Netherlands Study Trip

Our visit began with a tour around the famous Kubuswoning (Cubic Houses) (also known as Paalwoningen - Pole Dwellings) designed by Piet Blom. The city of Rotterdam had asked him to design housing on top of a pedestrian bridge and he decided to use the cubic houses idea. The concept behind these houses is that each cube represents an abstract tree; therefore the whole village becomes a forest. The cubes are tilted and sit on hexagon-shaped pole structures. The cubes contain the living areas, which are split into three levels. The triangle-shaped lower level contains the living area. The middle level contains the sleeping area and a bathroom, while the top level, also in a triangular shape, is used as either an extra bedroom or a living space. The top level provides a great view since the apex of the room is a three sided pyramid with windows all around. The pole below some of the cubes allow for storage space as well as the staircase that leads to the entrance, while others have shops on the promenade level. We agreed these were definitely the most unusual dwellings we had seen.

We next visited the famous Markthal by MVRDV – whose distinctive 40 metre arched roof can be seen clearly from Blaak station.  The building is constructed with giant glazed walls at either end which protect it from the elements - the steel cables created a sort of net inbetween which each glass panel has been hung, giving the distinctive arched roof effect. Inside of the arch can be seen a colourful mural "Cornucopia" which depicts oversized images of produce which can be bought in the market whilst the flowers and insects depect the work of Dutch still-life masters from the 17th century.   Residents can look down into the market via square walls which are located at the flat grey end walls and inside the internal arch.   There is also a stair case in the centre of the market which is a permanent exhibition of artefacts found during the excavation and building of the Markthal.

After savouring the sights and sounds of the Markthal – we all agreed on a suitable venue for dinner and a time to meet.  Some of us went back to the hotel to freshen up and some of us chose to wander a little further and soak up the atmosphere of the City in the Sky.  As darkness fell the city lit up in a rainbow of colours – its’ tall skyscrapers each reflecting the colours of their neighbours and making for a great photo opportunity.

The next day, Friday 1st April, dawned bright and sunny and we all met up in reception by 9.00 am so that we could walk the short distance to the Timmerhuis a building designed by the Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas and opened in December 2015. 

We met with Eveline Bronsdijk from Rotterdam City Council so that she could explain their strategy to deal with water.  The city landmass is 80% below sea level and Rotterdam City Council have developed and implemented several solutions in Rotterdam to drain and manage the excess water resulting from increasingly frequent incidents of extreme rainfall. In so doing, Rotterdam has secured a unique position in the world and has become the role model for other delta cities.   The Rotterdam Adaptation Strategy (RAS) seeks to protect both the city and its inhabitants from the effects of too much or too little precipitation by increasing awareness of climate change and the measures citizens can take to help themselves.   As a result of RAS Rotterdam has installed 219,000 m2 of green roofs, water storage infrastructure and developed strong urban water management systems. See links below for more information and presentations:
http://www.adaptationfutures2016.org/
http://www.rotterdamclimateinitiative.nl/uk/publications
http://www.rotterdamclimateinitiative.nl/documents/Documenten/ROTTERDAM%20CLIMATE%20PROOF%20ADAPTATION%20PROGRAMME%202013.pdf
http://www.100resilientcities.org/page/-/100rc/1WaterExchangeProgram.pdf
Following this presentation we were joined by Valerie Brown, a Canadian intern working with Rotterdam City Council on these initiatives and who had kindly offered to act as our guide for the remainder of the day.  
We walked the short distance to the Luchtsingel, a wooden bridge which connects the centre area of Rotterdam to the once neglected Rotterdam North area.   Since the installation of the bridge and the development of a public area at the old station Hofplein and the Pompenburg park development on the old brown field site, this area of Rotterdam (known as Zoho) has been rejuvenated.

We then visited the Katshoek Rain(a)way Garden which features the like-named Rain(a)way tile in an urban garden design which assists in the containment of stormwater runoff in extreme rainfall events.  Four different tile designs are used within the garden, some acting like gutters, and others like filters.   Each tile helps the RAS by removing hard surfaces and replacing them with soft green spaces that can better manage rainwater runoff – thereby avoiding the previous problems of flooding in the neighbourhood.

A few minutes away we found ourselves entering the Water Plaza or “Benthemplein Water Square” where rainwater is collected in two deep basins, and is transported via deep stainless steel gutters which can also serve a dual purpose for the many skateboarders who gather in the plaza.  After the rainfall the water collected in the two deep basins flows into an underground infiltration device and from here gradually seeps back into ground water; maintaining the ground water balance to allow it to cope with dry periods. This in turn helps to keep the city trees and plants in good condition which also helps to reduce urban heat island effect. The water flows back into the open water system of the city after a maximum of 36 hours so the storm water that has been filtered no longer flows into the mixed sewage system.  The frequency of overflow of mixed sewage systems into the open water is therefore reduced leading towards an overall improvement of water in the city.