LOLA

Commissioned by the Municipality of Eindhoven, LOLA Landscape Architects, together with Soontiëns and Van Berkel Groep, developed Soil Lab. A bold idea to use circular substrates made from local waste materials to green the city’s roofs. This project supports the ambition of the municipality in ‘Groenplan Centrum’, and is a follow-up of LOLA’s ‘Upside Park’ vision.  

Extracting peat and pumice for traditional substrates destroys distant landscapes and adds a heavy transport footprint when shipped to the Netherlands. So we face a sustainability paradox: the very materials used to green Eindhoven’s roofs are tied to global environmental destruction. Instead, we propose to produce 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.

3-year test site
Supported by Trudo, we’ve built a three-year test site at Strijp-S in Eindhoven (NL) that puts the vision into practice. 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.

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. The aims is to create replicable soil–plant combinations embedded in municipal greening policy. Outcomes will be shared via the Layer Landscapes Toolbox, supporting a climate-resilient, circular urban future.

Dutch Design Week presentation
Soil Lab is more than a technical trial. At Dutch Design Week, it becomes a public stage that puts the ambition for local circular substrates in the spotlight and top of mind for designers, policymakers, and residents.