Appingedam
InternshipEkenstein
11/18/2019 t/m
01/27/2020
Team:
Remco den Besten
Rik Bodewes
Lars Hoving
Justin Jager
Jan Jansen
Jacco Knobbe
Front view Ekenstein.
This project was made at the innovation center Eemsdelta. It was a research project about the estate Ekenstein, Appingedam. We supported a group from the community of Appingedam with research about Ekenstein and two other estates so they can brainstorm about new input for Ekenstein. The two other estates were the Fraeylemaborg, Slochteren and the Stania State, Oenkerk. For the comparison we used a various methodes and tools: comparative research, park analyses, field research, gis software and deskresearch.
The garden of Ekenstein, designed by Lucas Pieters Roodbaard.
We started this researchproject from the ground up. Therefore I started with a solid base for the planning with software like Trello and did recommendations for the plan of action. After that, the team split up in multiple teams to analyse two other estates for or comparative research. I was responsible for a various amount of tasks, including: The history of Ekenstein, the final edit and design of the document, GIS data en setup, field and desk research Stania State and writing the comparison chapter in the research document.
Ekenstein has a history that dates back to where the former mayor of Groningen, Johan van Eeck, established the estate in 1648.
The estate was sold in 1723 to the family of Alberda van Nijenstein. This family did some major renovations and hired Lucas Pieters Roodbaard for the design of the garden. After the last Alberda died, the proparty fell into decay. Trees where cut down and important possessions where sold. In 1946 Ekenstein was bought by Appingedam who started shortly after the purchase with the restoration of the estate. After the restorations, the estate fell, again, into decay and only the necessary maintenance jobs were being done.
People in the nearby towns thought it was time to do something about it and started the ''kopgroep Ekenstein''. They approached NEXTWORX to help them with a plan to give the estate a boost and make Ekenstein more populair in the northern Dutch region.
Stania State cave for ducks, designed by Lucas Pieters Roodbaard.
Front view Stania State.
I was part of the Stania State team and provided that team with photographs, gis data, deskresearch and observation information.
The estate was chosen by using an MCA which resulted, among other things, in findings that for example the estate has the same garden architect and is a good comparison in size relative to Ekenstein. Therefore Stania State is a great third option for our comparative research.
One of the gis maps made for Stania State.
One of the gis maps made for Ekenstein.
With the gis data collected for all the three estates, we compared the services and objects on the estates. Do the other estates have more benches on their terrain than Ekenstein? How many art, monuments and special objects are there in comparison with Ekenstein? Many more questions can be answered using the gis data. With those questions, we could research if for example the amount of art has an impact on the number of visitors. The gis data also gives insights for future changes like for example positions of benches.
Ekenstein researchdocument impression.
The research should provide a solid base for future recommendations that could help Ekenstein with becoming a more populair estate in the northern dutch region. With that in mind, we concluded that the document should not only have professional content but also professional design. At the end of the project, I worked with two others on the final editing of the document and I was responsible for the design of the document. With the design I created a document that looked professional and is easy to read. Despite the fact that it is an research document, it should read as a story without chancing the content of the text.
Publications:
- Dagblad van het Noorden (Dutch)[Premium]: View more.
- Hanze publication (Dutch): View more.
- Eemskrant (Dutch): View more.
- Toukomst (Dutch): View more.