Soil Lab

experimental and temporary pocket park

Commissioned by the Municipality of Eindhoven, LOLA Landscape Architects has developed Soil Lab, a bold idea to use circular substrates made from local waste materials to green the city’s roofs. Extracting peat and pumice destroys distant landscapes and adds a heavy transport footprint when shipped to the Netherlands. Instead, we propose to create substrates locally. Compost from municipal and household green waste, together with demolition materials such as bricks and concrete, form the basis. Once crushed, these materials provide lightweight fractions suitable for use on rooftops.

To put this vision into practice, a three-year experimental site will be created at Strijp-S in Eindhoven. This small pocket park will serve as a living laboratory where different substrate mixtures are tested alongside carefully selected plants. The planting will focus on species resilient to urban conditions such as heat and drought, while also supporting high biodiversity value.

During Dutch Design Week, the temporary landscape will act not only as a test site but also as a stage.

substrate recipes

Soil Lab explores which combinations of locally sourced circular substrate materials and planting strategies are most effective for greening Eindhoven’s city center. Materials are drawn from the city’s existing resource streams, including recycled bricks from repaved streets, concrete and mixed aggregates from construction sites, and compost from municipal and household organic waste.

These components are blended into tailored substrate recipes for different urban conditions. Planting will focus on drought-tolerant species suited for roofs and artificial landscapes, chosen for both resilience and ecological value. Each substrate mix is linked to a planting strategy and urban typology, ranging from lightweight green roofs to rooftop gardens and parks on parking decks.

testbed and showcase

The project brings together several partners. Soontiëns will be responsible for construction, while Van Berkel Groep will supply secondary mineral fractions and process the recycled red bricks from the city center. Soontiëns and van Berkel will select the substrate mixes based on available materials and planting needs. LOLA Landscape Architects will handle the design, storytelling, and communication, including coordination with a student team that will carry out soil testing over the coming years. We are also exploring the idea to create a research group with all the parties mentioned above for the longer term.

Ultimately, LOLA will consolidate the results into a practical toolbox of substrate-plant combinations that can be directly applied by the municipality, developers, and private owners. During Dutch Design Week, Soil Lab will present itself as both a testbed and a showcase, designed to share knowledge, spark imagination, and inspire future urban greening.