1000 years : a garden of peat – Charlotte van der Woude & Jean-Francois Gauthier, 2025

Charlotte van der Woude & Jean-Francois Gauthier

Charlotte van der Woude (landscape architect at Cosmos Landschap) and Jean-François Gauthier (landscape architect at Sylva Landscape) work on public space projects in both urban and rural settings, where they strive to give ecological processes a central role. By taking water cycles, soil life, and biodiversity as starting points for design, a more harmonious and sustainable environment can be developed. In their respective practices at Cosmos and Sylva, they develop similar project methodologies. Charlotte focuses on rural projects, where she aims to create landscapes that are more accessible and nature-friendly. In her work, she collaborates not only with ecologists and municipalities, but above all with site users, such as residents and farmers. She bases her designs on interviews, site analyses, and historical maps to create layered and nuanced approaches that help reconnect the city to the countryside. Alongside her practice, she is also a guest lecturer at the Amsterdam Academy of Architecture. Jean-François, for his part, conducts research on urban forest systems and their potential, focusing on trees as a foundation for better public space design. His work reflects a deep fascination with forest ecology, its applications in urban settings, and the creation of socially inclusive public spaces centered around nature in the city. He is also active in education and currently coordinates the pre-master’s program in landscape architecture at the Amsterdam Academy of Architecture. For the Amiens Garden Festival, Charlotte and Jean-François aim to highlight the beauty of this unique peatland landscape and to rediscover its biodiversity and cultural value.