Last week I was given the opportunity to present the research approach for my project ‘The garden is a process’ during the Memory of the Designed Landscape-symposium at the Tolhuistuin, Amsterdam.

‘The garden is a process – Building green and social housing’: Using the Geuzenhof complex in Amsterdam as an example, I am investigating the ambitions of the last 120 years to reconcile nature and social housing.

I compile a data story based on a network analysis to present a historical and a contemporary perspective. In the meantime, I have conducted more than 15 interviews and consulted a large number of databases and archives.
I am fortunate to get professional support with the archive research from 3D designer Hagen Mumm and information specialist Bauke Jousma.

Next year, the research will be published on the collection platform ‘The Other Interface’ of the Het Nieuwe Instituut Rotterdam (NL).

In addition, I will develop an exhibition that will be shown at the Van Eesteren Museum Amsterdam (NL).

You can follow my project on Instagram:
@the.garden.is.a.process

During the symposium, I spent a whole afternoon watching inspiring presentations and having stimulating conversations.

Memory of the Designed Landscape, Het Nieuwe Instituut (NL):
Programme manager Marten Kuijpers explained the ambitions of this long-term research project that will provide an impetus for a future-proof perspective on the archiving of garden and landscape design.

Architect Andrea Prins is investigating and documenting various case studies that will serve to develop visions that are as practice-orientated as possible.

One of the case studies is the archive of Bureau B+B. Thomas Degenaar, Mathieu Derckx, Anneke Nauta and Jeanette Visser explained the daily challenge of archiving work in progress and at the same time digitising the old, largely analogue archive.

Anne Mieke Backer described her (archive) research for her fantastic book ‘There was a woman in the garden’. She and Leo den Dulk (author of the splendid Mien Ruys biography) also reported on how they brought the archive of renowned garden architect Mien Ruys to Wageningen (NL). It can be consulted here in the Special Collections of Wageningen University & Research.

Information specialist Anita Dijkstra spoke about the challenges of organising and making such an archive accessible. She is in charge of the Special Collections and has also successfully helped me to find archive material.