Lecture by Jeroen Hoefsloot & Han Thijssen at the ‘REALISING and RELEASING’ exhibition

May 28, 2015

Last Wednesday 20 May 2015, the Landscape Architect Jeroen Hoefsloot and Han Thijssen (partner at MTD landschapsarchitecten), who are the initiators of a book with the same title, held a reading in light of the exhibition 'REALISING and RELEASING' in the ABC Architecture Centre in Haarlem, about the body of work by the Garden and Landscape Architect Pieter Buys. In the reading they highlight the meaning of the body of work by Pieter Buys for current garden and landscape architecture in general and for the company MTD landschapsarchitecten in particular.
The exhibition ‘REALISING and RELEASING’ was opened on Sunday 12 April by Eric Luiten, Chief Government Advisor for Landscape and Water. Pieter Buys (1923) is considered to be the Nestor of Dutch gardening and landscape architecture and is the founding father of Buys en van der Vliet and its successor; MTD landschapsarchitecten. Since 1952 Pieter Buys sequentially worked with the partners Jasper Meijers, Hans Warnau and Bob van der Vliet at the agency, and until 1989 when he ‘retired’, at Buys en van der Vliet, Garden and Landscape Architecture in ‘s-Hertogenbosch.

The influence of Danish architecture is clearly distinguishable in Pieter Buys' body of work. The numerous partnerships with architects from the Bossche School like Nico van der Laan and Gerard Wijnen, and architects like Jos Bedaux and Pieter Dijkema, then led to projects which concern a unique correlation and dialogue between house and garden, building and landscape. Up to the present day many people are inspired by Pieter Buys' sketching and design-driven research, as well as the drawing style with chalk, charcoal and thick pencils..
In 2008 a richly illustrated book of his work was published; ‘Realising and Releasing’. The publication includes authors such as Marinke Steenhuis and Jeroen Hoefsloot. This book is for sale during the exhibition at a reduced price.

MTD landschapsarchitecten is quite aware of its history and the new generation of landscape architects are also inspired every day by Pieter Buys' work and method of working.
Since 1985 Jeroen Hoefsloot was Pieter Buys' greatest asset as a landscape architect at Buys en van der Vliet. After Pieter Buys left the agency they worked closely together on a project basis for many years. Han Thijssen is one of the partners at MTD landschapsarchitecten and has realised many projects with Pieter Buys over the past 25 years.

The exhibition is still open until 31 May 2015 in the ABC architecture centre in Haarlem.
www.architectuurhaarlem.nl