WATERFRONTS

Designing with water is deeply grounded in the urban design DNA of the Netherlands. Prognoses of a dramatic increase of the population in Delta-metropolises, combined with the rising of the sea level makes waterfront developments worldwide a subject of discussion. The transformation process of harbor areas into new development areas stresses the enormous potentials to design sustainable, urban waterfronts.
 
Case study: Stadtshaven Rotterdam 2035
New land was constructed in the North Sea to modernize and to extend the Port of Rotterdam: Maasvlakte 2. This new artificial island of 1000 hectares shifts the harbor activities of one of the biggest harbors worldwide further to the west and enables to reconstruct the former harbor and to develop new urban areas of the city of Rotterdam.
2015 the city of Rotterdam presented a urban development plan “structuurviese stadhavens Rotterdam” about the  transformation of 1600 hectares abandoned harbor areas. This ambitious plan aims to develop the area within the next 20 – 30 years into a new sustainable Clean Tech City quarter. The design strategy for the 4 new waterfronts provides a temporary and trendsetting start with different design principles. Merwe-Vierhavens becomes an international experimental cluster for innovative energy recourses. New prototypes of energy neutral developments and floating housing are demonstrated to the public in the Rijn-Maashaven. The Waal-Eemhaven will be transformed from a deep-sea container harbor into a shortsea-hub with a maritime technology cluster. Universities, research institutes and creative industry transform the former docklands into a research, design and manufacturing lab: RDM.
 
Urban Nomads uses the established know-how and the international reputation about harbor developments. The integral strategic development plan of “Stadtshaven Rotterdam 2035” is analyzed, dismantled and tested on its applicability for comparable harbor cites. The spatial qualities of the transformation process of the Rotterdam harbor are evaluated exemplary. Urban Nomads monitors the transformation process. We design conceptual drafts in experimental labs on site. Multidisciplinary teams tests in case studies the applicability of the generated design instruments on other harbor cities, like for example Marseille, Naples, Copenhagen and Piraeus. 
Urban Nomads presented and evaluated the results of this project at the „Coastal Cities 2“ conference at June 2016 in Alicante. It is publish at “Coastal Cities and  their Sustainable Future II”.
Case Studies
Case Study Hippodamus Harbour, Piraeus
Case Study Creative Docklands, Rijeka
Case Study Stadshavens Rotterdam 2035
Case Study Nordhanven, Copenhagen
Case Study Waterfront Napoli
Case Study Waterfront Izola
Case Study Rotterdam aan Zee
Research Partner
Rita Justesen, Head of Planning at Copenhagen City & Port Development
DAR Association of architects Rijeka
Saxion University, department of Urban Design
Prof. Lucija Ažman Momirski, Ph.D., faculty of architecture, University of Ljubljana
Tomaž Berrčič, faculty of architecture, University of Ljubljana
Gašper Kociper, faculty of architecture, University of Ljubljana
Prof. Dr. Sanja Filep, Faculty of Architecture, University of Zagreb
Dr. Massimo Lanzi, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Department of regional planning
Daniele Cannatella, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Department of regional planning
Pasqual Bendicho, SUMO Arquitectes, Barcelona
Jenny Kafetzidou Portalkali Architects, Athens
Ir. Emiel Lamers, architect, Ljubljana
Ir. Maarten Struijs, architect, Rotterdam
Publications
LOEPER Nicoline, OTT Matthias: Watercity Rotterdam 2035,
in RODRIGUES, G.R., BREBBIA, C.A., ALMORZA D. (eds.):
Coastal Cities and their Sustainable Future II, WIT Press Southampton, 2017, p. 55 – 62
LANSINK Chiel, LOEPER Nicoline, OTT Matthias: Ontwerpstrategie om havensteden te laten bloeien. In: de Blauwe Kamer (2016), Nr.2, p. 61
LOEPER Nicoline, LOZEJ Tanja, OTT Matthias: Eilandgevoel in Kopenhagen,
In: de Blauwe Kamer (2014), Nr.4, p. 62
OTT Matthias: Marina to Marina,
In: AZMAN MOMIRZKI, Lucija (eds.): Obalne preobrazbe - Izola vzhod, Ljubljana: CIP, 2013, p. 70 -71
LOEPER Nicoline, OTT Matthias, WEZENBERG Daniël: Smaakbeleving in Napels.
In: de Blauwe Kamer (2013), Nr.4, p. 52
AZMAN MOMIRZKI, Lucija (eds.): Waterfront Redevelopment – Izola east,
Ljubljana: CIP, 2013, p. 70 -71
LOEPER Nicoline, OTT Matthias, ZUGIC Manca: Napels onder de grond.
In: de Blauwe Kamer (2013), Nr.4, p. 52
Lectures
“Euroméditerranée Marseille”, Matthias Ott, Urban Design Studio “Waterfronts”,
Hochschule München October 2018
“Nordhavnen Kopenhagen”, Matthias Ott, Urban Design Studio “Waterfronts”,
Hochschule München October 2018
“Waterfront Neapel”, Matthias Ott, Urban Design Studio “Waterfronts”,
Hochschule München October 2018
“Stadshaven Rotterdam 2035”, Matthias Ott, Urban Design Studio “Waterfronts”,
Hochschule München October 2018
“Rotterdam harbourcity”, Urban Design Studio “Stadtlabor Rotterdam”,
Hochschule München, October 2017,
“Water City Rotterdam 2035”, Matthias Ott, Conference Sustainable City 2016,
Wessex Institute of Technologie, Alicante, June 2016
“Harbour Cities”, Matthias Ott, Nicoline Loeper, Urban Dialogue,
Saxion University Deventer, January 2016
“M4H”, Matthias Ott, Nicoline Loeper, Int. architectural and urban design workshop,
Saxion University Deventer, November 2015
“Land of Sea”, Matthias Ott,
1st International Symposium: Global Cities and Cosmopolitan Dreams, Barcelona, May 2015
“Rotterdam aan Zee”, Matthias Ott, Nicoline Loeper, Design Week,
Saxion University Deventer, May 2014
“Waterfront Scheveningen”, Matthias Ott, Nicoline Loeper, Design Week,
Saxion University Deventer, November2012,
“The water is warning... or: The Dutch and their waterfront”, Nicoline Loeper,
Int. architectural and urban design workshop ”Waterfront redevelopment Izola east”,
Izola, Slovenia, September 2012,
Research period: April 2012 – September 2016
Research volume: € 210.000.-
Nordhavnen Copenhagen, Tanja Lozej
Waterfront Napoli, conceptual sketch, Daniel Wezenberg
lanscaoe morphology, Bay of Naples
Real-lab Rotterdam M4H, Jasper Veldhuis
studies of structural models, Cala Millor, Eva Mavsar
Real-lab Venice
Rendering Rijeka, Jasper Veldhuis