Embassy conference: The city as a regenerative landscape

The Embassy of Circular & Biobased Building is part of the overarching “Designing Society” exhibition with its project “Building as a Landscape.” This project combines nature, construction, and infrastructure to create regenerative landscapes—landscapes that give something back to nature. Together with start-ups, ecological experts, and construction companies, they continuously seek new insights, materials, and building systems to ensure the sustainability of the built environment for people, animals, and nature alike.

Lucas De Man, alongside Pascal Leboucq, one of the creative leads of the Embassy of Circular & Biobased Building and co-founder of Biobased Creations, opened the conference. “Biobased Creations works from the formula: nature + construction & infrastructure = regenerative urban landscape? The question mark is essential, because it’s not about ‘showing the world how it’s done.’ Absolutely not! This is our quest. And here, we bring that quest to life.”

And the need for this exploration is urgent. Building inevitably takes something away from nature, disrupting existing ecosystems. Meanwhile, new materials are becoming increasingly costly. With the pressures of changing regulations and a shifting climate, it often feels like there’s limited time and space to experiment and innovate. Through “Building as a Landscape,” the creative leads aim to foster dialogue and create room for exploration. Connecting with one another is paramount—and that’s exactly what we’re here to do today.

A gift from nature

Eduard van Vliet of Green Art Solutions shared insights into “the power of greenery.” Thirty-two years ago, he pioneered the greening of rooftops, with nature as the central inspiration for his work. “We shouldn’t just venture into nature; we need to bring nature to us.”

Over the years, Eduard’s designs have evolved into complete concepts for greening roofs, facades, and both indoor and outdoor spaces. “In the Netherlands, there are still so many roofs that could be green. I want to wake people up to this potential—even your own shed could be greened,” he said.

He highlighted an example of a tiny house with a mineral-rich green facade. This green wall filters rainwater, which is then used in the dishwasher and toilet. “We need to see rainwater as a gift from nature; we just need to use it wisely.”

From building material to fertiliser

Huub Looze from Omlab then took the stage. Omlab explores industrial waste streams, developing various building materials from them, including surprising sources like used toilet paper and cow manure. In short, they can make even the oddest materials printable or extrudable. “Nature is our biggest stakeholder, so we only design with conflict-free materials.”

Today, Huub highlighted one of their creations: the “bio-slope tile,” a tile that serves as both building material and fertiliser. This tile can be used as a temporary solution to stabilise a slope, preventing erosion and helping nature recover. The material encourages plant growth, and as roots take hold, the tile can gradually decompose, supporting the slope in tandem with nature. Omlab is continuously refining this concept, researching its germination potential and how the tile interacts with different soil compositions. They’re also exploring ways to strengthen the material, which could eventually make it suitable for applications like indoor wall construction.

The city as a regenerative landscape

Pascal Leboucq then led the group to the Embassy, explaining physical examples one by one: solutions for rainwater harvesting, natural cooling/insulation, degradable structures for coastal areas, stackable facade systems, and natural sound barriers.

The project “Building as a Landscape” includes a publication of the same name. This document, according to Pascal, serves not only to inform but also to spark dialogue: it illustrates current possibilities and highlights potential collaborators. The publication is updated periodically and is available for free download on the website.

On the central table stood an impressive structure: the “pavilion.” This design research project explores how buildings and their surroundings can seamlessly blend together. The pavilion’s base is printed using local earth. The space created by excavating the earth is filled with water around the pavilion, enhancing the ecology—a purely regenerative approach.

Pascal noted, “We should view cities as production landscapes, not just agricultural areas. Cities produce enormous amounts of resources. How can we use these to shape our urban environments?” Huub (from Omlab) added, “Turning used toilet paper into printable material shows that even the most undervalued waste streams can be transformed into building materials.”

A bag full of inspiration

A lively discussion unfolded among attendees regarding education. Students are still often trained in traditional ways and can sometimes encounter resistance from more conservative lecturers. Pascal said, “There’s no right or wrong; it’s about thinking differently. It’s important to show what’s possible and inspire people from a young age.” These students will go on to work for innovative companies. Huub mentioned that lecturers who attended a workshop at Omlab left with a bag full of inspiration.

Engaging with government bodies in a healthy and active way is equally vital. There’s still much progress to be made in terms of innovation at the policy level. A common hurdle is finding the right contact within a local authority; sometimes, that person simply doesn’t exist. “By creating visibility and sharing our story, we hope it reaches the right people eventually,” said Pascal. He closed with a final call to the attendees: “Get yourselves and your colleagues on the right paths.”