LANDSCAPE-DESIGN  Silence and Quiet garden

Integration

The assignment involved designing a concept in which the buildings, the garden and the art-objects are wholly integrated.
By intertwining these three components totally, a unique atmosphere has been created.

Buildings

Inside and outside are united in an ecological setup.
The special frontages of the buildings serve as a beautiful decor for the garden.
Therefore  the decoration of the garden can stay plain.
Effortless through the peaceful surroundings a contemplative atmosphere is created.

The buildings have been designed in a basic natural form.
For building-material amongst others loam is used.
These media strengthen the earthly image.
By using natural materials the inner environment becomes very confortable.

The buildings have been designed with the aim to house public services like physiotherapy, massages, etc. Furthermore there is room for meetings, seminars and workshops.

Garden

The entrance is the first acquaintance with the silence and quiet garden.
The area around the entrance is kept simple in the ground-plan. The atmosphere is turned inward centred around a water-element.
The arrangement of the garden is thus that there is space for several seating- and meeting-area's.

The silence and quiet garden is situated next to an existing sauna-garden.
They are separated by a "dune" around the sauna-area.
The silence-garden encircles this and stretches further back

The ambiance in the main-section is highlighted by means of  partly elevated surfaces with some natural accents.
The differences in level create effortlessly various separated spots without disturbing the open aspect of the whole.

Next to the larger buildings several smaller structures are situated in the garden.
Their form becomes more primitive further down the garden.
Primitive as in elementary and earthly.
For instance like a shelter, partly underground.
These are not easy to spot from the main building.
When you view this shelter from the other side it appears like a pre-historical site, like a hole in the ground in which you can take refuge.
There are a lot of different ways to experience the essence of "sheltering".
This way the silence garden triggers the visitor to experience the fact to be part of the absolute and to be at one with oneself.

Art

Apart from the natural garden which is created with uncomplicated means, there are art-objects.
Art as a eye-opener.
Art to experience, which makes you aware of the simplicity and takes you back to the close surroundings.
Actually this doesn't concern the things you might be searching for, but it concerns what you encounter and what you experience.
And what makes you wonder.
In what sense whatsoever.

From the sauna-garden you enter the silence-garden through a turnstile.
This is an old farmers fence.
Simply black.
And you can walk around it.
Like the fence doesn't exit, but still....
On the fence two bronze birds are seated.
One is dozing and the other is brushing its feathers.
It is like you enter a different world here, a world of which you become part, you become a partaker.
That which we call peace and quiet.

Design (not executed)

Eric Odinot, landscaper

Unfortunately this design had not (yet) been executed.