heap of life: an homage to soil

Type | Landscape Design   Year | 2023    Project site | Rotterdam, Netherlands

Client | Competition entry for Domain of Chaumont-sur-Loire.

Heap of Life: An Homage to Soil underscores the vital role of fertile soil, what scientists call “the skin of the living world,” as it rapidly disappears across the globe. Centered around a monumental mound of earth, the garden invites visitors into a sensory journey that celebrates soil as the foundation of thriving ecosystems. The experience begins at a small pond and continues along a central path that cuts through the soil heap, immersing visitors in its cool, earthy atmosphere. Inside, the scent of moist soil mingles with flowers blooming at eye level. Upon exiting, a sculptural sundial anchors the far end of the garden. These three core elements, water, soil, and sun, define a central axis that structures the garden spatially and symbolically. Intersecting this axis are three ground incisions: two align with the sun’s position at sunrise and sunset, and one traces its arc. These celestial lines converge at a circular depression to the north, the coolest and shadiest point, where water drains from the mound. This geometry divides the terrain into two contrasting zones, one hot and dry, the other cool and moist, each mirrored in the planting scheme.

Soil dictates what thrives above it. Here, layers of vegetation blend native and ornamental species, along with often-overlooked plants essential to local ecosystems. The central mound is planted with perennials and soil-repairing shrubs in a spiraling pattern that enhances the topography. Surrounding it, microclimates emerge: the sunny zone bursts with flowering herbaceous plants attracting pollinators, while tougher, drought-resistant species form a resilient tapestry. The shaded zone, inspired by the banks of the Loire, features Salix alba and Fraxinus angustifolia trees that form a dense canopy sheltering grasses and rhizomatous perennials below.