Gasfabriekterrein

The municipality of Zaanstad organized a competition for the redevelopment of a former gas factory in Krommenie. This site required a mix of terraced houses, social housing, housing for the elderly and plots for individual houses. The challenge was to give a new impulse to the historical neighbourhood and to connect logically to existing urban fragments.

In our design the free-standing and semi-attached houses are placed in a park-like setting north of the street Rolrederstraat. By doing, so a leafy and rural atmosphere is created in the centre of the new development. On the southern side a continuing band of terraced houses was designed, allowing for a variety of houses for families, young professionals and the elderly. Along the canal on the eastern side a small apartment building is situated. On the ground floor of this building a common room for various social activities in the neighbourhood is included. The appearance of this building refers to former industrial buildings along the waterfront.

In the design attention has been paid to the transition between buildings and public spaces, the encouraging of social interaction and a high level of sustainability. The rainwater of all new houses will be collected on the site in a natural green zone along the northern part of the area.