Gepke has been working at H+N+S as an urban designer since 2008, the last five years as a senior project manager. In September 2020, Gepke started in her new position as office manager. Based on her knowledge and experience of the projects and the H+N+S team, Gepke works on the further development and professionalization of the agency in addition to her work as a project leader.
Project leader, Urban designer
Gepke Heun
Background
Based on the ambition to contribute to the spatial planning of the Netherlands, Gepke studied Architecture at Delft University of Technology. There she obtained her Bachelor's degree in Architecture and Master's degree in Urbanism. In March 2008 she graduated with a project about new villages in the rural area of the Randstad. She also obtained the 'Belvedère annotation' on dealing with cultural history in spatial developments. During and after her studies, Gepke worked as a part-time designer at Bureau Alle Hosper. Since September 2008, Gepke has been working as an urban designer and landscape designer at H+N+S Landscape Architects.
"I was always proud of Elburg, but this project with the beautiful area vision as a result, in which you have connected the environment and the people, only makes me prouder"
Focus
Gepke has gained experience at H+N+S in a wide range of projects. The emphasis of her work is on strategic projects on social themes. In addition to design work, Gepke conducts design research and carries out practical project management within projects. Gepke works in changing teams and believes it is important to arrive at a supported design in a process of co-creation with the parties involved.
WATER AND ENERGY
Gepke works on current social themes and has a fascination for the combination of technology and design. From this background, flood risk management and the energy transition are two important fields of work. Examples in the field of regional water planning and design are the MIRT study into multi-layer flood risk management in Marken, the long-term perspective for the IJssel-Vecht delta and the Handbook for dyke improvement for the dykes in the northern Meuse valley. Gepke also worked on the plan realization of Ooijen-Wanssum Area Development. To this end, it has developed two new dike types, which were recently constructed.
Examples in the field of energy transition are the image quality plan for wind energy in the Wieringermeer and the vision for the integration of wind energy along the E40 in Belgium. Gepke has drawn up a solar energy policy framework for the municipality of Groningen and the guidelines for the spatial quality of solar energy for the province of South Holland.
ON THE BORDER OF CITY AND COUNTRYSIDE
Based on her urban design background, Gepke likes to work on projects at the interface of city and countryside. For example, she made the landscape plan for Leeuwarden West and associated layout plans for the villages of Ritsumasyl, Deinum and Marsum. Gepke has drawn up five Spatial Quality Area Profiles for the Province of South Holland and she has drawn up the structural vision for the Municipality of Reusel-de Mierden. She recently made an area vision for the protected cityscape for Elburg.
DESIGN RESEARCH
In addition to design work, Gepke conducts design research. From the development of new planning methods (Integrated Planning and Design for Deltas research project) to the mapping of landscape housing forms (Book Landscape Living) and the analysis of the National Buffer Zones (Jubilee Book National Buffer Zones) to map analyzes of flood risk management and climate resilience for the Delta Program (Atlas Nieuwbouw and restructuring).
