Embassy of Water

Discover what the power of design and the force of nature can do to restore the water cycle and listen to the Voice of Water. The Embassy of Water will collect water designs and bring them together in a sparkling pavilion on Stadhuisplein during Dutch Design Week 2023.

Restoring the water cycle

Water takes many different forms, making a journey of many kilometres through the air, over land, through the soil and into the sea. But we as humans have interrupted this natural water cycle. We take, direct, abstract, pump, block, pollute and wastewater.

We have reduced the natural cycle by half: water no longer seeps into the soil, but is drained as quickly as possible through sewers and ditches, streams and rivers to the sea. These disruptions lead to drought and flooding. But something can be done about that: we can restore the water cycle.

From people-centred to life-centred thinking

The Embassy of Water is taking the lead, working with designers, water partners and experts to find practical solutions and a different way of thinking about water. We want to move away from human-centred thinking (we extract, use and discharge water) to a life-centred approach: we borrow, reuse and restore water.

A lot of good things are already happening. The Netherlands tries to retain water better (every drop counts), draws more inspiration from nature (nature-based solutions and nature-inclusive construction), and starts from the principle of ‘water and soil guiding’. But the Embassy observes that we are still too often working on the water crisis in a people-oriented way, as if everything is technically manufacturable and water is a product. That is why we invite the Voice of Water to the discussion table: someone representing Water and standing up for its interests. Water becomes a partner. You talk with Water instead of about Water. We work together.

What does life-centred design for water look like?

During Dutch Design Week 2023, the Embassy of Water will present concrete designs and design directions that originated from water-centred thinking. We can build homes that purify water instead of polluting it. We can improve our relationship with water. We can take better care of water. The Embassy of Water shows what the future can look like if you put water first. We show how we can give water design insights from recent years a solid place in area development and housing construction. In this way, we can create a living environment that restores the natural water cycle. We borrow water from the cycle and give it back clean.

If we can return water to its original, vital form, we will get a liveable city in return. Thus, together with water, we transform our living environment into a living environment.

The Creative Lead is Anouk van der Poll, founder of the Embassy of Water and product designer. She is a partner of vanderPolloffice, a multidisciplinary design studio in Eindhoven.

Programme

Op dit moment is er geen programma voor deze Embassy. Schrijf je in voor de nieuwsbrief om op de hoogte te blijven of lees hier wat we voorgaande jaren hebben gedaan.

Retrospective 2022
View the retrospect
Retrospective 2021
View the retrospect
Retrospective 2020
View the retrospect
Retrospective 2019
View the retrospect
Retrospective 2018
View the retrospect

Past events

Updates

Filter on type

  • Editiorial
  • News
  • Podcast
  • Video
  • Clear filters
News

Lydia Fraaije new Voice of Water for the Embassy of Water

Editiorial

Embassy of Water at DDW23

News

We look back at Water Works – Ecologies of Entanglement

Editiorial

2022 Retrospective: Embassy of Water

Editiorial

Give water the freedom to flow

Editiorial

WDE Spotlight: Chiara Treglia

Editiorial

Listening to water, how do you do it?

Editiorial

Living with water

News

Li An Phoa as the new Voice of Water

News

Water Café #1: Regeneration… what exactly is that?

Editiorial

WDE Spotlight: Shaakira Jassat

Video

Watch the water press conference here

Editiorial

Retrospective 2021: Embassy of Water

Editiorial

WDE Spotlight: Liselot Cobelens

Video

Watch the WDE Talk: Cohabitating with water

News

Water spreekt ons een hartig woordje toe

Video

Curator Tour: Walk along with Anouk van der Poll through the Embassy of Water

News

Embassy of Water op DDW

Embassy of Water
Editiorial

De Embassy of Water allows you to be amazed by water

Dutch Design Week
News

This is what the Embassies will present at Dutch Design Week

foto Anouk van der Poll. Beeld van rimpels in het water door de stroming van de rivier De Dommel
Editiorial

“There is nothing more uniting in this world than water”

Embassy of Water
News

Good news for the Embassy of Water!

WDE Talk Water- en Voedselsystemen
Video

Watch the WDE Talk: Food and water systems for a healthy planet

Editiorial

Retrospective 2020: Embassy of Water

News

Our house is on fire, but what about the water?

News

Water is alive in Eindhoven!

News

Colofon

News

Program announcement Embassy of Water

Editiorial

What if we put water first?

Editiorial

Retrospective 2019: Embassy of Water

Editiorial

Retrospective 2018: Embassy of Water

Partners of Embassy of Water

chapter-arrow icon-arrow-down icon-arrow-short icon-arrow-thin icon-close-super-thin icon-play icon-social-facebook icon-social-instagram icon-social-linkedin icon-social-twitter icon-social-youtube