The transdisciplinary course in Heritage Landscape Design forms part of the Leiden-Delft-Erasmus (LDE) programme in Global Heritage and Development. Master’s students from a variety of disciplines learn to ‘read’ the landscape in a different way.
In this course, students from Delft University of Technology, Leiden University, Saxion University of Applied Sciences and, as of this year, Erasmus University Rotterdam work together on current issues relating to heritage, landscape and spatial planning. Through lectures and a final design workshop, students develop research-based designs in which heritage plays a central role.
Spatial planning and landscape formation have been linked to human activity for centuries. Ever since people began to settle permanently, landscapes all over the world have been adapted to human needs. Whereas in the past people mainly adapted to their surroundings, today the aim is to guide and control the impact of human activity on the landscape.
Biography of the Landscape
In this context, heritage is playing an increasingly important role. Key questions include what should be preserved, how historical elements can be integrated, and what significance old landscapes still hold today. The discipline thus explores the ‘biography’ of landscapes: how they have developed over time and what traces of the past remain visible within them.
A key component of the course is a practical case study focusing on Valkenburg Airport in South Holland. The course began with a field trip led by Nick Warmerdam of Erfgoedhuis Zuid-Holland. There, students are investigating how the area’s historical layers can be utilised in future housing development and nature conservation. Valkenburg has a rich history, ranging from settlement in the Bronze Age and the Roman Limes to the area’s role during the Second World War and the Cold War.
Traumascapes: places with a painful past
During the excursion, discussions immediately arose about how to deal with so-called traumascapes: places associated with war, loss and painful memories. Over the coming weeks, around fifty students will work in mixed teams on design proposals to be presented to various local partners during a workshop in May. The results will contribute to a broader vision for the future of the Atlantic Wall.
The course forms part of a broader teaching and research programme focusing on ‘traumascapes’ and ‘dissonant heritage’. It focuses on heritage that encompasses multiple, sometimes conflicting narratives. The course centres not only on the official or dominant perspective, but also on the experiences of individuals, minorities and groups who have suffered in the past. By bringing together students from different disciplines, the course aims to contribute to the sustainable and inclusive design of the built environment.
This collaboration will be continued in the Atlantikwall thesis lab, which is set to launch in the autumn of 2026.
For further information about the course, please visit the LDE Global Heritage and Development website or contact Dr Gerdy Verschuure-Stuip from the Faculty of Architecture at Delft University of Technology at: G.A.Verschuure-stuip@tudelft.nl.
