Meeting pond Halverwege

Meeting Pond Halverwege is a public meeting place in the making in Vaals, at the boundary between the village and nature. It is conceived as a space for learning, making, and research, with water as its point of departure.

Building on the existing activities of the Institute of Cartopology - Berghut Halverwege, visitors, local residents, pupils and students are invited to actively take part in educational and collaborative activities focused on the water system of South Limburg.

At the heart of the project lies a retention pond. This pond makes the regional water system tangible and legible, while also supporting biodiversity and helping to collect and buffer water at the edge of Vaals.
The project brings together a wide range of partners from education, care, culture, and nature.

Phase 1: preparations

Early meeting

with architect and groundworker

October 29, 2025

Arrival of the truck

to prepare for some test excavations

October 30, 2025

What gets measured

gets known

October 31, 2025

Excavating test trenches

to determine the soil quality

November 1, 2025

Surveying and planning

to stake out contours and heights

November 24, 2025

Preparing the garden

and transplanting trees (1)

November 25, 2025

Preparing the garden

and transplanting trees (2)

November 25, 2025

First digging

in order to place the concrete elements that separate the pond from the building

November 26, 2025

Putting the concrete elements in place

Of course, we used second hand ones

November 26, 2025

Dernoton arrival

one truckload of organic clay

November 27, 2025

Cutting the concrete to the correct height

Because second hand elements ask for a bit TLC

November 27, 2025

Refilling the soil

around the concrete elements

November 28, 2025

Waterproofing the joints

between the concrete elements

November 28, 2025

Digging the water inlet

so that water from the street can reach the pond

November 29, 2025

Marking the outline of the pond

with special construction paint

November 29, 2025

Shaping the pond landscape

based on the marked lines

November 30, 2025

Meeting Pond Halverwege is an initiative of the Institute of Cartopology - Berghut Halverwege, Dear Hunter VOF and generously supported by the following partners: