Tale of Nature(s)
The notion of Nature is very interesting to study as it
questions what we consider Nature to be. For most
people, it is this bucolic image of the wild nature to
be found in reserves - areas that had to be fenced to
be protected from human expansion. But what about
the larger part of our territory? Is this still nature? A
productive nature?
This productive nature is, in the Netherlands,
responsible for the production of an amount of cow
manure that the country itself cannot process. This
by-product from the meat and milk industry is therefore
exported to other countries.
This pavilion, located in the Goois Natuurreservaat, is built from ground found on site, rammed together with cow manure sourced from a local farm. This technique, extensively studied and explained to me by Yask Kulshreshtha during his PhD, increases significantly the water resistance of the rammed earth. The slabs and lintels needed for the structure are made out of concrete slabs re-used from the existing pavillion. The pavillion proposes to experience and frame this bucolic nature through a material reminding the productive nature. This narrative of the two natures invites us to reflect on our perception of our environment.
This pavilion, located in the Goois Natuurreservaat, is built from ground found on site, rammed together with cow manure sourced from a local farm. This technique, extensively studied and explained to me by Yask Kulshreshtha during his PhD, increases significantly the water resistance of the rammed earth. The slabs and lintels needed for the structure are made out of concrete slabs re-used from the existing pavillion. The pavillion proposes to experience and frame this bucolic nature through a material reminding the productive nature. This narrative of the two natures invites us to reflect on our perception of our environment.