The Regge Released, Overijssel, NL
A future design of the Regge for the area between Rijssen and Nijverdal
Central to the underlying study is the Regge, a stream that flows in the middle of the Overijssel camp landscape, but can hardly be called a stream. Over the past hundred years, the natural Regge has been converted into a canalized system that is designed for an increasingly rapid drainage of water. The stream thus changed from a capricious, unpredictable, flooding stream within a natural system, into a meanderless, slow watercourse in a deep channel.
REDscape is now removing the Regge from the iron grip of canalization. The Regge is being liberated: the stream must again be a real stream that meanders and that is given the opportunity to flood, if necessary. In turn, the Regge liberates the valley, as it were. Grasslands are designated as inundation areas and thus provide space for the rising water. When restoring this natural dynamic, economic interests are emphatically not lost sight of. A relaxed landscape, together with a production landscape, will result in one dynamic whole: an open, poetic and living area.
Relaxing landscape
The relaxed landscape consists of the inundation plains of the flooding stream and is mainly focused on water storage and nature development. A new hydrological design ensures that the natural processes of inundation, erosion and sedimentation become self-managing. The plains are kept open and designed as vast grasslands. All kinds of nature are given a chance here. For example, more flower-rich grasslands will grow in the drier higher parts of the stream valley and wetter species will thrive better in the lower parts of the stream valley. In short, the Reggedal is growing into a relaxed, robust and natural stream valley that is ideal for hikers to explore.
Production Landscape
The camps and ash trees, which are so characteristic of the area, form the basis for the production landscape. These places are mainly focused on agriculture, housing and alternative agriculture and are ideal as a focal point for new business operations. A condition is the formulation of new rules so that existing buildings can respond to the “new economy”, such as accommodation for recreational purposes, home offices and shops. By taking the existing historical places as a starting point and transforming them, the cultural-historical wealth of camps and essens in the area is preserved. The Reggedal is alive! Not only the Regge gets a new chance, the camps and the essen also live on.
Networking
Not only the Regge meanders through the stream valley, the intention is that visitors to the region can also stroll through the area. Recreational networks, such as walking paths in the wet and dry parts, are important for this. The new stream valley provides these connections. The networks not only make the valley accessible, they also form the connecting links between the relaxing and production areas. In addition, a well-thought-out system of connections can connect the Reggedal with regional nature reserves such as the Sallandse Heuvelrug in one fell swoop. This results in a large and varied recreational area! The design of the networks can emphasize the contrasts in the landscape of the valley; they are the dramatic accents in the pure landscape.
Poetic Emptiness
By consistently applying the spatial concept of relaxation and production to the entire valley, a strong landscape support is developed, which in terms of size and robustness belongs to this landscape. Only where the valley connects to large-scale nature reserves, such as the Sallandse Heuvelrug, is the landscape designed as a forest. For the other parts, the poetic emptiness predominates. Anyone who strolls or walks through the area will experience that emptiness can be crushing.
Client: Atelier Overijssel
Team: Redscape: Patrick McCabe, Henk Volkers (Ecoloog)
Status:Completed
Project area: 68km