Open Workroom Sponge Landscapes: call for projects & objects

A small exhibition
and programme
for a great
transformation
sponge
landscapes
20 nov –
call for
projects &
objects
31 mar ’26

sponge
landscapes
call for
projects &
objects

We are calling on regional coordinators,
landscape designers, farmer and nature
organisations, experts, entrepreneurs and
governments to submit projects or objects
that demonstrate how sponge landscapes
can be designed, organized, and implemented!
We welcome contributions from anyone
tackling water challenges with a land-based
and cross-sectoral approach. Submit your
project before September 15 and become
part of the OPEN WORKROOM SPONGE
LANDSCAPES. As The Waterboys once sang:
“That was the river, this is the sea.” Well—that
was the river, this is the sponge landscape!
Over the past few decades, our landscapes have
undergone a stealthy yet drastic transformation.
By reshaping natural water systems to allow for
intensive land use, we have drained, paved, canalized,
and dyked ourselves into an extremely vulnerable
position. The finely shaped river network of the
Rhine-Meuse-Scheldt delta was historically the
foundation of its prosperity. Now, however, it is
frighteningly susceptible to drought, especially for
a temperate maritime climate. Longer periods of
3

drought and more intense rainfall and flooding are
taking a toll on our people, our economy, and our
infrastructure. However, let’s be honest: climate
change only magnifies the symptoms of an already
failing system. How can we ensure access to drinking
water and food in the face of more extreme droughts
and heavier rainfall? Will we continue to pretend that
we are in the pre-crisis era? Or will we acknowledge
that we need a radical change of course?
We need a sea change in how we understand and
act on water. The purpose is clear: bring back
stability to the global water cycle, deliver on the
human right to safe water, achieve food security and
development that works for all, and keep our planet
safe for generations to come.
— Preface of the Report of the Global Commission on the Economics
of Water – Valuing the Hydrological Cycle as a Global Common Good.
While we often focus on visible water in the river
network, we tend to overlook the potential and
influence of our landscapes in the hydrological
cycle. We must restore the natural capacity of soils
and subsoils to act as sponges, absorbing excess
water during intense rainfall and releasing it during
drought. The necessary measures extend beyond
visible waterways. They require action in places
where people live, farmers farm, cows graze, forests
thrive, and businesses operate. We need to shift from
a linear approach to one on the scale of a whole
watershed. But who will take the lead when the
responsibility lies with many and no one at the same
time? How do we ensure that numerous small-scale
measures add up to a sponge landscape that makes
us more resilient collectively?
4

It’s not about inventing the best possible measures;
most of them are already known. What we’re failing
at is organizing and implementing them on the scale
and at the pace that today’s challenges demand.
— Luc Engelborghs, farmer in Haspengouw, Belgium
Across Europe, initiatives are emerging that bring
the river-to-basin approach to life. Organizations
dedicated to nature and farming are joining forces
in shared land and water management. Landscape
designers and hydrologists are teaming up to
map the landscape’s capacity as a water battery.
Governments are offering incentives for upstream
collaboration to ease pressure downstream. All of
these initiatives face numerous financial, legal, and
practical obstacles. At the same time, it seems as if
actors in every region must reinvent the wheel.
That is why we are bringing together the creativity
and knowledge of regional coordinators, landscape
designers, farmers, nature organizations, experts,
entrepreneurs, and government officials in the
OPEN WORKROOM SPONGE LANDSCAPES.
The open workroom is an invitation to exchange
ideas about a systemic, land-based, cross-sectoral
approach to water challenges. It is also a platform
to showcase innovative projects from across Europe
and a workspace for emerging productive sponge
landscape practices.
Submit your project before September 15.
5

Working on sponge landscapes
The open workroom exhibition aims to inspire
by showcasing a wide range of examples.
Most importantly, however, it is a working
environment where various sponge landscape
stakeholders meet and collaborate. The
exhibition is set up on a framework of four
thematic rooms to accommodate this.
1
Valuing sponge chains
How can we organize a cross-boundary approach that goes
beyond individual plots and leads to higher quality, greater
efficiency, and more solidarity? What are the win-win measures
that benefit multiple sectors?
2
Cultivating sponge landscapes
What do sponge landscapes look like? What types of sponge
landscapes exist? How can we transform our current landscape
into functioning sponges? Which design, land use, and planning
strategies are necessary for this transformation?
3
Sponge coalitions
Who are potential sponge stewards? How do you build a local
public-private-civil sponge coalition? How do you develop a
supported and integrated action plan step by step?
4
Enabling sponge landscapes
How can we establish a regional and/or national framework
for sponge landscapes? What planning, legal, or financial
instruments can make this possible?
7

1
Valuing sponge chains
a.
b.
VIDEO In this species protection program, the habitat
for the endangered Western marsh harrier and reduction
of farm costs goes hand in hand by cultivating droughtresistant
crops.
‘Interreg Europe BioGov project - Landbouwer en roofvogel,
onverwachte bondgenoten’ © VLM, 2020
PICTURE SERIES To reactivate remnants of orchards
in private gardens, Den Boogerd set up a system where
they, in exchange for management and maintenance,
process and sell the harvest.
Sheep grazing in the orchard © Den Boogerd
c.
d.
SCHEME By diverting spring water - which now fills
the municipal outdoor pool and is then accelerated - to
the opposite river bank, the project protects valuable
grasslands and peatlands from drying out.
Sponge measures in the valley of the Herk and Mombeek © Storyrunner
OBJECT The earthworm is an unseen architect of
our soil, whose underground network helps water to
infiltrate and thus plays an important role in our defense
against drought strikes, and figures as the special guest
in a theatre performance on forests.
Props from the theatre show ‘BOS’ © Bronks en Bos+
A wide range of interests and land uses interact with each
other within a single watershed, sometimes positively,
sometimes negatively. How can we move beyond
individual interests to build regional solidarity and a more
collective resilience? Adding more carbon to the soil of
one plot, for example, has positive consequences for other
links in the chain, such as better infiltration and less runoff,
which in turn ensures better water quality. Upstream
interventions also impact the lower-lying plots. But a good
measure for periods of drought does not necessarily mean
a good measure for periods of heavy rain.
System thinking like this reveals which connections need
to be restored to increase the landscape’s natural sponge
capacity and go beyond the plot-based strategy we
often see. By showcasing challenging cases and inspiring
examples of win-win measures, we demonstrate how
multiple sectors can advance simultaneously.
We are looking for testimonials, via videos, pictures,
objects or technical drawings that illustrate the complex
web of connections that make up ecosystems and their
necessary restoration points. 8

a.
c.
d.
b.
9

2
Cultivating sponge landscapes
a.
b.
c.
SCALEMODEL With WATER CATCHERS, Taktyk explores a
variety of strategies to test whether the public space of Vorst
can be used to manage rainwater, and stimulate biodiversity
at the same time. These strategies include a ‘water mesh’ and
making use of the existing parks as sponge parks, among others.
Scalemodel of Taktyk at the expo of Bulb Rising Waters © Philippe De Gobert
AXONOMETRY As a response to drought and rising sea
levels on the island of Schiermonnikoog, LAMA proposes to use
the silt from the Wadden sea to raise the dunes and polders.
Interventions on land have an impact on the water system and vice versa © LAMA
COLLAGE & MAP After the floods of the Vesdre, it
appears that many homes were located in naturally
flood-prone areas. Studio Viganò proposes combining
development potential higher up the hills with the
restoration of the valley and bocage landscapes in between.
Future vision of Vesdre where downstream space is left for water
© Studio Paola Viganò
d.
e.
MAP To better understand the watersystem as a
whole it helps to zoom out, for example to the scale of
a river’s basin, and in doing so, to include the impact
of other systems such as the influence of air.
‘Reimagine Water Flows’ rethinks current water systems by
investigating water management at different scales, such as the
entire river basin of the Elbe © OOZE
MAP Plan Ooievaar was revolutionary and guiding
spatial planning at the time, namely through the
concept of ‘making room for the river’. What could be
the revolutionary map for sponge landscapes?
Plan Ooievaar, winnaar EO Wijers-prijsvraag 1986 © H+N+S
What does a sponge landscape look like, and how can we transform
our current watersheds into one? New design and layout
strategies are key here because each area is defined by a unique
combination of characteristics. One area, for example, may have
a permeable, sandy top layer and a shallow water table, while
another is defined by its poor infiltration but very hilly landscape.
Yet another area may be completely flat. Combinations of
soil types, deeper geology, topography, and land use result in
diverse sponge typologies, each requiring its own approach.
However, the basic principles are often similar. By linking
them intelligently, measures can serve multiple purposes
and help different sectors move forward. This requires
cooperation across plot boundaries and the involvement
of various land users. Designers play a central role in this
process. They translate tailor-made measures, think through
spatial consequences, clarify scenarios and their effects, and
incorporate this information into spatial planning.
We are looking for inspiring examples of projects embodied
in scale models and drawings to demonstrate this diversity of
approaches. Additionally, we aim to develop a practical library
of strategies and tools to guide the design of landscapes as
“water batteries.”
10

b.
a.
c.
d.
e.
11

3
Sponge coalitions
a.
SCHEME In the Netherlands, farmers work together
on implementing green-blue measures and receive a
shared financial compensation for it through agricultural
collectives that serve as an intermediary between the
government and individual farmer.
The Agricultural Nature and Landscape Management system in the
Netherlands © BoerenNatuur
c.
GAME How do you formulate a coherent vision for
the area and who needs to be around the table for
this excercise? What pitfalls do you encounter when
formulating measures? By exchanging experiences and
testing new ideas, local coalitions get a framework to
deal with the many challenges.
Waterbordspel © ILVO
b.
PROCESS SCHEME In the Living Lab Herk and
Mombeek, local knowledge, science, design research
and policy come together in a co-creative process
around formulating water quantity goals to make the
area resilient for the future.
Different steps involving co-creation at multiple levels
© Architecture Workroom Brussels
d.
VIDEO PORTRAIT Soil is right under our feet, yet we
often do not realize the significant role it plays in our
daily lives. Several soil stewards explain why engaging
with the invisibly small soil life leads to new qualities
in our landscapes. Who could be the potential ‘sponge
stewards’?
Bart Backaert as one of the portraits within the “videonarratives: soil”
(Source: Vlaanderen Circulair)
Who are the potential sponge stewards? How can you
forge a robust local sponge coalition involving public,
private, and civil entities? What is the role of scientists,
policymakers and designers in such a coalition? A
coalition of this kind requires a collaborative process
involving governments, citizens, farmers, and nature
organizations in open spaces. This process must lead to
an action plan that is supported and integrated, in which
implementation, management, and a future-oriented
growth path go hand in hand.
Knowledge development and transfer regarding
everyone’s interests and the relief of local practitioners
from the burden of complex policy instruments often
play an important role in this process. Additionally,
coordinating well with other planning processes is
crucial because the sponge effect of a catchment area
does not adhere to administrative or sectoral boundaries.
We are looking for video testimonials, co-creation
methods, infographics, and process diagrams of
promising trajectories. These images illustrate the
various interests involved, cooperation between
stakeholders, steps in the planning process, and
strategies that reduce the burden on those involved. 12

a.
b.
c.
d.
13

4
Enabling sponge landscapes
a.
b.
POLICY BRIEF In Ferrara (Italy) land users contribute
to tackling flood and drought challenges by paying a
fee depending on their land use, making farmers with
water-demanding crops pay higher contributions.
‘Piano di Classifica’ determining the distribution of fees
© Consorzio di bonifica pianura di Ferrara
SKETCH In the Netherlands, the national government
drew up a plan bundling the necessary measures to
meet the water goals, regional governments could, on
their own initiative, issue a recommendation with an
increased ambition level.
Regional recommendations of the city of Nijmegen as counterproposal
to the national framework (Source: Ruimte voor de Rivier)
c.
d.
SCHEME The government can play an incentive role
in implementing green-blue measures on agricultural
plots, for example, by making public plots available to
farmers for experimentation and in return improving
their own land as well.
Public plots active within the ‘pasmuntovereenkomst’ in the Left Bank
of the Scheldt (Source: ILVO & MIECO-effect)
SCHEME Some energy coalitions, such as in
Dampoort KnapT OP!, are working with rolling funds
to ensure that residents who are less wealthy can get
on board with the energy transition. How might such a
financial model look like for sponge landscapes?
Financial model based on Dampoort KnapT OP! (Source: PED Toolkit)
How can we establish regional and national
frameworks that facilitate sponge landscapes?
This requires sensible planning and legal and financial
instruments that reinforce each other. In terms
of planning, consider infiltration requirements for
homes, protection of floodplains, and securing
source areas. Legally, we must go beyond voluntary
measures and strike a balance between incentives
and obligations. Financially, tax benefits, cost-benefit
analyses, collaborations with the insurance sector,
funds, and investment strategies are important.
Together, these elements form a solid foundation
that can support local actions within a broader
investment framework.
We are looking for illustrations, testimonials, or
diagrams of national-to-local frameworks, as well
as planning, legal, and financial instruments that
promote sponge landscapes.
14

d.
a.
CONSORZIO DI BONIFICA
PIANURA DI FERRARA
Via Borgo dei Leoni, n. 28 – 44121 Ferrara
PIANO DI CLASSIFICA
DEL COMPRENSORIO
PER IL RIPARTO DEGLI ONERI
CONSORTILI
____________________________________________________________
Approvato in via definitiva con Deliberazione della Giunta Regionale n. 2234 del 28/12/2015 e con
deliberazione del Consiglio di Amministrazione n. 1 del 25/1/2016
“In Nijmegen bedacht de gemeente een
oplossing die effectiever was dan het oude plan:
het stadseiland Veur-Lent. Door een geul te
verlengen zou het effect op de waterveiligheid
groter zijn, waarmee een ander project
bovenstrooms overbodig zou worden. Het geld
dat bespaard werd door dit project niet uit
te hoeven voeren, kon toen gebruikt worden
voor het verlengen van die geul waarmee het
stadseiland Veur-Lent ontstond, iets wat het
gezicht op Nijmegen nog altijd karakteriseert.”
— Cor Beekmans (Programmamanager HWBP
bij Waterschap Drents Overijsselse Delta)
b.
c.
15

Become part of the open workroom
Who is issuing the call?
Architecture Workroom Brussels, innovation house for
transformation, launches the Call for projects/objects in joint
deliberation with a specially composed quality chamber,
consisting of:
— Ine Soenen (Coordinator for Integrated Rural Development, Province
of West Flanders)
— Patrick Willems (Professor in Water Engineering, hydrological
extremes, climate change impacts and adaptation, KU Leuven)
— Sarah Garré (Professor of Agricultural Hydrology, Flanders Research
Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food)
— Griet Celen (Head of Project Realisation, Flemish Land Agency,
Flemish Government and founder of the Open Space Platform)
— Henk Ovink (Chair of the Board of Governors of the International
Water Management Institute (IWMI) and Executive Director of the
Global Commission on the Economics of Water)
— David Verhoestraete (Founder of Cluster Landscape and Urbanism)
— Joep Fourneau (project coordinator Living Lab Herk & Mombeek
and the Landscape Park Hart van Haspengouw, Regional Landscape
Haspengouw & Voeren).
Together with the curatorial team, this group will make the
final project and object selection based on the quality of the
submission, the diversity of material and content, and how the
whole shortlist conveys a scenographically coherent story.
Architecture Workroom Brussels builds on the experience
of its previous open workroom, operation energy neighbourhoods
(2024), as well as the exhibitions Building for Brussels (2010,
BOZAR), A Good City has Industry (2016, BOZAR Ravenstein
Gallery), You Are Here (2018 WTC1 Tower Brussels) and
Prefigurations (2022), among others.
When?
The exhibition will be open between November 20th, 2025,
and the end of March 2026, with the possibility to extend. It is
accompanied by a programme of both open events, debates and
lectures as well as closed working sessions for specific target
groups. The call will be closed on September 15, 2025, with
selection happening shortly after. You will be informed by the end
of September the latest. 17

Where?
For the open workroom, we literally open the doors of our
own working space: a former call centre on the North-South
axis in Brussels (Boulevard Pacheco/Pachecolaan 34), a tenminute
walk from both the Central and North stations. The
building is being used temporarily by architecture and design
firms, organisations for urban renewal and the research group
of an architectural education programme - an ecosystem
in which the open workroom nestles as an environment for
practice renewal.
What are we looking for?
— Projects or practices that are exemplary for the design,
organisation and implementation of sponge landscapes and
tackling water challenges from a land-based/territorial and
cross-sectoral approach. Projects or practices respond to one
or several of the dimensions that structure the exhibition in an
innovative way:
• projects and practices that are (re-)drawing new
value chains, activating positive interdependencies
between different sectors and actors, across different
scales, or that are valuing and modelling water systems in
an innovative way (valuing sponge chains);
• projects and practices that work on the design
and territorial transformation of landscapes in such a
way that these new values are activated (cultivating
sponge landscapes);
• projects and practices that activate innovative
coalitions, multidisciplinary and public-private
collaborations needed for the implementation of sponge
landscapes (sponge coalitions);
• projects and practices that are elaborating a
stepwise approach to realise sponge landscapes to 2050
(implementing sponge landscapes).
— Landscape design projects, government support
programmes, financial schemes or other type of innovative
practices are eligible, realised or not yet, as long as they are
practice-based and realistic.
— The project or practice is located in Europe or
exceptionally in a place that faces very similar challenges,
both spatially and sociologically.
18

— The project can be presented through one (or more)
existing and available object(s) that speaks for itself (model,
visual, photo, video, material or other). All references included
in this call are illustrative and intended to serve as inspiration.
Any type of object that can be exhibited is welcome. We might
contact you during the selection procedure to inform if more
or other material is available. If you are doubting the quality of
available visuals but are convinced that your project is super
valuable: go for it!
What do we offer?
— Selected projects (max 20) will be given a place in the
200m2 exhibition space and will be documented in related
published material (e.g. exhibition guide and online platform).
— Architecture Workroom Brussels will be responsible for
the transport costs (up to 200 km around Brussels) and all
related production costs linked to the exhibition but cannot
provide a fee for the production of the object itself (except
paper prints).
— The coalitions behind the projects are invited to be part
of a programme.
19

The OPEN WORKROOM is a small exhibition and
public program to collaborate on the societal
issues that no one can solve on their own within
their discipline or field. It is curated and produced
by Architecture Workroom Brussels. This second
edition of the workroom is an invitation to
anyone contributing to the design, organization
and implementation of SPONGE LANDSCAPES.
CURATING TEAM
Lene De Vrieze
Joachim Declerck
Weronika Kozak
Kaat Langenaken
Leonie Martens
Hannah Nelis
Francis Schoups
Bram Vandemoortel
PRODUCTION AND
COORDINATION
Caroline van Eccelpoel
QUALITY CHAMBER
Griet Celen
Joep Fourneau
Sarah Garré
Henk Ovink
Ine Soenen
David Verhoestraete
Patrick Willems
Fill in the form here!
Submit your project by Monday 15 September, or let
us know which projects or objects you consider to be
exemplary! We are looking forward to embarking on this
journey together. If you have any questions, please reach
out to openworkroom@architectureworkroom.eu with the
mention of the open call. We are happy to get in touch!
LAYOUT
studio de Ronners
WITH THE SUPPORT OF
Vlaamse Overheid,
Departement Cultuur
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
International Water
Management Institute,
Global Commission on the
Economics of Water,
University of Hasselt
(REWORLDING
doctoral network)