Type of project
Residential area
Year
2019
Tag
Wood Geometry Landscape Water Reflection
Status
In progress
Location
Muiden, Netherlands
The De Krijgsman residential area, on the outskirts of Muiden in the Netherlands, came about as a result of the city’s desire to reclaim an area used as a weapons and ammunition depot during the Second World War.
The project involved a huge land reclamation operation to create a greenfield site for the construction of the new settlement.
The construction site is divided by traditional Dutch navigable or rainwater drainage canals, into 15 plots two of which were developed by our studio.
The first development, the Boerenhof, lies at the centre of the area. The other, Het Strandpad, has been developed along the axis connecting the first plot and the green rampart, which has been restored and integrated into the surviving 16th century maritime fortifications.
The completion strip, known as the Strandbad, consists of 20 lots of detached houses.
From the beginning the design brief was contradictory, with requests for a unique project while rigorously making use of prefabricated elements that are difficult to customise.
In any case, the project established an obvious natural line along the entire longitudinal development area, staggering the individual units in relation to the shoreline, like a kind of alphabet.
This section was built on a green buffer zone, bringing colour consistency to the entire project.
The reflections of the foliage and the impression along the roads or canals create an indistinct unity, even though these scenarios are punctuated by instances of isolated and distinctive designs.
Dutch-style farmhouses were the main architectural reference mentioned by the client. The common denominators of this style of dwelling are the inevitable conservatory, and covered corridors on the ground floor and the main entrance, which is often situated on the long side of the building.
After defining the compositional alphabet, inspired by these parameters, the individual buildings were rebuilt, with basic services on the ground floor, including boat moorings, bicycle storage, and a garden shed. Gradually ascending to the upper floor, the monochromatic wooden slat cladding is carved into different shapes, creating a surprising and welcoming atmosphere in a continuous relationship between outside and inside and vice versa.
