site in construction
text a tale of nature
The notion of Nature is very interesting to study as it
questions what we consider Nature to be. For most
people i t is this bucolic image of the wild nature to
be found in reserves - areas that had to b e 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 i tself 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 f rom a local farm. This technic,
extensively s tudied and explained to me by Yask
Kulshreshtha during his PhD, increases significantly
the water-resistant of the rammed earth. The slabs
and lintels needed for the s tructure 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 the perception that we have of our
environment.