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DELVA Landscape Architecture / Urbanism News

11 November 2021

DELVA named Architect of the year 2021

Team portrait:
DELVA Landscape Architecture / Urbanism
photo courtesy of architects office

DELVA Landscape Architecture / Urbanism Award

Amsterdam, November 11th 2021, DELVA Landscape Architecture / Urbanism – During the festive presentation of the Architectenweb Awards on Wednesday November 10th, DELVA Landscape Architecture & Urbanism was elected Architect of the Year 2021. Of the five architects nominated by the independent jury DELVA received the most votes. With DELVA chosen as the winner, the architectural community is sending out a strong signal about the importance of greening our urban environment.

VDMA Eindhoven Stadsbos by DELVA Landscape Architecture / Urbanism – Loper:
VDMA Eindhoven Stadsbos by DELVA Landscape Architecture / Urbanism
image : Proloog-OMA

Which architect, or collective of architects, has made the greatest contribution to the development of architecture in the Netherlands this year? An independent jury considered this question and chose five nominees. The contenders were Marc Koehler, Korth Tielens Architecten, Nanne de Ru, Afaina de Jong and DELVA Landscape Architecture & Urbanism. Every architect and spatial designer in the Netherlands was called upon to cast their vote.

Steven Delva:
Steven Delva The Netherlands
photograph © Peter van Aalst

The professional community has done so en masse – with DELVA as the glorious winner. The Belgian-Dutch office goes home with a trophy designed by Tjep. and the prize of 5,000 euros.

VDMA Eindhoven Stadsbos by DELVA – Doorkijk:
VDMA Eindhoven Stadsbos by DELVA
image : Proloog-OMA

Connecting Ecology and Economy
As a landscape architecture firm, DELVA stood out among the other nominees. The jury deliberately decided to send a clear signal: the design of vegetation and water in our urban areas can no longer be viewed separately from the design of buildings. “Greening is not something that we can do ‘on the side’, but something that is increasingly becoming an inseparable part of the design of buildings,” said the jury.

Steven Delva:
Steven Delva Netherlands designer
photo © Peter van Aalst

According to their report, DELVA excels in this challenge by showing how ecology and economy can be interconnected. “As our country continues to urbanise, we also want to increase the natural value and biodiversity. This will only work if the development of new building ensembles goes hand in hand with the strengthening of nature. It is precisely in this complex assignment that DELVA shines through the particularly integrated office approach. The office has repeatedly shown that it can connect ecology and economy.’

DELVA-House:
DELVA House Landscape Architecture / Urbanism
photo © Sebastian van Damme

Landscape as a basis
Indeed, DELVA radically opts for the landscape as the basis for every project. There is always a search for a new and combined meaning of nature by linking it to the built environment, technological innovation, policies and the economic plan. An example of this is the landscape park designed for the inner water of Strandeiland as part of IJburg in Amsterdam.

Het Oog IJburg Amsterdam – Zwemmer:
Het Oog IJburg Amsterdam zwemmer
image : Wax

Separated sanitation will take place on the island where 8,000 homes will be built. Here, DELVA proposes to purify the gray water in a landscape park of 20ha between the islands. This not only benefits the future residents, but also the financial feasibility, plants and animals. Other prized projects of the office include the casino building as a dune landscape in Middelkerke, the Brabant city forest in the urban VDMA development in Eindhoven and the green village square in Ouderkerk aan de Amstel.

Het Oog IJburg Amsterdam – Ochtendbeeld:
Het Oog IJburg Amsterdam ochtendbeeld
image : Wax

Taking the lead
The DELVA team, led by founder Steven Delva and associates Emiel Swinnen, Sander Van den Bosch and Jeroen Jacobs, is ‘extremely proud’ of course. Delva and his colleagues see the win as a powerful incentive: not just for the team, but for landscape architecture as a profession.

DELVA landscape design Middelkerke – pleinzicht:
DELVA landscape design Middelkerke - pleinzicht
image : Proloog

Delva: ‘By taking great responsibility, you can have a huge impact as a landscape architect. Society faces questions that architecture alone cannot solve, that’s what we are here for.” DELVA takes responsibility not only by contributing to the business case of the projects, but also by taking over the land acquisition, construction and management of the green space for a number of projects.

DELVA landscape design Middelkerke – zeezicht:
DELVA landscape design Middelkerke
image : Proloog

‘We ourselves are now going to develop forest in the centres of Eindhoven and in Groningen, for example: we will therefore also be an investor in the vegetation. This way we can better guarantee the quality of the greening, make it part of an economic model, as well as increase its value for the neighborhood and society as a whole,” says Delva. “By taking the lead as landscape architects, we can get closer to the environment we all dream of.”

DELVA landscape design HOLT Groningen:
DELVA landscape design HOLT Groningen

DELVA

DELVA Landscape Architecture & Urbanism was founded in 2008 and now consists of a diverse team of 25 professionals, including (landscape) architects, ecologists and urban planners. The office designs at all scale levels on the combination of new urbanisation and the strengthening of nature. DELVA is active in both Belgium and the Netherlands and operates from Amsterdam.

DELVA landscape design Geestwater Lisse:
DELVA landscape design Geestwater Lisse
image : Vivid Vision

More news by DELVA Landscape Architecture / Urbanism online soon

Contact

NL

Hoogte Kadijk 71
1018 BE Amsterdam
Nederland

T +31 (0)20 220 90 78
info@delva.la

DELVA landscape design M4H Rotterdam:
DELVA landscape design M4H Rotterdam
image : A2Studio

BE

Uitbreidingstraat 390 bus 4
2600 Antwerpen
Belgie

T +32 (0)3 808 43 88
info@delva.la

Het Oog IJburg Amsterdam – Trambaan:
Het Oog IJburg Amsterdam - Trambaan
image : Wax

Website: https://delva.la/

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Amsterdam Architectural Designs : links

Amsterdam Architecture Designs – architectural selection below:

Diamond Exchange
Design: ZJA
Diamond Exchange Amsterdam building
photo © Capital C Amsterdam
Diamond Exchange, Capital C Amsterdam

Masterplan Marktkwartier, Amsterdam, North-Holland, The Netherlands
Architects: Mecanoo
Masterplan Marktkwartier Housing Amsterdam
images : GVd Werff, Bank Amsterdam and Mecanoo
Masterplan Marktkwartier Amsterdam

Belgium Architectural Designs

Contemporary Architecture in Belgium – architectural selection below:

Belgium Architectural Designs

University HOGENT Ghent Campus Schoonmeersen Buildings
Design: SADAR + VUGA d.o.o. with LENS°ASS Architecten
Campus Schoonmeersen, University HOGENT Ghent
photo : German Luis Bourgeat
University HOGENT Ghent Campus Schoonmeersen Buildings

Rain Amplifier, Sint-Arnolduspark
Architects: Matthijs la Roi Architects
Rain Amplifier Belgium
photo : naaro
Rain Amplifier Folly

Architecture Studios

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