Paardekreek is a campsite, situated in the popular Dutch region of Zeeland. As tourists are getting more interested in a sustainable lifestyle and sustainable holidays, Paardekreek wanted to meet changing market demands and build new accommodations in a truly circular way.

A three-phase circular development

The idea generation and design phase.

In that phase, the accommodations were carefully planned in conjunction with an experienced architect. The aim was to incorporate the suites in the natural habitat, of the local dike. Hence, their name – Dijke Suites. In doing so, nature was respected, and no additional land was used.

The implementation phase

Within the second phase, the implementation process began. This phase was shaped by dealing with the search for suitable material, as well as dealing with challenges and changes in design, and the early promotion of the suites. The circular aspect, and particularly the reduction of waste within the building process, were prioritised. Therefore, the soil from the dike, was reused for a nearby project. In doing so, Co2 emission of the lorries collecting the soil were kept to a minimum, and the amount of wasted soil reduced. Furthermore, the accommodations are built with a special concrete material that can be stacked in each other. In doing so, the accommodation could be dismantled should there ever be the need. The interior followed the circular theme, by reusing gym floors as tabletops, and building on other circular material. Electricity and heating systems benefit from timers, allowing holiday makers an individual usage.

The operation phase

The last phase, operations, focused on the promotion of the circular Dijke suites in respective sustainable holiday portals. The circular idea about the suites is furthermore shared with residing guests in form of information leaflets provided within the suites. Although, the educative part is challenging, as guests come to relax rather than being educated in greater detail about the idea of circularity.

For more information

This case study is part of the project FACET. FACET is a 2Seas Interreg Project, co-funded by the European Regional Development fund, aiming to support entrepreneurs in the transition phase from linearity to circularity. The project focuses on the adoption of Circular Solutions within the specific industry sectors of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure. International project partners, from the Netherlands, Belgium, France, and the UK, conducting pilot studies within the area of circular accommodations, food waste reduction and-prevention, and waste reduction.

Discover more about “Paardekreek”- Camp Site