This characteristic building block in the Merwedekanaal zone will add a total of 50,600 square meters, including 171 private homes and 205 rental homes, to the city of Utrecht. GROUP A was commissioned by Greystar to translate the qualities of the urban plan of the municipality and Bura Urbanism into an attractive living and working environment. The design consists of a rich variety of buildings with liveliness in the plinth, innovative mobility facilities and plenty of room for greenery.
Coulisse city: unity in diversity
The design is composed of 13 different buildings that break down the scale of the block. By creating a hierarchy between the buildings and allowing the higher facades to recede, a characteristic cityscape is created that is closely related to the surroundings. Simple buildings form the basis and are complemented by solid buildings with a strong identity and special buildings which are smaller and more abundant. Use of materials, colors and façade composition give the buildings a distinct identity while maintaining a consistent urban fabric. The rich palette of facade materials includes brick, natural stone, aluminum, ceramic, wood, sheet metal and profiled steel plate. To enhance the diversity between the buildings, GROUP A, as coordinating architect, has teamed up with BETA and ZOETMULDER for a number of buildings.
Lively neighborhood with amenities
The block combines free-sector private housing with rental housing in the social segment. Mixing these housing typologies with a collective inner garden and facilities in the plinth creates a sustainable mix of residents and users. In addition to housing, the plinth contains retail, office functions and mobility facilities that all combined provides liveliness at street level.
Collective mobility facilities
With the mobility hub, Block 11 provides space for public mobility facilities for several residential blocks in the northern Merwedekanaal zone. This hub consists of a mobility store where a shared car can be booked, package walls and provides access to the parking garage with a total of 191 spaces. Bicycle parking facilities in the plinth with a total of 1332 spaces encourage bicycle use by residents.
Strengthening social connections in the courtyard garden
Strengthening the social connection of residents and neighborhood residents is central to the design of the courtyard garden. Characteristic are the two central places that are connected by a special ribbon. The ribbon varies in height and offers alternating seating, play or route guidance. The design of the inner garden and the green roofs was made by Burobol. Besides the social function, the roof gardens also have an important ecological and water storage function. Both the garden and the facades provide nesting facilities for local insect, bird and animal species.
Sustainable living environment
Sustainability is an integral part of the design process. In the collaboration agreement of Merwede, in addition to the sustainability requirements of the building code, a sustainability ambition has been agreed, which translates, among other things, into a GPR score of 8 on average.
The sustainable mix of housing types, together with a lively plinth, good mobility facilities and a comfortable green environment, create a resilient neighborhood ready for the challenges of the future.
