Organisation - NVTL

Organisation

De Nederlandse Vereniging voor Tuin- en landschapsarchitectuur (NVTL) is the only Dutch professional association for garden and landscape architects and designers. Our many national and international members represent the very best of the profession.

The NVTL is THE hub of the profession in the Netherlands and we are committed to the quality of garden and landscape architecture and design. We represent the interests on many fronts, stimulate the development of the profession and bring clients and agencies into contact with each other and with complementary disciplines. The NVTL is an open association which anyone who cares about green design from garden to landscape can join. With approximately 700 members, it forms a broad reflection of the Dutch professional practice.

MISSION

It is our mission to contribute to a more beautiful, sustainable and better living environment. As garden and landscape architects and designers we strive for an independent, professional profession, in which the connection with society and our responsibility are self-evident.

The NVTL is a platform and network that enables the transfer of ideas, exchange of knowledge and reflection on the profession. Both at a national and international level, we work together with other spatial design disciplines, education, government and numerous green initiatives.

We address issues of concern to our members, including biodiversity and the integration of renewable energy sources into the landscape. We encourage our members to share specific information and promote research.

An advisory board, consisting of broadly oriented peers, communicates regularly with the board.

 

OBJECTIVES

Our mission is based on the following three objectives:

TELLING – Promotion of the profession

Through our platform and related channels, we tell about garden and landscape architecture and design in word and image in order to increase the awareness and relevance of our profession. We make it recognisable and visible. As a member, you stay informed about the latest developments and activities in the sector. Member firms and partners can profile themselves on the NVTL platform towards clients.

CONNECTING – Facilitating collaborations

The NVTL platform also has a connecting role. We connect clients at the private, agency and government levels to our members by means of projects. We try to blur the boundaries and stimulate cooperation between the various design disciplines at home and abroad. In addition, we encourage dialogue between scientific and professional practitioners.

INNOVATION – Stimulating professional development

We organize activities aimed at developing and disseminating new professional knowledge. We do this in cooperation with educational institutions, research institutes, design agencies and governments. With additional funding, projects are organized in which peers are called in to develop new products, processes and services together.

HISTORIE

The NVTL was founded in 1983 as a result of a merger between the Bond van Nederlandse Tuinarchitecten (BNT) and the Vereniging voor Tuin- en Landschapsarchitectuur (VTL). The history of the association goes back via the BNT to 16 May 1922, when a number of landscape architects met in Utrecht and, under the chairmanship of the well-known garden architect Hugo Poortman, founded the Association for Garden and Landscape Art; the Bond van Nederlandse Tuinarchitecten (BNT).

In the early years, the main focus was on promoting the profession in order to create an independent position for trained garden architects in relation to other designers. The predicate ‘bnt’ (after the personal name) indicated that someone was a registered member of the association and acted as an independent consultant. To this day, this addition is used by members who are registered in the Architects Register and who subscribe to the rules of conduct.

TEAM

Joeri de Bekker

Boardmember
Chairman

Johan Snel

Boardmember
Academy & Interdisciplinary

Shera van den Wittenboer

Boardmember
Treasurer , Design Research & Empire-Region

Stijn van de Ven

Boardmember
Young NVTL

Leo Pols

Boardmember
(Design) research & policy consulting city, land and water

Wiebke Klemm

Boardmember
Research, Design & Policy sustainable living environment

Daphne van der Wal

Boardmember
Designing for/with the future & working through policy

Willemijn Ter Hart

Head of office
General Affairs, Governance & Communications

Selinda Stompe

Office assistant
Administration & Members

Ilse Zuidinga

Office assistant
Organisation, Communication, Content & DSL

Arjan Nienhuis

Quartermaster
Project Management & Platform Design NL

ACTIVE MEMBERS

Several temporary project and working groups are active within NVTL and committees with longer-term topics such as Professional Development, Young NVTL and International. And collaborations between colleague associations such as working group DSO (BNSP & NVTL). Without active members, their knowledge and experience within the garden and landscape profession, we cannot achieve our objectives.

Would you also like to contribute to the sharing of knowledge, to enthuse your generation and to organise activities? Do not hesitate and contact us!

EXTRAORDINARY MEMBERS

The articles of association offer the board the opportunity to express its appreciation to individuals who have made a special contribution to the achievement of the objectives of the NVTL by appointing them as ‘extraordinary members’.

By consciously and actively dealing with the possibility of appointing Extraordinary Members and looking for ways to involve them, in a modest way, in the development of policy, the Board wishes to make optimal use of the knowledge and insights of these individuals.

Hans Groeneveld, Johan Vlug, Dirk Sijmons, Adriaan Geuze (2020), Yttje Feddes (2022) en Michael van Gessel (2024).

In memoriam Carl van Empelen, Jan Voskens, Pieter Buys, Meto Vroom.

NVTL-trophy

In the past, irregularly, the NVTL-trophy has been awarded to “persons or bodies who have made very special contributions to the improvement of the level of professional practice.” The winners of the NVTL-trophy are:

Stichting Nederland Nu als Ontwerp (1987), Ontwerpteam ‘Plan Ooievaar’ (1990), Stichting Artivisual Landscapes (1992), Bureau B+B (1997), Carla Oldenburger (2001), Harry Harsema (2005) en gemeente Apeldoorn (2008).

NVTL-trophy

During the celebration in honor of the 100th anniversary in 2022, the first NVTL Award was presented. The goal is to make the presentation of the Awards an annual event. Nominations for the first Awards were collected from the board, as was customary for the NVTL Trophy. Starting next year, the goal is to roll out the award more broadly, collect the nominations from the profession and have the choice made by a broad, annually changing professional jury.

The winners of the NVTL Awards are:

2022
Category Study
– “NL 2120 a more natural future for the Netherlands in 2120” by WUR

Category Talent
– Nina Ravestein
– Ziega van den Berk

2023
Category Executed Plan
Coolhaven by Juurlink [+] Geluk Urban Design and Landscape

Category Study
Aquabattery Recharged by Bureau B+B Urban Design and Landscape Architecture

Category Talent
A Fire Scape by Hanna Prinssen

Honorable Mentions 2023
– Terp fan de Takomst by Observatorium
– Vestdijk Eindhoven by wUrck
– Visions of the Future at Floriade by Stefano Marinaz

2024
Category Executed Landscape Design
Wieringermeer Viskringloop – HOSPER

Category Executed Garden Design
De Hooge Riet, Ermelo – H+N+S Landschapsarchitecten

Category Study
Nederland Veganland – Strootman Landschapsarchitecten

Category Talent
Burnt: a Tale of Three Fires – Jacob Saul Heydorn Gorski

Eervolle vermeldingen
Ereveld Loenen – Karres en Brands
Landschappelijke tuin aan de Vecht – Jeroen Hamers