In cooperation with Smits bouwbedrijf, VVKH has won the european tender to develop a new housingarea in district Dieperhout in Leiden. The project consists of 48 dwellings, 12 apartments and a care facility of 1500m². Start of the constructionwork is planned in may 2015, because thats when a current school will move to a new building and the site will be available.
| Architects | Ronald Knappers |
| Employees | Hans Schepman |
The site occupies a distinctive location on the corner of Kruisweg and Boslaan, close to the center of Hoofddorp. Behind the houses along Kruisweg currently lies a hidden world of warehouses and industrial buildings. This existing business area will be transformed into a residential neighborhood. At this point, the larger scale of developments such as Gemaalhuis and Hyde Park transitions into the smaller grain of detached houses along the historic axis of the Kruisweg, leading toward the town center.
The new residential area will be characterized by:
a green living environment;
being well-connected rather than isolated, integrated with the surrounding neighborhoods;
as many car-free living streets as possible;
parking accommodated within green courtyards;
slow-traffic routes (for pedestrians and cyclists) that connect with adjacent neighborhoods and create new visual corridors;
an architectural landmark along the Kagertocht, responding to the larger scale of Hyde Park, which lies diagonally opposite the site.
VVKH, commissioned by Hoorne Vastgoed, developed the development vision for housing on top of the existing shopping center in the center of Castricum. The inward-looking shopping center, dating from the 1970s, is a single-story development with parking at ground level surrounding it. The shops are supplied from the outside, resulting in many unattractive rear entrances. There is little connection with the residential areas that have grown up around the shopping center. By adding housing to the plan, the development will reconnect with the surrounding area. Some of the housing will be positioned above the shops, and some will have front doors facing the street. These new frontages will enhance public safety, while the logistics will disappear from view. The shopping center will be clearly visible with a new entrance to Soomerwegh, the access road to the village. A new square will be added here, creating a pleasant atmosphere. By designing the entrance areas of the shopping center as new squares, the connection with the surrounding area will be strengthened. Geesterduin's stony surroundings will become greener. The plan will be nature-inclusive, providing space for flora and fauna through the addition of roof gardens, vertical greenery, and green landscaping in the squares. The entire plan will be made sustainable, with the preservation of the existing shopping center as a starting point.
The “Meerwijk” district in Schalkwijk, built in the 1960s, has been built on the corner of Bernadottelaan and Albert Schweizerlaan. This center is part of the urban design that was made by our office in 2001. The building with retail spaces, including the Vomar supermarket, an underground parking garage with 215 places and 74 apartments, is one of the sub-plans of the community center. The whole has a modern, transparent and friendly character and adapts well to the neighborhood.
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.
