prof.dr.ir.C.M. Steenbergen
Urbanism (U)/ Landscape Architecture
Chair of Landscape Architecture
Clemens Steenbergen (born in 1946) has been a full professor of Landscape Architecture at the faculty since 1993.
His dissertation entitled ‘De stap over de horizon (1990)’ contains an analysis of the rational design of Italian Renaissance villas and the formal design of French baroque gardens.
His teaching and research mainly cover three themes: the relationship between architecture and landscape, the relationship between city and landscape and the typology of the landscape of the Netherlands, with analytical, design-theory, typological, and compositorial questions being the most prominent.
Much of the research is based on practical questions. For example, Steenbergen has performed design-based research for Amsterdam into the Sloterplas as an architectural landscape, and for the Province of Noord-Holland into suburban landscape architectural concepts for the Schermerpolder. What could the new possibilities for a polder city be? He is also often asked to analyse and inventorise unusual landscapes as the Chair possesses a great deal of expertise in this area.
At present he is working on a polder and water atlas of the Netherlands, an atlas of the Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie and a landscape architecture study of urban parks and city landscapes, entitled ‘Urban Landscapes’. This contains comparative studies of fifteen towns and cities and the Randstad. The landscape structure of every town and city is studied and drawn and an urban park of historic (prototypical) significance analysed, as a conceptual model for the changing relationship between city and landscape. The Chair then examines, through design-based research, how the Randstad might develop in the future from a landscape point of view.
In addition to carrying out research, Steenbergen also teaches students in the Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programmes, as well as postgraduates. He introduces students to knowledge of and insight into the design tools and techniques of landscape architecture.
Besides his position as professor, he is the faculty coordinator of the urban planning Master’s course.
Secondary employment:
He also regularly acts as an advisor to government bodies, institutes and design companies. He has sat on different juries, including Archiprix, has held exhibitions such as ‘Polders’, and written internationally renowned books like ‘Architecture and Landscape, ‘Zee van Land’ , ‘Het Montagelandschap’ and 'Composing Landscapes'. He is principal advisor of the project NHW.
