Nature reserve De Wolfsputten is located north of the centre of Dilbeek, less than one kilometre from the Brussels Ring Road (R0) and between Ninoofsesteenweg to the south and the Brussels-Aalst railway line to the north. The area is a former sandstone quarry and covers an area of 90 ha. It offers a rich variety of biotopes from forests to grasslands, shrublands and fields in all kinds of degrees of humidity and nutrient richness. The calcareous springs in the south of the area create a very unique flora in the central stream valley.
To protect these unique biotopes, a house style with a typical ‘Wolfsputten’ identity was developed for the various entrances to the area.
On the one hand, these interventions provide more coherence and a higher experiential value; on the other hand, they make the area accessible only to pedestrians and maintenance vehicles.To enhance the experiential value of the limestone springs, the design puts the emphasis on a special staging of the site.For instance, an erratic path structure between the existing trees, stream and steep slopes is provided that takes visitors along the various limestone springs. A special experience is formed by materialising the crossings with the stream differently with a subtle reference to the limestone springs. Near an inaccessible limestone spring, an attractive viewing platform has been incorporated. From this platform, visitors can experience this beautifully preserved piece of landscape, suspended above the source, as it were.
The package of materials has deliberately been kept sober and limited in order to emphasise the coherence of the interventions.
In the first phase, the platform and the viewpoint were realised. The next phase envisages the realisation of the accesses, the remaining paths and two pools.
