Bringing Dhaka rivers back to life

The quality of the five rivers around Dhaka have decreased drastically over the last decades due to unsustainable land use and heavy pollution. Together with Royal HaskoningDHV and the Government of Bangladesh we are working on an umbrella investment programme (UIP) commissioned by The World Bank. The aim is to improve and restore the quality of livelihood and economic development of the rivers around Bangladesh’s capital city by making strategic choices on investments.

You can read more about the project in the article The Daily Star

Exhibition in Rio de Janeiro

This year our works were on display in several exhibitions, including the  “Costa Carioca: Paisagem em transformação” (Costa Carioca: a landscape in transition). The exhibition emphasized Nature Based Solutions and included different examples from a range of our projects, like ‘Water as Leverage – Khulna’, ‘Dutch Delta Programme Rijnmond-Drechtsteden’, ‘Sea Level Rise 2100’, ‘The Hague, City by the Sea’ and the ‘Houston Bay Barrier’, among others.

The exhibition was organised by Pedro Évora from Évora Arquitetura and Renee Nycolaas from Hogeschool Rotterdam with funding from the Dutch consulate in Brazil.

Soil and water system as a guiding principle for spatial developments

Climate change and associated extreme weather events push the water system – and with that the current Dutch practice that facilitates desired land uses – to its limit. A paradigm shift is needed to make the soil- and water system a guiding principle for spatial developments. National and provincial governments and waterboards are now confronted with the challenge to formulate what this actually means. Together with experts we are working on several projects to help translate these challenges into preconditions for spatial developments to achieve a more sustainable land use practice in the future.

Anne Loes Nillesen panel member at ‘Future of River Basins and Deltas’ seminar

During the ‘Future of River Basins and Deltas’ seminar, hosted by PBL, CAUPD and TNC, we discussed how to create a better balance between economy, land use and water systems. The focus was on integrated perspectives that not only address climate change but align investments on climate adaptation with transformations required in agriculture, ecology, economic development, urbanization and energy. With contributions of Han Meyer, Marjolijn Haasnoot, Willem Ligtvoet, Bart Kuipers, Jaap Kwadijk, LI Xiaojiang, Arnoud Molenaar, Hans Mommaas, Jan Bakkes, TU Qiyu, Derek Hoeferlin, Bas Roels, Carline Borest Bos, LI YuanYuan, Nicole Silk and Justin Ehrenwerth.

Make sure you check out the PBL river and deltas tool that provides comparative information of different deltas.

Anne Loes Nillesen in film ‘DE BOEZEM VOOR HET VOETLICHT’

Door klimaatverandering en verstedelijking staat het boezemsysteem onder druk. In de film DE BOEZEM VOOR HET VOETLICHT, een ode aan de boezem als eeuwenoud watersysteem en landschapselement, waarin verschillende experts hun visie op de boezem geven. Naast bijdragen van Yttje Feddes, Maarten Poort, Inge Bobbink, Maarten Ouboter, Rene Zwan en Maartje Faasse had ook ik de eer om (op een winderige koude dag) geïnterviewd te worden door Jandirk Hoekstra en Jan Wilbers.

De film is een initiatief van H+N+S Landschapsarchitecten en is mogelijk gemaakt door een subsidie van de EFL-Stichting en hier te zien.

Defacto at the IABR 2022

At this years International Architecture Biennale Rotterdam (IABR) “It’s about time” several of our projects are exhibited. Visit the IABR to see our “Redesigning Deltas”, “Duurzame Distributielandschap” and “Perspectieven voor een Circulaire Port of Zwolle”. The projects illustrate examples of how transitions can address challenges such as climate change, energy transitions and circular economy. More information and ticket purchase can be found here.

Interview met Anne Loes Nillesen in de Blauwe Kamer

In de Blauwe Kamer een interview over de werkwijze, projecten en inspiratiebronnen van Defacto. In dit interview door Marieke Berkers komen onder andere de urgentie van opgaven vanuit het bodem- en watersysteem en klimaatverandering aan bod, en benadruk ik het belang van ontwerpend onderzoek bij het ontwikkelen van integrale handelingsperspectieven. Erg leuk ook om het werk van enkele van mijn ‘inspirators’ te kunnen delen (waaronder fotograven, filmmakers, auteurs, vakgenoten en studenten).

Anne Loes Nillesen spreker bij feestelijke opening provinciehuis Zuid-Holland

Het watersymposium ter gelegenheid van de feestelijke opening van het gerenoveerde provinciehuis stond in het teken van ‘de Spiegel op het verleden, heden en de toekomst’. Na een inspirerende terugblik door Herman Pleij was de eer aan mij om in te gaan op de uitdagingen waar Zuid-Holland vanuit klimaatverandering de komende decennia voor staat. Hierbij kwamen opgaven en handelingsperspectieven aan bod voor onder andere; bodemdaling, verzilting, regenwateroverlast, waterbeschikbaarheid en zeespiegelstijging. De dag werd afgesloten met een sterk debat waarin stevige ambities werden neergezet, geleid Johan Overdevest en met bijdragen van Jeannette Baljeu, Jaap Slootmaker, Wim Drossaert en Rogier van de Sande.

Met veel dank voor de organisatie van deze inspirerende bijeenkomst; Lucy Smeets, Marjolein Schepers, Werncke Husslage en Mandy van Steveninck – de Monijé.

Anne Loes Nillesen as key-expert in delegation in Houston

It was an honor to meet HRH Queen Maxima of the Netherlands in Houston. During the workshop, which was attended by American and Dutch key-experts on climate change and coastal protection, we discussed future projects and developments. One of those is the Galveston Sea Wall, a concept we worked on in the past decade with Texas A&M, TUDelft, RHDHV and IV-infra and will be further developed.

Defacto emphasized the importance of integrated climate adaptation projects. Although many already speak of integrated design as if it were common practice, we know how important it is to secure multi-disciplinary in every step of the design process from tender to realization. Many thanks for the outstanding organization by the Dutch Embassy and Consulate, Ministry of Foreign affairs, VNO-NCW, USACE and the City of Houston!

4 projectes included in the ‘Transitions’ book of the Stimuleringsfonds Creatieve Industrie

At the ‘Transitions’ book presentation of the Stimuleringsfonds Creatieve Industrie, 129 of last years projects were presented. Defacto submitted four projects: “Duurzaam Distributielandschap”, “Circulaire Perspectieven voor de Port of Zwolle”, “Koele Plekken in de Rotterdamse buitenruimte” and “Meebewegen in Centraal Holland”. In breakout groups the different projects were discussed. The book is now available online.

Anne Loes was invited to participate in a roundtable discussion on the theme “duurzame economie en ruimte”.              Click here to view the video.

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