Living in a bathtub, or a skeleton as a fresh start? Since the high water levels of 1993 and 1995, raising dykes is no longer regarded as the solution in the struggle with the advancing water. Taller dykes are vulnerable and less stable and therefore only increase the risk of breaching. A new strategy being proposed for the problem of high water is to establish emergency flood storage areas which can be inundated at extreme high water to protect nearby urban areas from flooding. A committee led by David Luteijn assessed the consequences of creating such flood storage areas. The committee's proposal to the Cabinet was to fit out areas for temporary water storage. Existing village cores within these areas would be protected by surrounding them with new ring dykes. The committee's report makes no mention of the people living in the actual areas earmarked for flooding. They are evidently expected to file compensation claims for damage should their homes be sacrificed to the water.

In 'Living in Waterland' I propose fitting out emergency flood storage areas in such a way that it will be possible to continue living there. This will also prevent the protected village cores from becoming isolated islands in deserted polders. My project targets Ooijpolder near Nijmegen, seeing that this stretch of impoldered land is one site high on the Luteijn Committee's wish list. My plan seeks simply to replace the existing buildings in order to retain the present development density in the polder. Obviously the new buildings should not suffer damage in the event of flooding. Indeed, the houses must remain inhabitable during a three- to six-week period of high water. Traumatic evacuations would then be a thing of the past.

The physical basis of my new-build plans is a modular skeleton. This skeleton is so hard-wearing, functional and flexible that can act as a support for all replacement new-build. To demonstrate this I have made designs for two examples of development types characteristic of Ooijpolder: a row of dyke houses atop Ooijse Bandijk and a farm set in the fields around Erlecom. In view of the fact that Luteijn expects the flood storage area to be inundated once every 1250 years the infrastructure of skeletons will have to bridge a much longer period than would the structure of conventional buildings. Because of changes in the climate there will be periods in the future when Ooijpolder and therefore the skeletons will be inaccessible and uninhabitable for quite a long time. The skeletons present a solid foundation able to survive in all climates. Besides ecological changes and those caused by setting up the emergency flood storage areas, we can also expect far-reaching social developments. So it is anything but clear what the 'flesh' and 'skin' of the housing will look like. How the skeleton is clad will partly depend on the potentials of the natural facilities on site. The skeleton will 'die off' several times, to later be recolonized anew.

'The skeleton symbolizes not just the end but also the beginning; it holds the body together'

Place of education: Arnhem Academy of Architecture
Specialization: architecture
Tutors: Erik Wamelink, Wim Korvinus, Gerard van Heel