Anneloes van Dijk

The guidance of architecture within the natural dynamics of wind and sand on Vlieland

Restoring natural dynamics in coastal areas is crucial in light of rising sea levels. Stabilised dune landscapes miss the opportunity to grow and shift along with the sea. This research centre on Vlieland explores how such dynamics can be reinstated and how architecture can contribute to accelerating the strengthening of coastal regions.

The building not only facilitates the research spaces but also functions as a research object in its own right. Composed of switchable modules, it can vary in form and configuration to channel or collide wind, causing sand to move more rapidly or to settle. In this way, greater insight is gained into how built structures influence the behaviour of wind and sand.

The modules are assembled like a construction kit into beast-like volumes that move along the coastline during different periods. This generates knowledge for a new approach to building in and around dune landscapes, in which architecture does not counteract natural processes but actively strengthens them.