Engelse Park is a housing project on the historic border of the city of Groningen. The location is enclosed by different worlds; the beloved Helpman district, the DUO tower of UN Studio, the Sterrenbos and the new Station Europapark. 95 homes have now been built on the site where three office buildings used to be. The plan consists of three equal autonomous building blocks in a park-like landscape. The parking is solved within the blocks, so that only green can be found on the outside of the block, which can be reached by narrow public footpaths that pass between the buildings.
The clear allotment and architecture of the homes are in line with the adjacent Helpman district. The typical world of brick with bay windows, balconies and traditional details has been translated into a contemporary form in Engelse Park. The characteristic brick expression, which can also be found in the brick architecture of city architect Siebe Jan Bouma, has been used to interrupt the relatively long facade walls. The co-designed garden walls of the same brick string the houses together and thus make the building block all-sided. The houses have been carefully fitted in between the existing trees. Grateful use was made of the existing height difference in the terrain. This has created a park-like living environment where all residents live at the park.
Parking, carports and storage rooms are hidden in courtyards. The garden houses (type A, B and F) are accessible via the garden and have their entrance on a footpath that runs around and between the building blocks. The entrances are elevated above the footpaths and have a deeply recessed entrance niche. This creates a fine transition zone between the public area and the private home, consisting of alcoves and sidewalks and terraces. The park villas (type C, D and E) are fully accessible via the parking courtyard. The houses are oriented on two sides: the entrance is located on the parking court, while the park side offers a view of the greenery. The difference in height is greatest on the park side, so that one has an unobstructed view and can live elevated above the landscape. All houses have large facade openings on the ground floor so that the view can be optimally enjoyed.
The rainwater is visibly drained via co-designed molgutters into the Helperdiep or into wadis. Nature- inclusive building has been taken into account in both the architectural and landscape design. Space has been made and left for birds and insects. Engelse Park is designed across the scales; from the scale of the city, the landscape, but also at building block level, the facade composition of the state wall, the individual home, to the house numbers and facade luminaires. This has created a neighborhood with its own distinctive identity, which adapts to the location. An idiosyncratic but subdued architecture that tries to survive in the environment and time for a long time.
Team:
Architect: Bedaux de Brouwer Architecten
Photography: Michel Kievits
Other participants: wUrck architectuur stedenbouw landschap
Material Used:
1. Facade cladding: Wasserstrich bricks “Canyon Falls”, wild bond, Daas Baksteen
2. Windows: PVC windows, K-vision
3. Exterior lighting: Light Brick BEGA and Bedaux-lantaarn by Bedaux de Brouwer Architecten
