VVKH Architecten

In the summer of 2024, the municipality of Leiden launched an ideas competition for the Second Green Ring. Following the success of the Singelpark around the historic city center, the idea emerged to connect the parks and waterways along the city’s edge into one continuous whole — a green-blue ring where residents of the densely built city can recreate, exercise, experience nature, and meet one another.

Studio VVKH, together with partners in the fields of landscape architecture, water management, ecology, and industrial design, submitted a vision titled ‘Het Leidse Lint’ (“The Leiden Ribbon”). With this vision, we were among the three finalists invited to present their plans to a broad jury in March of this year. The citizens of Leiden were also able to view the proposals and share their opinions.

Our submission achieved second place. The winning proposal was ‘Panoramapark’ by Polyfern. We are proud of this result and greatly enjoyed developing our ideas for the city. The importance of outdoor space — for people, plants, and animals alike — will increasingly come to the forefront of design at all scales in the years ahead.

You can download the presentation boards of ‘Het Leidse Lint’ here.

The design team consisted of:
VVKH, Jan Maurits van Linge (landscape office Xi-ontwerp), Simon Akaya (npk design), Yasmin Stip (Stip werkt), Harma van der Meer (TU Delft), and *Ada Jaśkowiec.

The plan ‘de Biezenhof’ is part of the new residential area ‘Waterrijk Woerden’ and is situated along a natural watery region. The urban scheme of ‘Waterrijk Woerden’ was designed by West 8 and refers to the traditional Dutch water cities such as Delft and Leiden. The design is made in collabiation with Klunder architects. Almost every dwelling is individual and has a specific connection to the water.

The plan of Biezenhof is divided in two parts: there is one block of family houses around a courtyard on the edge of the lake, and there is a row of water houses and apartments along a canal.

The buyers of the houses could choose between several types of houses as well as between four architects. Due to the possibilities in combining type and architect, not one house is the same. Every house has a singular character: the lake houses have a beautiful view on the lake, the street houses have a garden, and the canal houses enclose big terraces. In the public space there are a few parking places, the majority of parking places are organised in garages.

The houses designed by Knappers are characteristic because of the huge roof overhanging the façade. This contributes to the shelter-against-the water identity of the houses, and refers to the greenhouse glass constructions in the low lands. At the street side these houses are made of brick, which gives them a closed and open (to the light and the water) individuality.

In the heart of the Vijfhoek, a picturesque neighborhood in the historic center of Haarlem, stands a large building erected in 1908 by the Waaning company as a factory for Haarlemmer Olie. The building has since been designated a municipal monument. The section facing the Doelstraat originally served a representative function: richly ornamented office spaces were used to receive visitors and convince them of the remarkable qualities of this “miracle oil.” The rear section contained storage and staff quarters, adjoining an inner courtyard with the boiling room, where the sulphur-rich oil was produced a few days each year.

Since the 1980s, the building has been used as a residence. The division between the front and rear sections has been removed, yet the historic atmosphere remains tangible. The new owner asked us to develop a plan to prepare the entire building for a new century—energy-efficient, comfortable, and focused on the enjoyment of living, both along the street and around the inner garden. The boarded-up garage doors have been replaced with generous glazed folding doors. Using flax insulation, the building is insulated from within; new glazing is installed, and the roof is insulated from the outside. Heat pumps and solar panels provide sustainable energy generation. In close consultation with the Heritage Department, all characteristic elements are preserved—allowing the new residents to begin the next chapter in the rich history of this building.

In close collaboration with restoration contractor Burgy, EPOS Advies, and energy consultancy Kroon, a plan of approach was developed. Construction began in February 2024.

Villa Meijendel takes its name from the nature reserve in which it is located, where a forest meets a valley of dunes. The house is constructed from concrete and set into the side of a sandy slope. The building's design aims to create a dialogue with its surroundings, both through the way the form and materials engage with the landscape, and through the use of glass to provide views out from and into the house. 

The boxy geometric structure is entirely clad in charred timber, creating a textured black surface that appears different depending on how sunlight falls on it. The exterior finish, inspired by the ancient Japanese shou sugi ban technique, also helps to preserve the wood. Sometimes the house is almost invisible against the dark edge of the forest, sometimes it sparkles in the sunlight because of the glittering charred wood, as such forming a background for the play of shadows of tree trunks and branches. The villa hides and reveals itself in the landscape.

The property has its entrance on a middle level accommodating an office and two bedrooms. Stairs ascend to an open-plan kitchen and living space, and drop down to a master bedroom and gym room.

The living room features a full-height corner window that looks out through the trees towards the dune valley. A lower window facing to the rear and a large glazed surface lining the adjacent double-height circulation area face out onto the forest. At the far end of the first floor, sliding glass doors lead out from the kitchen onto a terrace.

The material palette –concrete, steel and anodised aluminium– was chosen to complement the tones and textures of the surrounding environment. Each material is applied in a raw, untreated form. Internally, the walls are finished with smooth concrete, while the rough-sawn Douglas fir beams supporting the ceilings feature a distinctive grain.

West 8, Adriaan Geuze, is responsible for the garden design.

Photography is by Christian van der Kooy