Boerhave Haarlem

The existing public space in Schalkwijk is spacious, but often anonymous and very car-oriented. FLUX proposes a plan with room for a green park area and a high quality of stay. The four residential blocks stand firmly with their feet in the park and the park flows, as it were, through the blocks. The liveliness of the park area is enhanced by good transitions between private and public spaces. The park can be seen as an extension of the houses, this creates a shared and collective atmosphere. The area will be completely car-free, creating opportunities for sitting areas, picnic benches and play areas that give the park liveliness.

Because of the greenery there are good infiltration possibilities in the park. Rainwater is collected on the roofs and runs through the facades towards the park. Here it runs via a system of wadi ditches to wadis. In case of rainfall, the water will collect here. Appropriate plants in these watery places with a changing water level, give the park an ecological impulse. At the edges of the area, the park acquires a public character with continuous routes along the water, directly connected with surrounding green structures. The sloping park landscape offers good opportunities to shape beautiful transitions towards the houses.

The striking entrances to the blocks and the two inner gardens are visible from the park. The entrances are naturally part of the park and the network of paths. The inner garden in the northern block contains a collective herb garden. There are wide private sidewalks here for a flower pot or a bench. In the southern cpo-block, a playground, sandbox and grass meadow are implemented.

Haarlem, development of housing and public space, commissioned by Heijmans, i.c.w. Korth Tielens, Marcel Lok and Hans Oudendorp, Zwartlicht, park design, healthy city, climate-adaptive city, public space, transformation, densification, Flux landscape architecture Utrecht 2018