The traditional Dutch neighborhood consists of houses built close together, with private gardens at the rear and a hard access road at the front. Green spaces are often limited to private property or are out of sight of the homes. This layout does not promote living in harmony with the landscape and offers few opportunities to combine living with nature development. The central question in residential landscapes 1.0 is whether it is possible to create an environment where living and landscape reinforce and complement each other.
2011
programme
Urban housing in the green
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Living Landscape 1.0 is the first design in a series, in which the landscape experience of the house is the central theme. The traditional Dutch housing typology with a back-to-back orientation at a density of approximately 36 dwellings per hectare forms the starting point of the design. For reasons of feasibility, we strive to achieve a similar density. Living Landscape 1.0 dwellings are not back-to-back situated, but front to back. Therefore all the dwellings and gardens have an optimal orientation towards the sun. The plots also faces the street sideways, which gives the gardens a connection with the street. This enhances the liveliness in the neighbourhood, unlike the conventional configuration where the private life mostly takes place in the private (back-to-back) gardens. For children, this extension of the garden into the street offers a lot of additional playing opportunities.


By shifting the houses relative to one another semi-detached houses are created. The sculptural roofs of the houses are also the visual boundaries of the private gardens. From the living room it appears that the horizon has lifted, which enlarges the garden. All the roofs are covered with grass to enhance this effect.



The house itself also possesses unique spatial qualities. The main living area is intentionally placed on the first floor under the sculptural roof, allowing for maximum natural light. Secondary spaces, such as bedrooms, the bathroom, and storage, are located on the ground floor. To introduce additional light, a small patio is positioned between the two children's bedrooms. The dining area on the first floor also borders this patio, further enhancing daylight penetration. Additionally, this design creates beautiful visual connections throughout the home.

