OD205 presents “Soil Game”, design methodology for greening industrial estates
Details
More information (in Dutch): www.od205.nl/bodemspel
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Serious soil game makes business parks greener and healthier
Rich in stone and poor in greenery: there is much to be gained in industrial estates when it comes to green and healthy living environments. But where do you start? To help park managers, policymakers, entrepreneurs and other stakeholders get started, urban design agency OD205 developed the Bodemspel (Soil Game).
The Soil Game is a cooperative game that helps managers, policymakers, end users and designers of business parks to develop an approach for improving public spaces, plots or buildings, based on the local soil type. Based on seven themes for green and healthy working environments and the specific soil type under their own business park, players discover practical measures that suit their location and ambitions.
40 measures per soil type
Knowledge of the underlying water and soil system is essential in finding solutions to issues such as heat stress or flooding, which many industrial estates have to deal with. Different measures are most effective in tackling these problems for each soil type. Sandy soils, for example, dry out quickly but can also easily absorb large amounts of rain. That is why it is advisable to allow as much water as possible to infiltrate the soil on sandy soils. Clay soils, on the other hand, retain water longer during droughts, but become saturated relatively quickly during heavy rainfall. Here, it is important to store rainwater for as long as possible so that it can infiltrate or be drained more slowly.
By tailoring choices in planting, surface water, paving and design to the local soil type, they have the greatest effect. Soil and water must be guiding factors. The Soil Game contains around 40 concrete measures for each of the three main Dutch soil types – clay, peat and sand – that can be used to make an area greener and healthier. Cards with health boosters such as walking routes and terraces add measures that specifically help to improve human health.
Two years of research
The Soil Game is the result of two years of design research into the role of soil in the (re)development of industrial estates. In this research, OD205 identified seven crucial themes for developing green and healthy topsoil based on considerations of the soil. OD205 conducted the research in and together with the province of Overijssel, as part of the Creative Industries Fund’s open call “Building from the soil”. OD205 involved the Environmental Psychologist and DonkerGroep as knowledge partners in the development of the game.
During the research, but also in their own work practice, the researchers at OD205 noticed that park managers, municipalities or entrepreneurs who want to work on greening and sustainability often struggle with how, where and with whom to start. Knowledge of soil types and the importance of taking them into account often appeared to be lacking. In order to answer these questions, OD205 developed the Soil Game.
Generator of support
The Soil Game provides players with practical measures that not only give insight into the effect on the seven soil themes, but also give an indication of management and implementation costs. The game also acts as a process accelerator and generator of support. The serious game is quick and easy to play, without lengthy preparation or extensive prior knowledge. Under the guidance of OD205 experts, the game delivers a supported substantive result within 90 minutes, which is the starting point for a detailed plan to make the working environment future-proof. Generic, run-of-the-mill business parks are also given their own character, in keeping with their surroundings, by taking the existing soil and water system as a starting point.
Happier and more productive
Above all, however, the game offers great benefits for the more than 30% of the Dutch working population who spend their working day in a business park: people feel happier in a green environment. Absence due to illness decreases, feelings of stress are reduced and productivity increases. A green working environment is therefore good for people, nature and the economy. The Soil Game helps those involved in business parks to get started with this.
- Playing time: 1.5 to 2 hours
Number of players: 2-6, multiple playing tables possible
More information: www.od205.nl/bodemspel
