Instagram story viewer> @karresenbrands> Posts

Karres en Brands

@karresenbrands

7.4K

followers

891

following

Design studio for landscape architecture, urbanism and architecture. Based in Hilversum (NL) and Hamburg (DE).

POSTS STORIES REELS

PROJECT UPDATE - How can landscape create room for innovation? With around €133 million in funding from the German federal government and the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, CEIN—the Center for Innovation with Nature—has reached an important milestone. The funding was formally awarded to TH Köln on 2 November 2026, supporting a new centre for climate research in Erftstadt-Liblar.

Karres en Brands is designing the outdoor spaces for the campus, where scientists, students and citizens will explore solutions for water, energy, mobility and agriculture. Led by TH Köln, CEIN aims to bring scientific insights into practical use and contribute to the transformation of the Rhenish coalfield region.

Across the 27,700-square-metre site, building and landscape will form a shared testing ground. The planned climate-positive building will demonstrate sustainable construction, while the outdoor spaces will provide room to simulate and study extreme weather, including flooding.

We extend the building’s 6.25-metre grid into the landscape, creating adaptable research fields. Reusable ground elements and accessible technical infrastructure allow researchers to reconfigure the site as projects and ideas develop. Spaces for experiments, events and everyday encounters connect research with campus life.

At Karres en Brands, we see design as a way to explore new possibilities and put them into practice. At CEIN, the landscape becomes an active part of the research: a place where natural systems, technology and everyday use come together to inform how we build, live and work.

#innovation #campus #learninglandscapes #landscapearchitecture #CEIN

Client: @TH Köln (Technology Arts Sciences TH Köln)
Collaboration: Schmitz.Reichard GmbH, TH Köln Faculty of Architecture, Structural Engineereing and Building physics by @karresenbrands

NEWS - The visit of Minister Elanor Boekholt-O’Sullivan to Reevedelta in Kampen on 26 October highlights the close relationship between housing development, land policy and investment in the living environment. In 2021, Karres en Brands developed an integrated spatial vision for the area together with the Municipality of Kampen and Consortium De Dijken. This vision places soil and water at the heart of the development, shaping new neighbourhoods that are connected to the surrounding landscape and the existing city.

Since then, we have been working step by step to bring this vision to life. The discussion about funding for green spaces, schools and infrastructure goes to the heart of our approach: building homes is not just about housing, but also about investing in places where communities can grow and thrive.

Photo credit © RTV Oost

#deltaurbanism #landpolicy #masterplanning #landscapearchitecture #healthycommunities by @karresenbrands

We are proud to share that our project Passerelle Zwolle is platinum winner in the international Houzee Award of 2026 by in the Urban Landscape category.

Designed at human scale, the Passerelle doubles as public space: seating terraces, a biodiversity corridor of seasonal planting, and a central water feature that guides users along its length. More than transport infrastructure, it is an elevated park offering the city new views over its rail landscape, while connecting Zwolle’s historic centre to its expanding southern districts. This bridge’s unique timber construction makes it the longest cross-laminated timber footbridge in Europe. It emits 74% less CO₂ than a comparable steel structure and binds roughly 1,300 tonnes of carbon.

By integrating ecology, climate adaptation and public space into a single design, the Passerelle demonstrates how infrastructure can become a valuable urban landscape that connects neighbourhoods, supports biodiversity and creates a healthier, more liveable city.
.
In close collaboration with:
@gemeentezwolle
@ipvdelft_bridge.designers
@ib_miebach
@Pontico
@VanGelderGroep
@prorail
@spoorzone_zwolle
@provincieoverijssel
@duravermeer
.
.
.
#houzeeawards #Zwolle #passerelle #woodconstruction #biobased by @karresenbrands

JOIN OUR TEAM - At Karres en Brands, you’ll be working on the future of cities and landscapes, alongside a curious, driven and international team. With an eye for both detail and the bigger picture, we create living environments where people and nature are in balance. Our projects range from strategic visions to concrete designs, always in close collaboration with clients and one another. This open way of working leads to strong ideas, smart solutions and plenty of opportunity to learn from one another.

Whether you’re just starting your career or already have experience, with us you’ll have the chance to develop further, take the initiative and make a real contribution to projects that make a difference. Does this sound like a place that gives you energy? Then join our team and check out our vacancies!

Ontwerper stedenbouw
Landschapsarchitect / Projectleider
Management assistant
Medewerker acquisitie
Junior PR & Communicatie medewerker

Meer info op onze website:
www.karresenbrands.nl
.
#vacancy #archijobs #architecturejobs #joinourteam by @karresenbrands

NEW PROJECT - @karresenbrands, together with @elephant.architecture, @Maakdestad @Goudappel and @witteveenbos have been selected to develop an integrated vision for the Rijswijk station area. Commissioned by the @gemeenterijswijk, we are working towards a station environment that connects the city: a lively, safe and green cityspace, with space for walking, cycling and meeting.

Two separate entrances, poor wayfinding and inadequate walking and cycling routes: despite its central location, the station is still far from a welcoming gateway to the city. Meanwhile, Rijswijk is growing. Around 9,000 homes will be added along the Stadsas urban corridor, and daily passenger numbers are expected to double to approximately 10,000 by 2040. This growth calls for a station area that strengthens both accessibility and everyday life in the city.

The challenge therefore extends beyond the transport interchange. We will connect Generaal Eisenhowerplein, Sir Winston Churchilllaan, Piramideplein and the park above the railway tunnel with the surrounding buildings and public spaces. Landscape provides a shared foundation: greenery that makes routes legible, creates inviting places to spend time and contributes to a climate-resilient station environment. We approach mobility, urban uses and public space as an integrated whole.

Together with residents, businesses and passengers, we will explore what the area needs and examine different future scenarios. An integrated area analysis will inform a preferred scenario that brings together spatial quality, use and feasibility. With Rebel Group and the municipality of Rijswijk, we will translate this into a strategic and deliverable development vision over the coming year.

From a place shaped by traffic to a place for people: a distinctive gateway that connects Rijswijk with the region and gives local residents a place to feel at home and take pride in. More to follow.
.

#transorienteddevelopment #publicspaces #urbandesign #masterplan #socialspace by @karresenbrands

‘Hortus Connectus’ named Finalist in ETH Competition

How do you design a campus where people learn from each other, not only in lecture halls? That question shaped our entry for the competition on the design for the Honggerberg Campus in Zurich, developed together with @duplexarchitekten and @rapp_ag AG in collaboration with @eiffage_construction as the project’s total contractor, and commissioned by Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich - @ethzurich. Our proposal advanced to the second phase of the competition, where it was selected as one of three finalists.

Our answer is a garden. “Hortus Connectus” is our proposal for a new type of campus, the core elements of which are interaction, exchange, and collaborative learning. Inspired by the historical Hortus as a place of reflection, cultivation, and encounter, the project envisions the university as a vibrant garden of knowledge.

The “hortus” thus becomes more than just a central landscape element: it forms a spatial and conceptual framework that organizes the entire campus. It connects open spaces, buildings, and programs into a cohesive structure and creates places for encounters, focused work, and interdisciplinary dialogue.

This multifaceted garden extends horizontally across the ETH campus, linking existing axes, plazas, and surrounding green spaces. Vertically, it connects different levels through sunken terraces, gardens, and pavilions. Learning takes place on multiple levels—from the underground to the tower’s highest point—weaving together nature, architecture, and education into a continuous experiential space.

#Architecturecompetition #landscapearchitecture #ETHZurich #campusdesign #urbannature by @karresenbrands

‘Hortus Connectus’ named Finalist in ETH Competition

How do you design a campus where people learn from each other, not only in lecture halls? That question shaped our entry for the competition on the design for the Honggerberg Campus in Zurich, developed together with @duplexarchitekten and @rapp_ag AG in collaboration with @eiffage_construction as the project’s total contractor, and commissioned by Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich - @ethzurich. Our proposal advanced to the second phase of the competition, where it was selected as one of three finalists.

Our answer is a garden. “Hortus Connectus” is our proposal for a new type of campus, the core elements of which are interaction, exchange, and collaborative learning. Inspired by the historical Hortus as a place of reflection, cultivation, and encounter, the project envisions the university as a vibrant garden of knowledge.

The “hortus” thus becomes more than just a central landscape element: it forms a spatial and conceptual framework that organizes the entire campus. It connects open spaces, buildings, and programs into a cohesive structure and creates places for encounters, focused work, and interdisciplinary dialogue.

This multifaceted garden extends horizontally across the ETH campus, linking existing axes, plazas, and surrounding green spaces. Vertically, it connects different levels through sunken terraces, gardens, and pavilions. Learning takes place on multiple levels—from the underground to the tower’s highest point—weaving together nature, architecture, and education into a continuous experiential space.

#Architecturecompetition #landscapearchitecture #ETHZurich #campusdesign #urbannature by @karresenbrands

A 24/7 city on the former Huckepackbahnhof: On the former Huckepackbahnhof, between the Billhorner Brückenstraße and the future Alster-Bille-Elbe green corridor, a new mixed-use quarter is taking shape on paper. 

Together with @blrm.eu and @planersocietaet we revised the Funktionsplan for BBEG. The site splits in two: an event quarter in the west, anchored by an arena for around 8,000 visitors, and a flexible business quarter in the east with offices, labs and light industry in a clear block structure. 

The idea is a 24/7 city, where uses overlap in time and keep public space occupied from morning to night. The green corridor ties it together: Green Foyers, a sports park, the Event Plaza and the Green Terraces. The terrain does work too, with barrier-free slopes for walking and cycling that also guide rainwater into retention areas. 

To be continued!  

#hamburg #citymaking #urbanism #architecture #exporeal by @karresenbrands

🎖️ #nvtlawards2026 | 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲 𝗨𝗶𝘁𝗴𝗲𝘃𝗼𝗲𝗿𝗱 𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗽

De vakjury van de NVTL Awards 2026 heeft gesproken! Uit de vele inzendingen voor de categorie Uitgevoerd Landschapsontwerp zijn zes projecten genomineerd voor de shortlist. Van een ziekenhuis midden in het bos en een eetbare woonwijk tot een groene verbinding over het spoor, beleefbaar erfgoed, terugkerend water in de binnenstad en een innovatieve waterkering. De genomineerde projecten laten ieder op hun eigen manier zien hoe landschapsontwerp bijdraagt aan maatschappelijke, ecologische en ruimtelijke opgaven.

𝗗𝗲 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗻
– @boschslabbers landschapsarchitecten - Tergooi MC, het bos als behandelkamer
– @felixx_landscape - Eetbare woonwijk Rijnvliet, Utrecht
– @karresenbrands - Passerelle Spoorzone Zwolle
– @strootmanlandschap - Stinspark Zwolle
– @studiomars.cc - De Nieuwe Mark, Breda
– @trafiquelandschapsontwerp - Het Maasbalkon, zelfsluitende waterkering Steyl-Maashoek

🎉 Van harte gefeliciteerd aan de genomineerden! We danken alle deelnemers hartelijk voor hun bijdrage.

De landschapsarchitectuurprojecten zullen door de jury bezocht worden in aanloop naar de keuze van de winnaar. Op 27 november maken we tijdens de feestelijke uitreiking van de NVTL Awards 2026 op het kantoor van NVTL in Amsterdam bekend welk project de award voor Uitgevoerd Landschapsontwerp wint. Iedereen is van harte welkom op deze bijeenkomst.

Meer informatie over de andere categorieën volgt!
➡️ Kijk op NVTL.nl om alle genomineerde projecten en talenten te bekijken.

De vakjury: @_stijnnn @stefano.marinaz @ikersten Lisanne Struckman en @jacobheydorngorski

#NVTL #NVTLawards2026 #landschapsarchitectuur #landschapsontwerp by @karresenbrands

Long before climate adaptation became an urban priority, water was already central to how we design public space. Quirijnpark - designed more than two decades ago with @datarchitecten en @rodoradviesbv for @gemeentetilburg - is featured in the new Birkhäuser publication Stormwater: Designing for Flood Management in Public Open Spaces. The park shows what happens when natural water systems become part of the spatial concept, not an add-on: flood management turns into a driver for biodiversity, recreation and everyday park life.

It’s a principle we still build on today. We mean treating natural systems as the foundation for resilient, meaningful places, rather than as constraints to design around.

Thank you to the author @biancamrinaldi and @birkhauser_books for including Quirijnpark in this publication.

#karresenbrands #naturefirst #climateadaptation #landscapearchitecture #publicspaces by @karresenbrands

UNDER CONSTRUCTION - The first lines are on the ground in Breda. This was industrial land for decades — Nibb-it, Borgesius. Rather than clear it, the plan reads the site’s own history: the rotated corners of the old factory halls now set the geometry for the new blocks, and the Ketelhuis stays standing, becoming a restaurant instead of rubble. What’s left of the rest of the factory doesn’t leave the site either — it’s rebuilt into the raw banks of a new wadi, habitat for native planting.

The layout puts the park first: a green spine linking the neighbourhoods on either side, open to the surrounding wijken, doing double duty as everyone’s extended garden. Housing turns to face it. Cars stay at the edges; the park itself is for people and bikes. Collectivity over ownership, water and greenery leading the plan instead of following it — the same questions Karres en Brands asks on every site, worked out here in an old factory yard.

With @studioninedots, @gemeente_breda and Attis — commissioned by Ontwikkelcombinatie @nbu @maas_jacobs
Photo’s by ©JimJan Multimedia 2026 @bredabouwt
#karresenbrands #landscapearchitecture #urbandesign #Breda #climateadaptation by @karresenbrands

Karres en Brands has won Second Prize at the City’Scape Award 2026, one of Europe’s most respected honours for landscape architecture, in the category Street Landscape & Slow Landscape: Slow Mobility, Bike Lanes, Traffic Calming — for the Gooilandsingel in @hartvanzuid010 Zuid, Rotterdam.

A street once built for through-traffic — 2,500+ buses and taxis a day — is now a green promenade for walking and cycling, with terraces where people stop instead of pass by, and 1,000 bike parking spaces at the redesigned station nearby. Underneath it, a circular water system recycles 20 million litres a year: rainwater collected from nearby roofs, purified by plants, stored underground and pumped back up in dry spells to serve Ahoy, the Pathé cinema and the fountains of the water square at Annie M.G. Schmidtplein — the first in the Netherlands to run entirely on locally filtered water. A street doing the work of mobility, climate resilience and public life at once.

The prize was presented on 18 September 2026 at the Triennale di Milano, during the City’Scape Symposium, organized by @paysage_topscape. David Kloet, partner at Karres en Brands, travelled to Milan to accept the award and to present the project in a lecture, alongside an international line-up of speakers.

In collaboration with @gemeenterotterdam @fieldfactors @rotsmaatwerk @kraaijvanger_architects @dezwartehond @tomdavid.nl and @witteveenbos, commissioned by @heijmansnl and @ballastnedam

Photo’s by Ben ter Mull, Sebastiaan van Damme

#HartvanZuid #Rotterdam #SlowMobility #PublicSpace #LandscapeArchitecture by @karresenbrands