Carbon Sequestered Future Ruins

Jonathan Ward (September 2022)

Westzaan, Noord Holland

60mins (bike) 75 mins (public transport) from Amsterdam Centraal

Currently a “rural area”, this location was once the industrial backbone of Amsterdam up until the 19th century. Built with the (sustainable) materials of the time; wood and reed. There were more than 1.000 windmils and even more warehouses which culminated in a productive industrial region.

Open landscape Historical water system Traditional facades

Angry farmers

Overrun building Open landscape

Wooden windows Traditional joinery

Fan for drying Barley Gypsum 02 floor

What if the building was

was given back to nature?

1800

0 +3 -3 -6

0 +3 -3 -6

0 +3 -3 -6

0 +3 -3 -6 BC 1000 BC 1000 AC 1500 AC 2000 AC

0

Sand

Silty-clay

Peat-clay

Reed peat

Peat mos Sedge peat

Peat forest Water

Since the 1970s the world has lost 35% of it’s peatlands; which store twice as much carbon than rain forests

Peat landscape Cultivated landscape

Wind Water Demolish Vegetation

Future Ruins

Ruins come about due to natural population decline, with many structures derelict over time due to long-term

disasters, armed conflict, and structures becoming progressively long-term weathering and scavenging. create a ruin?