Omloop is regenerating and densifying a working-class neighbourhood in Utrecht with 273 new, affordable homes, shared green spaces and a commitment to maintaining a human scale.

Regeneration of a working-class neighbourhood

Ondiep is a working-class neighbourhood in Utrecht dating from the early twentieth century, built according to Berlage’s design based on a clear ideal: architectural quality as a social right, not as a luxury. A century later, the original buildings had fallen into disrepair and social ties had eroded. Omloop is regenerating the neighbourhood on both levels. Not a ‘demolish-and-rebuild’ approach that erases the past, but a careful intervention in the existing urban fabric.

The project consists of four phases: Alt, Tenor, Soprano and Bass. As long volumes, they follow the iconic bend in the street and together form a single ensemble. Berlage’s main urban structure remains intact: low street-facing walls, cosy front gardens and a consistently maintained human scale. At the same time, the plan significantly increases density, from 168 outdated homes to 273 new ones, of which 75 per cent are social housing and 25 per cent are mid-range rental properties, and which will soon be expanded to include 12 timber-framed homes for families. Long-standing residents of Ondiep returned, whilst young families moved in. This creates both mobility and diversity within a single neighbourhood.

Built with the neighbourhood

Building in an existing neighbourhood requires careful coordination between the client and the architect. That collaboration was exemplary here. Participation processes involving both long-standing and new residents were central: their wishes helped shape the neighbourhood. The client, Woonin, allowed scope for a design characterised by creative freedom, high-quality materials and circularity, whilst affordability remained the guiding principle throughout. This commitment extends beyond completion: in the Tenor, where older residents live alongside those receiving support, the residents themselves set up a communal living room with the client’s support. A space for activities and socialising, run by the residents and a community manager. In this way, social interaction is embedded not only in the design but also in its day-to-day use.

Variation within a single identity

Each of the four buildings has its own distinctive details, yet they share height, articulation and materiality. Two shades of highly textured brick accentuate the articulation; horizontal and vertical bands ensure that the façade can never be taken in at a single glance. Sections with balconies alternate with those without. At each entrance, the brickwork steps inwards, emphasising the large glass façade and rhythmically breaking up the long line. Repetition within a theme, always with room for detail. In this way, Omloop reveals itself subtly and in keeping with a working-class neighbourhood – a place you make your own by living there.

Green spaces as a social glue

Where there used to be paved-over backyards, there are now shared green spaces. Front gardens, communal courtyards with footpaths and seating areas, and wide open-air walkways create spaces for people to meet. Here, the green spaces are not merely decorative but functional and social: they bring old and new residents together.

At the same time, this creates a nature-inclusive neighbourhood. Sustainability begins here with this urban regeneration and is given concrete expression: bricks and roof tiles from the demolished buildings are reused as fill for the gabions lining the front gardens. Gallery façades are clad in a composite material made from rice husks, with supports on the outside for climbing plants such as wisteria. A future extension provides for twelve ground-level homes built of timber.

Omloop demonstrates that densification within the existing city does not need to be a rupture, but rather a convincing continuation. Architecture that does not overwhelm the neighbourhood, but visibly improves it – and thus serves as a model for the many pre-war and post-war working-class neighbourhoods facing the same challenge.