icons of the balij seating interventions by sven lamme

‘hekzit’ employs the behaviour of individuals sitting atop a fence

in 2010 staatsbosbeheer – who manages a sizable amount of nature reserves in the netherlands – asked terra incognita to propose a plan for balij forest in zoetermeer, holland. their goal was to find a means of making the green space more attractive for its visitors. in 2012 their scheme was executed and consists of three major changes to the landscape: clearer entrances to the forest designed by terra incognita; the implementation of bike trails to better link the natural reserve to the city; and the realization of a number of unique seating elements under the name ‘icons of the balij’.

designer sven lamme is responsible for several of these seating interventions, collaborating with designer niels kerkkamp, terra incognita, and the assoication of the balij forest on his pieces. executed by heijmerink & wagenmaker, the uniqueness of each of these elements has been integrated into the landscape offering enhanced function and interaction with the natural landscape that surrounds it.

‘hekzit’ sits atop a fence

through the forested area, there runs a hiking path, with a grassland that is grazed by cattle and horses. here, one will find ‘hekzit’ which addresses the behaviour of individuals sitting atop fences. the design encourages visitors to climb the barriers and take a seat ona bench that has been integrated on its top rail. it is made from a galvanized steel frame – customary for land fences used by farmers – with the top tube of the fence forming a seat with a back that is covered with recycled plastic beams.

the seats are made of recycled plastic beams so horses don’t eat them!

‘hoge zit’ spiral staircase chair

the ‘hoge zit’ is placed at the waterside and offers a stunning view over the water that most of the year is hidden because of the tall reeds. the design is a spiral staircase leading to a loveseat at 2.40 meters height and is anchored in the soil below the frost line. the construction consists of a steel frame which is powder coated, and a seat that is made of recycled plastic beams.

the staircase seating rises above the lush reeds

right: the staircase ends at a loveseat with views of the surrounding landscapeleft: he view from the top

the balij forest reclaimed from the sea. ‘zeezucht’ is a part of the greenscape which consists of a rolling grass carpet, representing the waves of the body of water from which it was formed. in the midst of this clearing, there is a 22 meters square that isdefined by large trees. this particular sculptural object resembles a large sea buoy-shaped seating object placed in the middle of this area. it is made of concrete with a steel top.

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.