A large part of Dutch buildings stands on piles, a necessary adaptation to the swampy peat and clay soils that characterize the country. The unstable ground requires heavy buildings to be deeply founded, with foundation piles often driven tens of meters into the ground to reach a stable, often sandy, layer.
It’s fascinating how the Netherlands, despite the natural limitations of its soil and fluctuating water levels, has managed to maintain a building culture based on heavy materials. Instead of accepting the delta's constraints, the Netherlands has found ways to control them and develop a construction culture that can withstand the unique conditions of the landscape.

The Netherlands is currently leading Europe in urban sprawl, with many expansion plans still on the table. In addition to the changes needed to limit nitrogen emissions and meet the goals of the Water Framework Directive (WFD), the No Net Land Take (NNLT) imposes an additional requirement on physical and spatial planning in the Netherlands: no net increase in built-up land.
Water and soil-guided construction means that the soil should be covered as little as possible. An open soil is essential for maintaining a healthy and vital ground. It allows water infiltration, prevents flooding, and supports biodiversity. Open soil is vital for biodiversity because plants, trees, and microorganisms can perform their essential functions there.

A healthy and vital soil contributes in many ways to, and might even be at the core of, an adaptive living environment: storing peak water, providing space for soil life, and managing heat better. From an urbanization perspective, this is a challenging task. In the Netherlands, we’re used to the opposite: when building, the nutrient-rich topsoil is excavated, removed, and replaced with foreign yellow sand. We then build our homes on ground level, covering the soil with concrete floor slabs.
But what if we built above the ground? At a height where we are safe from dynamic water levels? This way, the space beneath our buildings could be used again, for nature or water storage, for example. In this research, we explore the potential of "lightweight" and "airborne" construction.

All over the world, in deltas and flood-prone areas, houses are built on stilts. Stilt houses offer a high degree of flexibility regarding fluctuating water levels; water can flow freely beneath the houses without causing damage. Moreover, stilt houses do not cover the ground: natural systems, such as water management and the movement of soil organisms, can continue functioning freely beneath the house. The ground can maintain its role in water storage and biodiversity without being disturbed by heavy construction or construction sand. The elevated living form also allows light to reach the ground, which is important for the growth of vegetation.

Water and soil-guided construction may lead to a different, more "lightweight" way of building, where our homes are built not on, but above the ground. This leaves space underneath for nature, water, or even agriculture. It also makes the homes less vulnerable to fluctuating water levels. And if we use lighter, bio-based materials, we no longer need to drive huge piles into the ground. The demand for more bio-based materials gives farmers a perspective on new business models for material crops that thrive in fluctuating water levels. This way, several transition challenges start to intertwine. There is hope for a dynamic, nature-rich delta where people can still live and farm.