• Type: R&D project
  • Funded by: Stimuleringsfonds
  • Core team: ir. Henk Hartzema, Dipl. -Ing., ir. Aikaterina Myserli
  • In-house researchers: Saba Schramko, Sara Gholizadeh, Pieter Scholten
  • Partner organisations: Vereniging Deltametropool, TU Delft
  • Status: 2020 – ongoing
  • Completion date: 01/01/2021 (first phase)

With Land of Hope, Studio Hartzema and FRESH want to investigate Randstad’s unbuilt space and verify its capability to accommodate sustainable development, systemic changes and interventions of glorified scale. Taking a 100x100km snapshot of the Randstad as a case study, it is estimated that 74,5% of its land is unbuilt -the majority of which is grasslands. By examining this 100x100km frame as a fictional open lab for testing, experimenting and restructuring, Studio Hartzema and FRESH aim at conducting design research on its unbuilt space, exploring new possibilities for the unique heritage of grasslands and stimulating public debate on this topic.

100x100km snapshot
Krimpen aan de IJssel
Krimpen aan de IJssel
Co2 emissions from the agriculture and dairy sector
Green infrastructure map & Index
Soil map & Index
75% of Randstad’s land is unbuilt. Calculations and diagram: Studio Hartzema, FRESH

Drawing inspiration from the monumental structures of Superstudio and Constant Nieuwenhuys, Randstad’s unbuilt space will be examined both as a shared object between collaborating cities as well as a collective resource for sustainable development and a basis for projective scenarios (alternative land use, growth/shrinkage etc.). Through Land of Hope, the team intends to unveil the potentialities of the -never mapped or analysed – unbuilt space, validate its capacity to become a common ground of large-scale visions and encourage members of our professional field to see the bigger picture. Alongside with establishing partners, the team also intends to find a suitable format of public events and publications in order to bring this issue in the forefront of current design practice and initiate the public discussion over this topic in the next phase.

Related content about the progress of the research will be uploaded on a monthly basis. Our latest newsletter: https://www.studiohartzema.com/lancering-van-nieuw-onderzoeksproject-land-of-hope/

FRESH and Studio Hartzema thank Stimuleringsfonds for their generous sponsorship. Newsletter by Stimuleringsfonds: http://stimuleringsfonds.nl/nl/toekenningen/land_of_hope/5917/

Overview of partners and supporters of Land of Hope: