sand

Every single inch

These images are shot at the Dutch shore close to the city of Schoorl in the north-west of The Netherlands. Every single inch of the landscape is entirely engineered on top of the “Hondsbossche zeewering” a stone coastal defense work from around 1880. Already since the middle ages this was a vulnerable strip of land, attacked many times by the sea. Since 2015 the defense work is covered with tons of North sea sand to stand against coming floods. Like in many parts of Holland every single inch is planned, thought about and given permissions to, of what one may do, or more important what is not to be done on a certain spot. Here the created dunes are cut by small walks and even a parking lot is designed. Signs tell you that you are not allowed to leave the trail. Even the beach itself has directions on where to walk or not to. Plants are also given thought, not only which species but also how much space there must be between them for optimal protection of the dunes. A certain pattern shows in the way of planting. The nature is engineered, which is a contradiction, but quite useful in this case for protection. Not only nature has been thought about but also many strong labor laws are present. Like legislation for the safety of workers. A detail of such laws shows the worker wearing a helmet, an obligation. In this case it comes in handy for crashing seagulls.