Living Landscapes is a land art and landscape architecture practice that focuses on self-generating, sustainable, and biodiverse environments.

The practise works on climate adaptive landscapes, strategic planning, and art interventions in public space.

News

Second residency at EKWC

From August till October Mirte developed a series of sculptures at EKWC (Europees Keramisch Werk Centrum). The sculptures are supposed to embed themselves in the landscape over time. The work promotes a new way of coexistence for different species. 

Second phase of ‘Prachtige Productielandschappen’

Deltascapes (Anne Nieuwenhuijs), Living Landscapes (Mirte van Laarhoven) and NETICS (Eldert Besseling, Ewoud Volbeda) are selected for the start-up phase of Prachtige Productielandschappen, a program launched by Stimuleringsfonds Creatieve Industrie. During the coming months we will dive deeper in the material and work hands-on in a Lab. The aim is to use this as input for a sedimentation garden that exposes the qualities of dredging silt. 

Dead Wood Alive on show at Stimuleringsfonds

During the 10 year anniversary party Dead Wood Alive was presented. This is an installation investigating wood-related ecosystems. Next to the installation Mirte van Laarhoven gave a talk about the talent development program and what it brought her and her practice. The opportunity to set a new course, investigate in knowledge and design and collaborate with inspiring partners.  Picture: Aad Hoogendoorn

Portfolio

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Planet Texel

The island of Texel wanted to move towards a more sustainable future. A unique challenge as Texel combines all the different Dutch landscape qualities.

Sailing Ecology - Good Hotel

Biodiversity experiment, where native planting becomes exotic, by sailing the world, acclimatising to different destinations.

OpportuniTEA

OpportuniTEA is a plan to transform a plot of agricultural land into a tea forest. A new type of agricultural crop that can be well embedded into the mosaic-landscape of Brabant.

Haringvliet - Underwater forest

In this former estuary new impulses are created to improve the water quality, its marine life and the recreational facilities. The Underwater Forest taps into these developments.

Rhine river - Flowing Force

At this location the Rhine river enters the Netherlands. Here an old river basin shows traces of its original DNA. An opportunity to distill guidelines for more climate adaptive landscape development.

Thriving Forests

Many forest are struggling to survive. Climate change, fragmentation and replant projects leave not enough time and space for forests to thrive. Thriving Forests shows a strategy how we can turn our patches of trees into wholesome forests of the future.

Research Dead Wood Alive

Dead wood fulfils an important role in an ecosystem. The process of decay forms the fundaments of the forest food pyramide. This research is nourished by a site in the Netherlands with dead Picea Abis.

Courtesy to Mud

This project takes a look into the dredging industry. It researches the dredging industry to see how dredging sludge can be turned into a resource instead of being a waste product.

Amsterdam centre - Garden for 100 species

This design creates a piece of nature within the urban tissue of Amsterdam. A rooftop garden which promotes communal living amongst different species, humans and non-humans alike.

Cake For Biodiversity

this customised log provides a habitat for hundred different organisms. 99 of these species can find food or shelter inside or on the tree trunk. The hundredth species, humankind, is given a layer of its own on top of the wood.

Eemsdollard - Retract replete

Eastern Groningen is a region that faces different challenges both on land and underwater, caused by gas mining and harbour activities. The challenges aren't easy to solve, but it does fuel interesting innovations.

MiddenWaal - Room for Living Rivers

In this bend the river Waal and river Meuse nearly congregate, with sandy shores and extensive routing along the dikes, a perfect location for a Living-River pilot by WWF.

Hover over the image, and click to view living landscape locations.