At a festive ceremony in Rotterdam, the Grote Maaskant Prize was awarded to NL2120, a consortium combining knowledge, policy and entrepreneurship to shape urgent spatial transitions. Presented by Mayor Carola Schouten, the award is an important encouragement for NL2120's efforts to nature-inclusive innovation and Nature-based scale up solutions and share knowledge. With Nature-based Solutions (NbS) be natural ecosystems and processes used to address societal challenges, such as climate change, water management and biodiversity loss. The award has been given to pioneering innovators such as Rem Koolhaas since 1978, Pete Oudolf and Tracy Metz.
NL2120 receives Grand Maaskant Prize for nature-inclusive future vision of the Netherlands
Nov. 22, 2024
The Great Maaskant Prize, one of the most prestigious awards in the field of architecture and urban innovation in the Netherlands, is awarded to persons and initiatives that itself in particular distinguished in the field of of architecture, urban planning or landscape architecture. The biennial award is presented in even-numbered years.
NL2120 is a collective of scientists, businesses and nature organisations working together to create with natural solutions to prepare the Netherlands for the challenges of climate change and loss of biodiversity. And to use that knowledge internationally. The consortium's vision is inspired by a vision of the future that is Wageningen University & Research has developed, in which NbS central to making the Netherlands more resilient and sustainable.
From the jury report, "The collective combines knowledge, policy and entrepreneurship to shape urgent spatial transitions. It demonstrates that shaping complex collaborations is essential for this and thus marks the beginning of a new planning, urban planning and architectural era. The collective receives the Grand Maaskant Prize as a reward and encouragement for this approach."
The jury of the Grand Maaskant Prize consists of Sanne van den Breemer, Onno Dwars, Meta Knol, Ekim Tan and Delta Commissioner Co Verdaas.
Alex Hekman, Director of NL2120 and Business Director of Water at engineering firm Sweco, reacts elated to the award: "NL2120 is still at the beginning. We see this award mainly as an encouragement to strengthen our ambition. It shows that there is room and need for hopeful and future-proof solutions in the Netherlands. This award confirms that our approach - using the natural system instead of working against it - is the right one. We also find it extraordinary that our movement for nature and climate wins an architecture award. This shows that nature has a powerful voice in architecture, construction and landscape design."
NbS can already be seen on a local scale in the Netherlands - from floodplain nature during sand extraction in the river area to the natural climate buffers and the Sand Motor off the coast of South Holland. To deploy these successes on a large scale, more knowledge is needed. How exactly do natural solutions behave and how effective are they? NL2120 looks at whether NbS be practical and cost-effective to embed in existing policies and management. The consortium works to scale up and work through, to create new business models that contribute to a sustainable future.
They do this, for example, in innovation projects in the Friesian peat meadow area, in the tidal park on the Isle of Brienenoord and in the sandy coastal reinforcement of the Hondsbossche and Pettemer Zeewering. Each of these projects is based on the power of nature and offers benefits to both people and nature.
This award not only recognizes the work of NL2120, but also gives impetus to the public debate on sustainable spatial planning. With this award, the consortium wants to accelerate the further development of NbS in the Netherlands and internationally and support further knowledge development, research and experiments in this field.