Organization
The Royal Dutch Association for Garden and Landscape Architecture (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.
NVTL is the hub of the profession in the Netherlands and we are committed to taking care of the quality of garden and landscape architecture and design. We represent interests on many fronts, stimulate development of the profession and bring clients and agencies into contact with each other and with complementary disciplines. 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.
Curious about NVTL membership and its benefits? Visit the Membership page and find out which type is best for you.
Memberships
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.
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 and government institutions 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 important information and promote research.
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
History
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
Daphne van der Wal
Shera van den Wittenboer
Stijn van de Ven
Lieneke van Campen
Mellanie Righard
Willemijn Ter Hart
Selinda Stompé
Krista Jongsma
Aidan Hermans
ACTIVE MEMBERS
Without the contributions of active members and their knowledge and experience in the field of garden and landscape architecture, we cannot achieve our objectives. Within NVTL, several temporary committees, project groups, and working groups are active on long-term topics:
- The Advisory Board, consisting of a diverse, rotating group of professionals with various specializations, which regularly communicates with the board regarding the association’s objectives, priorities, and activities.
- The Confidential Committee provides a confidential point of contact for members regarding personal or professional issues, such as conflicts, ethical questions, or complaints, and advises or mediates where necessary to protect the integrity and well-being of members and the association.
- The Ethics Council, handles complaints against (those employed by) agency members and oversees compliance with the code of conduct and professional ethics within the association.
- The Financial Committee examines the board’s financial accounts and reports on them to the general assembly in order to ensure the association’s financial health and transparency.
- The Professional Development Committee focuses on promoting and evaluating the content and practice of the profession of garden and landscape architecture, particularly in relation to societal developments and the quality of professional practice. The working group is chaired by board member Stijn van de Ven and is actively involved in, among other things, the events organized by NVTL.
- The International Committee maintains contacts with international organizations and groups, such as IFLA, and promotes cooperation and the exchange of knowledge in the field of garden and landscape architecture across national borders; it is chaired by NVTL-member Niek Hazendonk.
- The Tendering Consultative Group is composed of a diverse group of office members and serves as an advisory body to Board Member for Office Interests, Lieneke van Campen. NVTL works to resolve common issues surrounding tendering procedures, conditions, and practices within the field.
- The Young NVTL Committee focuses on organizing activities for young professionals up to 35 years of age and advocating for the interests of young designers. Read more about this working group:
Are you interested in contributing to knowledge sharing, inspiring your peers, and organizing activities? Would you like to join an existing working group or start a new one? Don’t hesitate to 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 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.
- 2024 Michael van Gessel
- 2022 Yttje Feddes
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2020 Adriaan Geuze
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2018 Dirk Sijmons
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2013 Johan Vlug
- 2001 Hans Groeneveld
- In memoriam Carl van Empelen, Jan Voskens, Pieter Buys, Meto Vroom
The first NVTL Award was presented during the celebration marking the NVTL’s 100th anniversary in 2022. The goal was to make the Awards ceremony a biennial event. Nominations for the first Awards were solicited from the board, as was customary for the NVTL Trophy. In the years that followed, the scope of the Awards has been expanded. Nominations are collected through a broad call for entries within the professional community, after which the selection is made by a jury that changes annually, consisting of 6–7 different members with diverse areas of expertise.
Since 2024, there are four main categories:
- Category: Realized Landscape Design
- Category: Realized Garden Design
- Category: Study
- Category: Talent
The winners of the NVTL Awards from recent years:
2024
Category: Realized Landscape Design
Wieringermeer Viskringloop – HOSPER
Category: Realized 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
Honorable mentions
Ereveld Loenen – Karres en Brands
Landschappelijke tuin aan de Vecht – Jeroen Hamers
2023
Category: Realized design
Coolhaven door Juurlink [+] Geluk Stedenbouw en Landschap
Category: Study
Aquabattery Recharged door Bureau B+B Stedenbouw en Landschapsarchitectuur
Category: Talent
A Fire Scape door Hanna Prinssen
Honorable Mentions
Terp fan de Takomst door Observatorium
Vestdijk Eindhoven door wUrck
Visions of the Future at Floriade door Stefano Marinaz.
Winners 2023
2022
Category: Study
NL 2120 een natuurlijker toekomst voor Nederland in 2120 door WUR
Category: Talent
Nina Ravestein
Ziega van den Berk
THE NVTL TROPHY
In the past, the NVTL-trophy has been awarded irregularly 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:
- 2008 Municipality Apeldoorn
- 2005 Harry Harsema
- 2001 Carla Oldenburger
- 1997 Bureau B+B
- 1992 Stichting Artivisual Landscapes
- 1990 Design team ‘Plan Ooievaar’
- 1987 Stichting Nederland Nu als Ontwerp
