06. Le pardon de la nature
Nature’s forgiveness
published at 29/01/2024
There is not just one single source of life, there are several. Physical sources such as the sun, the soil, air and water form a system of symbiotic connections between a whole host of elements and living beings. An anthropocentric perspective leads to an imbalance, distancing us from our partial role in this system. The columns provide a first impression of a cultural garden, drawing the viewer’s attention to the centre of the garden. Modified by human intervention, the plants all serve a purpose which is to provide a source of life, mainly food but also joy, beauty, etc. Industrial plants have unfortunately been weakened by plant selection methods and cross-breeding with the goal of producing more abundant and bigger fruit. Beyond this vertical pathway, a wider perspective opens out onto an unspoilt environment. This environment reveals the natural ancestors, the grandparents of commercially grown plants, such as wild cabbage or potatoes, that have better survival rates without human intervention. Nature will gradually take over the entire garden and just might grant its forgiveness.
DESIGNERS
DGJ PAYSAGES -Daniel JAUSLIN, architect and landscaper, Kateryna DRAPATA, landscape architect, Daphné KEEGSTRA, urban planner and designer, Bas KOPPERS, landscaper-
SWITZERLAND / THE NETHERLANDS
DGJ Paysages is a small experienced office for garden and landscape architecture. It was founded in 1999 as Drexler Guinand Jauslin Architects in Frankfurt, Zurich and Rotterdam. DGJ have realised more than 25 public and private buildings, gardens and landscape projects mainly in Switzerland, Germany and the Netherlands, several of which received awards. DGJ has won prizes in more than 30 competitions achieving first place 12 times. Since 2011 our focus has been on landscape architecture operating from Zurich under the firm DGJ Paysages while DGJ Architektur in Frankfurt is specialised in sustainable architecture and energy efficient building. The current expansion of DGJ Paysages in France will extend our reach into the fascinating urban environment of Paris and the rural landscape of the Plaine de Versailles. Good architecture and landscape design affords a multilayered, culturally anchored perspective and a strategic, flexible design methodology. With sustainable thinking in design, DGJ works through all scales from the architectural composition of the landscape to the fabrication of details with strategic foresight and dedicated craftsmanship. Landscape design becomes a concept of creating a spatial connection between human beings and the environment. Our outdoors design projects are particularly valuable as they engage the public and different users’ groups in the planning process. We collaborate on a great variety of tasks in teams with other specialists, notably architects and engineers. The combination of architecture and landscape in design theory it the focus of our teaching and research. Landscape architect Daniel Jauslin worked on the establishment of a MSc programme in Landscape Architecture at TU Delft Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment from 2008-15. From 2012-18 he taught landscape architecture design at Wageningen University with prof. Adriaan Geuze. Since 2023, he is a lecturer & director international at ENSP Versailles & Marseille.
Daniel Jauslin, PhD, landscape architect, MSc ETH Zurich, Managing Director of DGJ Paysages
Daniel Jauslin founded DGJ Paysages with Hans Drexler and Marc Guinand in 1999. He combined his passion for landscape and architecture while studying for his PhD at TU Delft. He was lead designer for a great number of West 8 Rotterdam and DGJ projects, mainly in Switzerland, Germany and the Netherlands. Since 2011, he has been a licensed landscape architect in the Netherlands and is a member of the NVTL, FSAP and FFP associations. He taught landscape design for 10 years at Dutch universities TU Delft and Wageningen University & Research. He lives in Zurich and Marly-le-Roi. Since 2023, he has been a lecturer and head of the international department at the École Nationale Supérieure de Paysage de Versailles & Marseille.
Bas Koppers, landscape engineer, BSc Van Hall-Larenstein, Director of DGJ Paysages Marly-le-Roi
Bas Koppers is a qualified landscaper (BSc) with extensive experience in urban public spaces.. In 2014, he graduated with a degree in gardening and landscape design. Since his childhood, he has always been passionate about plants. When he chose which career path to follow at the age of 16/17, he decided he wanted to work with people. After 20 years in the social sector, he changed careers so he could use his knowledge of plants to contribute to creating a pleasant, sustainable and practical environment. His personal portfolio includes the work he has done for the city of Amsterdam, for “Natuurlijke Zaken”, a division of “Landschap Noord-Holland”, and the projects he has worked on as a self-employed landscaper, on solar power plants in particular. In March 2023, he was appointed project manager for French and French-speaking Swiss projects at DGJ Paysages.
Kateryna Drapata, landscape architect, DGJ Paysages Zurich
Kateryna studied architecture at Odessa State Academy of Civil Engineering and Architecture. In 2008, she graduated Specialist in “Architecture of buildings and structures”. She has been an architect for 15 years and her profession gives her great pleasure. In practice, she is guided by 5 principles: composition, aesthetics, ergonomics, practicality and common sense. “For me, there is nothing more exciting than working on the construction of an object and watching how some- thing is put together from parts, following the law of a thought. She has been working in DGJ Paysages’ since July 2023.
Daphne Keegstra, urban planner & designer MSc TU Delft - Director of DGJ Paysages Zurich
Daphne Keegstra trained as an urban planner (MSc) at the Technical University of Delft. As her graduation project, she studied the effectiveness of measures to reduce the heat island effect in the city of Rotterdam. Since 2015, she has been working at DGJ Paysages as a designer on urban planning and landscape projects. Her first completed project was the Zeeheldentuin municipal garden, which was recently awarded the European Green Infrastructure Award 2015 in the city hall in Vienna, Austria. She works as a lead designer on numerous competitions and on various projects resulting from these competitions. She has been head of new projects at DGJ Paysages since 2018 and was responsible for the design of our first project in France for Uni Paris Est in Creteil.
Gabriella Speich, Office Manager (Accounting & Administration), DGJ Paysages Zurich
Gabriella has been a translator English/Italian/German, and made the 72 hours PDC – Permaculture Design Course) as a basis for her current studies to become a Permaculture Designer. One of her projects that are part of these studies is the organisation of a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) project in her home town.
