Drinkable Nature

We are looking for a systemic, social and transition-oriented designer! A strong initiator, preferably based near West-Friesland and experienced in regenerative practices and Nature-Based Solutions.

Context and urgency

The availability of clean drinking water and a healthy natural environment is under increasingly growing pressure. Climate change, pollution and land-use choices make it clear that the current water system is starting to reach its limits. At the same time, this urgency remains largely invisible to many people; drinking water still seems to flow effortlessly from the tap.

Imagine a society in which we can rely on clean drinking water. Not because it is always technically “fixed”, but because the system it comes from is healthy.

The design question

How can we make the invisible visible, so that people reconnect with water and nature and take shared responsibility for a healthy living environment?

Within PWN, several crucial aspects remain largely invisible to users and society: the quality of the water source, the effort required to purify water, the role of infrastructure, the importance of a resilient natural system, and PWN’s position within. This Co/Lab builds on these aspects and uses design as a means to make underlying systems, dependencies and choices visible and open for discussion.

Note: this design question will focus specifically on West Friesland in 2026. In the second or third year, the ambition is to scale up to other areas in North Holland, and subsequently to other provinces and supply regions.

What kind of designers are we looking for?

For this Co/Lab, PWN is looking for a designer or design studio to take on a pioneering role in the first year of this multi-year trajectory: not a problem-solver, but a co-traveller. Someone who can translate a complex, largely invisible ecosystem challenge into a shared perspective for action that leads to different behaviour, different choices and new forms of collaboration.

The design PWN is looking for is explicitly not an end product, but a means to learn, experiment and set direction together with a wide range of partners and stakeholders.

The West-Friesland region

The working language within this Co/Lab is Dutch. Due to the specific context of West Friesland, it is preferable that the selected lead designer comes from this region, is based there, or already has a strong connection to it.

Goal

The ultimate aim is to work together with the surrounding environment towards a healthy living environment for both human and non-human inhabitants of this system. This requires collaborating as an ecosystem, based on interdependence, balance and reciprocal exchange.

About PWN

PWN is responsible for the production of drinking water and the management of nature areas in North Holland. This combination is not a coincidence, but a necessity. A healthy ecosystem forms the foundation for reliable drinking water.

From its public responsibility, PWN applies a clear guiding principle: natural where possible, technical where necessary. Nature is not a condition or backdrop, but an active foundation of the drinking water system.

PWN is working towards a future-proof drinking water system, with the ambition to operate in a circular and CO₂-neutral way by 2050.

Co-ownership

This challenge calls for more than optimising what already exists; it requires a fundamentally different way of seeing, collaborating and making decision. One in which nature is the starting point and people feel co-ownership of a healthy living environment.

Note: the working language within this Co/Lab is Dutch.