The Kanaalpark is an office area along the Vliet on the south side of Leiden. Here, two apartment buildings are being built for starters.
Many offices in this area have long been vacant and the area looks messy and dated. The municipality of Leiden has challenged developers to take the initiative to transform the site into a high-quality living-work area. That glove is being picked up. Some offices are being converted into apartments, others are being demolished and replaced by residential buildings. Viable office owners are making a quality improvement. The municipality has drawn up an ambitious plan for the redesign of the public space.
Commissioned by the Leidse Vastgoed Maatschappij we have designed two apartment buildings for starters on the labor market. Block 1 with 88 apartments is being built on the site of an old office building. Block 2 with 41 apartments will be built on an existing parking lot. The buildings have been carefully integrated into the urban design and complete the structure of closed building blocks. Height accents are determined in conjunction with the environment. The blocks are architecturally parceled, in line with the already completed housing construction.
| Architects | Gerrit-Jan van Rijswijk, Krijn Tabbers |
| Client(s) | Leidse Vastgoed Maatschappij |
On the Boerhaave Campus, part of the Bio Science park in Leiden, the historical anatomy-building has been transformed into housing for Phd-students and researchers of the Leiden University. The new apartments are characterized by their high ceilings and old constructions. A small mezzanine is created to function as a bedroom. Right beside the existing building a new appartmentbuilding is erected, designed by Van Gameren of Mecanoo Architects. The total complex contains 166 apartments and is the first step in the complete transformation of the Boerhaave Campus.
For the Hoge Rijndijk location in Zoeterwoude, a new construction plan has been developed for an apartment building with starter homes, after demolition of the existing office building. The building stands on the edge of the large-scale buildings that are currently being built between the Oude Rijn and the Hoge Rijndijk, and the existing residential area from the 1980s. It adjacents to a small park on the east side. The new building has been placed in the building line of the Rijndijk and thus strengthens the profile of the road. The parking spaces are located in the rear area, lined by green. By dividing the building mass in three, a smaller scale is created, which is further reinforced with differences in brickwork and roof shape. The building will contain 34 residential units of approximately 50 m2 and a bicycle storage. An extremely energy-efficient and sustainable design is achieved with individual heat pumps and solar panels on the roof.
The permit application is being processed, implementation is expected in 2021.
The Rijneke Boulevard in Zoeterwoude is a busy shopping area with a dated appearance. The complex has its back to the Rijn. We have developed a vision to renovate and expand the boulevard in stages. The Rijn is also more involved in the shopping area by creating harbors.
The first phase starts on the west side of the complex. In this phase, the first building has already been renovated (completed in 2016) and the expansion of 6,000 m2 of retail space started in January 2018. The shopping area is organized around the old harbor of the Heineken factory, where the hops used to be unloaded.
A total of 269 houses and apartments are being built by various parties in the Stelt Zuid, part of the “Waalsprong” near Nijmegen. De Stelt Zuid occupies a special position as a green enclave between the village of Lent and the river. Four combinations of architectural firm and developer work together here on a new residential area, with a central orchard and the dike zone as structuring elements.
Commissioned by BPD, we made the design for 12 dike houses in the dike zone. The houses have a living area of ​​approximately 190 m2 and all have a fantastic view from the living floor over the Waal and the city of Nijmegen. There is parking at the bottom of the houses, on the first floor the master bedroom, kitchen and backyard are situated on the dike, on the second floor the living room with a view of the Waal and the third floor can be set up as a sleeping and / or work space. The houses are gas-free and the roof is fitted with solar panels.
The height differences of the dike area are reflected in the gardens and the transition to the struing area along the dike. From the terrace of the houses you can walk towards the banks of the Waal.
The houses were put on sale in December 2019.
