{"id":27694,"date":"2025-04-25T13:46:07","date_gmt":"2025-04-25T11:46:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/arcadia.frl\/projecten\/veenweideatelier\/t-kathus\/"},"modified":"2025-06-16T21:04:30","modified_gmt":"2025-06-16T19:04:30","slug":"t-kathus","status":"publish","type":"program","link":"https:\/\/arcadia.frl\/en\/projecten\/veenweideatelier\/t-kathus\/","title":{"rendered":"‘t Kath\u00fbs"},"content":{"rendered":"
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With the pilot project \u2019t Kath\u00fbs, the Veenweide Atelier, OOZE Architects and It Fryske Gea explore how a vacant farmhouse can grow into a future-proof place to live, work and connect in the peat meadow landscape. By linking heritage, ecology and community power, this project offers an inspiring example of how to sustainably repurpose the Frisian countryside.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n

What if we look differently at vacant farmhouses in the Frisian landscape? What if they could once again become a beating heart of their surroundings \u2013 sustainable, circular, rooted in nature, heritage and community? That idea lies at the core of the pilot project \u2019t Kath\u00fbs: a design exploration for the future use of a unique place in the peatlands of Frysl\u00e2n.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2019t Kath\u00fbs is an authentic farmhouse, surrounded by 40 hectares of grassland and ditches, once part of the Monastery of Nes. The untouched, centuries-old plots \u2013 a blend of peat and clay \u2013 remain free from land consolidation and connect directly to the nearby meadow bird habitat Soarremoarre (home to godwits, lapwings, redshanks and many other species).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It Fryske Gea approached the Veenweide Atelier to develop a plan for rezoning, renovation and long-term care of \u2019t Kath\u00fbs. In September 2024, a public call was launched in the province to reimagine the future of the site and its surrounding grounds. An open process followed, inviting ideas from the Akkrum community, local farmers and other stakeholders. Out of 21 submissions, the Veenweide Atelier, in collaboration with OOZE Architects and It Fryske Gea, selected a shortlist that formed the foundation for three spatial design scenarios, created by OOZE Architects under the artistic direction of Henri\u00ebtte Waal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It Fryske Gea is open to different roles for \u2019t Kath\u00fbs: as a working farm, a public meeting point for peat meadow transition, or a place of encounter between people and landscape. A physical Veenweide Atelier \u2013 a workshop for landscape, ecology and society \u2013 is also among the possibilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This pilot moves toward an integrated vision of living, working and caring in the peatland: CO\u2082-neutral construction, smart use of material flows, biobased and circular building methods that preserve the beauty of farm heritage \u2013 while making space for community. The lessons from this design pilot contribute to the development of a holistic transition model for the broader peat meadow region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2019t Kath\u00fbs shows how heritage and innovation can go hand in hand to build a sustainable future for Frysl\u00e2n.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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