ABSTRACT
Reliable and durable bridges form a vital part of our society and economy. However, the construction of new bridges can also lead to the degradation of wildlife habitat and vegetation. How can we design sustainable and nature inclusive bridges? The goal of this paper is to identify a design approach that leads to nature inclusive bridges that are valued by society. We will demonstrate the design approach through our experience in practice. The three bridges at the Waterfront Hoorn are the result of a design competition that was won by the authors office. The bridges span from a historic 13th century dike, called the Westfriese Omringdijk, in Noord-Holland to the new flood defense embankment dike that lies in the sea just out of the shore. In order to protect the vulnerable dike it was decided to build the bridges in cantilever from the new embankment dike, this way they almost, but not quite, touch the old dike. The bridges themselves are designed as an inverted dike profile. The hollow profile that results is filled with dune sand and dune vegetation. The footpath itself is a wooden deck that lies in the sand, framed on both sides with tall grasses.
