PORTFOLIO
An introduc oduction ion to Nico co Wissing ing Nico Wissing ing Nico Wissing (1961), founder and owner of WissingTuinen and since October 2010 co-owner of Greenm2, has more than 25 years experience of garden design, layout and maintenance. He regularly holds lectures in the Netherlands and abroad, and is viewed by many as a ‘visionary on green’ . Design ign Together with his team, Nico Wissing produces concepts, specifications, technical details and presentations for the national and international market. His designs strengthen the architectural properties and enhance the value of the buildings for which they are produced, in combination with a greater sense of easy living and in line with the owner’s lifestyle. Nico Wissing’s philosophy is based on the mixture of a variety of disciplines, from architecture and spatial planning through to urban development, parks, the living environment and gardens. The modification of materials; in other words innovative thinking in respect of green applications and materials such as concrete, steel, glass, ecoplastics, wood, etc. Green as the guiding principle; not for decorative purposes, but to add value. From the very start of the planning process, green occupies a leading role. Think out of the box. Follow your dreams...
Studio dio NL Greenla nlabel bel
Books oks by Nico co Wissi issing ng
Privat ate e garden den
Exp xperim erimental ental envi vironme onment nt
NL Greenla enlabel bel NL Greenlabel was established by Nico Wissing and TV gardener Lodewijk Hoekstra. Their ambition is to highlight the use of sustainable materials and products, and in that way to popularise the idea of sustainable, living outdoor space. There is often a desire to make use of sustainable products; it is the task of NL Greenlabel to actually put that desire into practice, with measurable results. NL Greenlabel aims to bring together private individuals, the public sector, the private sector and academics in all possible forms of fruitful cooperation relating to sustainable development in the use of outdoor space. On behalf of NL Greenlabel, the company Royal HaskoningDHV has developed a method that at a glance provides a clear insight into the overall sustainability score of a product, material, plant or project for outdoor use. That score is then converted into a label – from A (most sustainable) through to G – accompanied by a sustainability passport. Nico Wissing & Lodewijk Hoekstra
NL NL Greenla enlabel bel sustai stainabl nable e passpor assports ts with th indic dicat ator ors s Products & materials Plant Arealabel 1. Transport/distance 1. Transport/distance 1. Design, construction and maintenance 2. Composition 2. Origin 2. Products & materials 3. Production 3. Cultivation method 3. Energy & climate 4. Durability 4. Delivery method 4. Soil & water 5. Maintenance 5. Biodiversity 5. Biodiversity 6. Energy 6. Eco value 6. Interaction between man & environment 7. Reuseability 7. Assurance 7. Guarantees 1. Added value for man & nature 4. No environmental pollution 2. Meaningful profit 5. Righteous 3. Preference local 6. Preference bio-based
Travelling elling Ecodome ome With the Dutch Green Inspiration Centre also known as the Ecodome, NL Greenlabel has created a unique, innovative and scalable concept that the Ministry of Economic Affairs will be able to present over the next few years at home and abroad. The Ecodome is the new version of the Hollanddorp concept, that ties in with the vision of Economic Affairs for the Netherlands. The Ecodome, a pavilion in which guests can be welcomed and meetings organised, represents the best of the Netherlands. In the light of the Dutch Presidency of the EU, the Ministry of Economic Affairs intends to let a new sound be heard across Europe. To underline that message, the Ecodome will be ‘landing’ in Amsterdam for several weeks. At this temporary location, the Ecodome will be used by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the informal Agricultural Council and by representatives of business and industry as a unique location for conferences, meetings, award presentations and other events. This concept represents the Netherlands putting its best (inter)national foot forward, and presenting itself as an innovative, sustainable and green country, with solutions for sustainable urban deltas.
Balan alance ce Nico Wissing favours more usable green space, as opposed to ‘useless’ green. “A lawn may be attractive, but in a town, you need more than simply a grass field. It is far more attractive to integrate the environment as part of daily life. It is commonplace to see the land surrounding business premises as being completely soul-less. With a few simple interventions, this situation can be transformed. This otherwise useless land can for example be converted into functional green or green playing areas. ” “Introducing nature close to a business can contribute to the general wellbeing of the workforce. Create winding paths between beds of wild flowers, or lay out a pond area. These features will as it were enable the staff to ‘go out into the countryside’ during their breaks. These areas can also serve as places of contemplation; places to sit quietly without being disturbed by the telephone. Places where people can concentrate on new ideas or designs. Nico expects attitudes to nature and outdoor living to change, as green becomes more accepted and more appreciated. “If you ask me, it is time we got over this tidiness phobia. Nature should be allowed to smell again, and you should be allowed to leave a muddy trail across the kitchen floor. In building, there is a move back towards the principles of the nineteen twenties, while retaining all the modern conveniences. Concrete will still always be available as a building material, but concrete today can be mixed with fibres, coconut or even ground leaves, to make it look far more natural. Excessively artificial? Not at all; just as with automation, it is simply making use of new possibilities. ” Water Board, Doetinchem
The e Blue ue City As the use of concrete and asphalt gives way to a more inhabitable Green City, landscape gardener Wissing continues to closely monitor developments. He has recognised the emergence of a positive shift in the world of architects, spatial planners and project developers. “They are picking up on the signals that we need to treat nature differently. You cannot keep on covering the land with concrete and stone. In urban residential districts today, trees are still planted randomly. With no underlying plan, there is no coherence. In other words, trees should be planted in locations where they can grow unhindered, without their roots being crushed when a road is built or a sewer laid. ” In Nico Wissing’s opinion, we need to bring significant levels of green back into our towns and cities. “Stop mucking about with small patches of green. Lock cars away in underground car parks. Lay out extensive parks and plant much larger areas. Make marking and driving secondary functions to greenery, and try to bring a more rural environment into every new building project. ” Nico believes that in the future people will be willing to pay more to have nature close at hand. “It has been scientifically proven that people become less stressed and more resistant to illness, and their happiness levels improve if they live in a green environment. A green zone surrounding housing areas should be as self- evident as having shops and roads nearby. Although it may make housing slightly more expensive, it will also be worth more. ”
Floria riade e 2012 12 Venlo, lo, the e Net etherla herlands nds Sustainable Garden (NL Greenlabel) The Floriade 2012 was the stage for our ‘Garden of the Future’ . Together with popular TV gardener and presenter Lodewijk Hoekstra, Nico Wissing created a very special garden. Their aim was to demonstrate to the public and professionals that a wide range of sustainable alternatives are available for use in gardens. To promote these alternatives, they launched a new label under the name NL Greenlabel (the Letters NL refer to the Netherlands but also the first names of the organisation’s founding fathers, Nico and Lodewijk). In its Garden of the Future, NL Greenlabel presented a variety of elements, some based on regular features in any garden, like fences or a carport, but here in the form of vertical green, solar panels or a structure supporting edible plants. Other elements were entirely new inventions including a down-scaled wind turbine for use in a garden, a tree employing kinetic energy and solar elements in the shape of a floating leaf in a pond.
Nico and Lodewijk’s intention with this garden was to show the public the possibilities for their gardens. At the same time they wished to challenge garden professionals and manufacturers to develop and propose new garden features. Some of the developments exhibited at the the Floriade 2012 were prototypes, but a number of the materials are already widely available, including olivine, (see the picture next to this text), an ecologically sound mineral that is capable of reducing the CO 2 footprint by converting CO 2 into harmless bicarbonate. Olivine can be used as as an element in garden soil, as sand, in the form of pebbles or gravel, for potting soil and as a roof covering.
Recommend
More recommend
