jolanda

Probably into a scarecrow....i dont really know yet. Halloween is fun, its sad that they dont celebrate it.

Gee, Jolanda, youre making me feel all guilty. But seriously, this project is supposed to be different. The IJmeer was recognized as a very important freshwater ecosystem right from the start and a major goal was to not change its outer contours. So the engineers planned artificial islands and linked them. The coolest buildings of all at IJburg are actually floating. There are quite a few floating homes. Also, IJburg is not supposed to be a suburb that takes people and life away from the city. Its a new residential addition to downtown Amsterdam.

No doubt your Dutch is much better than mine. Here are two links you may find interesting:
www.ijburg.nl
http://www.ijburg.org/

IJburg is the most important urban project in Holland in thirty years, but ultimately, its just a drop in the bucket. Ive spent some time in Norway where theres still wilderness and Id have to say that in England and Holland weve lost almost all our natural environment years ago. We may even be losing our park-scale environment. I guess if you grew up in Canada, the contrast is even bigger. For me, the root environmental question is whether a tiny country like Holland really needs the 16 million people it already has, let alone more immigration. Its the same in England. But Im on the treadmill like everyone else. How much work would I get if no new buildings went up?

I have eaten some kind of eel here. I really liked it but probably cause it was smoked. I hope it wasnt the one on the threatened list. Poor guys, they come all the way here from the Caribbean (I guess its not for the sunbathing).

I dont have to wear suits much, but for client meetings and presentations its good to look the part. Maybe Ill put a cartoon of a typical mad purple-haired architect at work in my pix. Maybe Ill put one in of me in a flashy suit jacket (hmm, do I own such a thing?). These days Im more likely to be wearing a hard hat.

hs