Urban development and architectural integration “Vomar” location, corner of Abraham van Rooijenstraat and Maarten Kruijtstraat in Noordwijk
From an urban planning point of view, the contours and height of the building plan were determined by the municipality of Noordwijk. The plan clearly defines the streets Abraham van Rooijenstraat and Maarten Kruijtstraat, in line with the existing street profiles. Gasthuissteeg will also have a clear boundary with this building plan.
The main mass has an intermediate scale between two worlds present in the environment. On the one hand, there is the smaller-scale village development of the Hoofdstraat and on the other hand, the large-scale hotel development. The mass of the new building block to be built is 3 storeys high plus a roof storey. It is articulated into a number of volumes, softening the scale of the building block. These volumes are made independent by different colors of masonry and roof finishes. With a play of rhythm between balconies, windows, tires, roof moldings and a green-copper-colored roof, the building blends in well with the seaside resort architecture of the environment. The mass on the Gasthuissteeg is 2 storeys high. It has a green facade with window openings. On the north side of the plan, the existing firebreak will be closed and the buildings will close directly on the adjacent plot.
The plan is mainly sustainable because of the triple land use. The building block has an underground floor, on top of that a storey layer, above that a parking deck for the houses and 42 houses.
Abraham van Rooijenstraat is an important access road. That is why functions such as the entrance to the underground parking garage, the entrance to the parking deck on the 1st floor in front of the houses, and the entrance to the expedition have been made here. The Kruisstraat will become more traffic-calmed. This will be the world of shopping as it is at the Hoofdstraat. This is where the shopping functions will be located, which are accessed via two clear entrances at the corners. These entrances are clearly visible from the Hoofdstraat and from the Grent.
The entrance to the houses is on the north side. This will give the existing loading and unloading yard, where other residential accesses are located, a quality impulse. The gallery facade, which is hardly visible from the public space, is conceived as a veranda world. It's a light world of painted wood.
| Architects | Ronald Knappers |
| Client(s) | Hoorne Vastgoed |
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.
Together with restoration contractor Burgy from Leiden, the back house, the garden house of the house at Garenmarkt 9 / 9a, has been completely restored and modernized. The new owner lives in this part. The front house with a number of apartments / studios for rent will remain unchanged for the time being.
The house at Garenmarkt 9, 9a is also popularly known as 'Thorbeckehuis'. The house has one of the largest private backyards in Leiden. In the Secret Annex, the garden house (No. 9a), the liberal statesman Johan Rudolph Thorbecke wrote in 1848 the revision of the Constitution, which turned our country into a constitutional monarchy. Thorbecke has lead three cabinets from 1849. A gable stone in the national monument reminds of the habitation by the liberal statesman and professor of law (1798-1872).
Next to the highway A2 near the centre of Utrecht a spectacular large scale shopping and leisure centre has been realised. The 800 meter long “Ferrari red” complex acts as a noise barrier to the new residential area of Leidsche Rijn. The fluent design of slowly undulating lines is inspired by the perspective of the driver passing the complex in 32 seconds, driving at a speed of 100 km/hour. The fluent lines create an illusion of movement. This building, having a surface area of approx. 65,000m2, houses many retail businesses, a high-quality DIY store, a catering business (fast-food restaurant) and leisure facilities (discotheque, sports or multi-purpose hall). On the roof is a 1400 spaces large car park. The building together with the ‘Cockpitgebouw’ at the Wetering Noord area, designed by the architect Kas Oosterhuis, are the showpiece of the city of Utrecht.
Middelsee is the expansion plan on the southwest side of Leeuwarden, based on an urban design by West 8. The Frisian water city serves as a source of inspiration. Commissioned by the smallest housing association in the Netherlands, we have designed a plan for homes arranged around two green courtyards. It forms a small-scale community with plenty of space for encounters, and a robust waterfront with the apartment building as its eye-catcher.
Using simple means, variety is created so that no more than two houses are ever the same. The foundation remains consistent: a compact floor plan, lightly jointed red brickwork, and solid white window frames. We introduce variation through a dormer or a brick roof extension, a roof edge detail, or a distinctive entrance feature. The client’s existing housing stock in Leeuwarden’s city center also served as inspiration — a characteristic working-class neighborhood with abundant greenery.
In our plan, residents meet each other around private stoops and gardens bordered by low hedges, as well as along the wide galleries on the timber façade of the apartment building. Shared bicycle storage areas and shared cars also contribute to the sense of community.
