it has won. OKRA links current design practice to a convincing own vision. It makes stories and broad outlines tangible and cherishes the city as a pleasant place to stay.
Both nationally, with The Stationsplein in Enschede, the inner city of Zutphen, the quay of Doesburg, the Domplein in Utrecht, Van Heekplein in Enschede and the Westerkade in Rotterdam as well as internationally: the inner city of Mechelen, the riverbank in Holstebro in Denmark and soon Wellesley Road, in London Croydon, OKRA represents design of public spaces in the city.
Cathelijne Nuijsink interviewed OKRA’s partners and described ten important projects.
Text: Noël van Dooren, Cathelijne Nuijsink
Photography: Ben ter Mul, Daniel Nicolas et al.
NL/ENG, Hard cover, 23×23 cm, 144 pages, full colour
ISBN 978-90-75271-42-3, NUR 648
