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Planning with Nature at Le Roy Groningen

Society, Environment, Transportation, and Space | 20 June 2015

Sigal CarmenateGovinda DeEmma EstesBridget Wlosek

+Overview■ Who is Louis Le Roy?■ Critique of Traditional Landscaping■ Natuur uitschakelen; natuur inschakelen■ Le Roy Huis and Community Foundation■ Bees■ Le Roy Groningen Today

+Who is Louis Le Roy?■ Born October 31, 1924 in

Amsterdam, The Netherlands■ Dutch artist, writer and landscape

architect ■ 1970s - increasing international

reputation■ 1973 - Natuur Uitschakelen, Natuur

Inschakelen “Switch nature off, switch nature on”

■ Famously known for the Ecocathedral in Mildam, Friesland

■ Died July 15, 2012 in Oranjewoud, The Netherlands, but his legacy lives on

+People in a row, plants in one row. Nature organizes many ways, but never in the way a human being, usually for economic reasons does. Nature never put anything in a row! That man chooses this way of arranging, as far as lifeless material is explainable. It is the simplest, but not necessarily the most efficient way of organizing. But must this system also be applied when it comes to organization of human, plant or animal?

-Louis Le Roy

+Natuur uitschakelen; natuur inschakelenBook published 1973: “Disable

nature, activate nature”Main idea: Nature self-organizes → minimal human intervention■ Nature is governed by an

ordering principle, so man needs only to guide in the beginning, then withdraw.

■ Ecological gardening■ Man is rooted in culture and

nature■ Symbiotic relationship

between nature and humans

+ Le Roy’s Critique of Traditional LandscapingLe Roy Groningen is social criticism of modern urbanism.■ which limits nature to a static condition■ misguided intervention in ecological processes

(buildings, land consolidation, spraying, fertilizer) disturbs the natural equilibrium

■ critique of superficial 'greening', meaning neat and demarcated nature: rectangular, clean-shaven grass mats, dull, square lawns

Le Roy’s philosophy: a “free” landscape architecture.

● You let nature and time do their work. As Le Roy said, “100 years is nothing.”

● Enhancing biodiversity and ecological processes. Allowing ecological processes such as decay: if a tree falls, let it fall and return to the soil.

● Departure from traditional view of nature as distanced from human culture: instead, a process in which one can partake.

● Community stewardship of ecosystem: the idea behind the wild garden is to let the people do it themselves.

● Equilibrium, balance, harmony between nature + city

+eco cathedral in Mildam

+Overview of Natural Area in Lewenborg■Le Roy had a 10 year contract with the municipality of

Groningen to create a community space in the village of Lewenborg starting in the 1970s. He transformed the space into an ecological green zone. It also serves an important social function for the community.

■14 different natural areas connected by trails

■Land uses:

■Sandbank

■Petting zoo/playground

■Apiary (bee yard)

■Le Roy House

■Willow orchards, apple orchards, gardens, dunes, courtyards

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+Le Roy Huis and Community Foundation■Le Roy Huis was finished in October 2012

■Meeting place where various courses are held including beekeeping and gardening.

■Managed by volunteers. Each volunteer makes their own plan for the area they maintain. They don’t necessarily follow Le Roy’s philosophy. They do what they think is best.■“By and for Residents” is the motto

■We talked with Gabe, the senior volunteer. He started out volunteering with the garden. But now he is the most experienced beekeeper, and has been beekeeping for 10 years.

■Gabe prefers biodiversity - he tends to the Le Roy Huis garden to avoid monoculture. He uses a biodynamic method for gardening and beekeeping.

■Monoculture- cultivation of a single crop in a given area. ■ex. “ecological deserts” of agricultural land

+Bees ■ Two types of hives: styrofoam and woven plant

material (straw, dung)■ Biodynamic beekeeping: woven hive is convenient for

bees

■ Experienced beekeeper, Gabe, does not seek honey from bees

■ Bees bring a sense of inspiration and appreciation for the natural space; they live in community and pollinate flowers

■ Their natural processes allow us to experience the beauty of the natural environment (flowers)

■ The bees have a social democratic decision making process, they do what is best for the population as a whole.

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+Le Roy Groningen TodayHow does Le Roy Groningen benefit the municipality?

■ Proves that humans and nature can coexist.

■ Provides a place for community outreach through activities such as beekeeping and gardening.

■ Offers an alternative to traditional Dutch landscaping.

+References"De Binnenhof: LeRoy Tuinen." De Binnenhof: LeRoy Tuinen. N.p., n.d. Web. 19

June 2015.

"Home - Stichting LeRoy Groningen." Stichting LeRoy Groningen. N.p., n.d. Web.

19 June 2015.

"Natuur Uitschakelen, Natuur Inschakelen." InfoNu. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 June 2015.

"Stichting TIJD Hoeder Van Het Ecokathedrale Gedachtegoed." Home. N.p.,

n.d. Web. 19 June 2015.

Woudstra, Jan. "The Eco-cathedral." Jan Woudstra: The Eco-cathedral - Louis Le

Roy’s Expression of a ›Free Landscape Architecture‹ (n.d.): n. pag. Web. 19

June 2015.