NPD strook Utrecht

The NPD area characterizes itself one the one hand through its position directly next to the shopping centre Overvecht, on the other hand through its position at an important green structure that passes through Overvecht. The urban, dynamic side combined with the lee green quality, provides important starting notions for the design in which energetic, inspiring, socially sustainable places and encounters, and the local economy are central. The north side focuses explicitly on the shopping center, this is thought to be an addition to the shopping centre instead of an expansion. The public space of the NPD site will become a new pedestrian zone with a green network of walking routes and places to stay, that connects important programming in the area. The public space gives an unambiguously and recognizable atmosphere to the area for the shoppers and residents.

Public interiors in the plinth and between the streets are explicitly part of the new network of public spaces. The green spaces in the streets are placed in such a way that it creates a lee  quality of living on one side of the street and the other side a public lively plinth. The pavements will be taken into use by residents and give the streets an informal and lively character. Towards the park, more dwellings have been incorporated into the street, resulting in a transition from a more urban side to a green park-like quality in which opportunities for a new type of ecology in high urban areas arise. The roofs, inner gardens, in-between streets and the park together form a cascade for rainwater which allows 100% of the rainwater to be collected and infiltrated into the NPD strip.

The spaces within the blocks are organized as collective inner gardens that each differ in character. Meeting and a healthy living environment are central in all inner gardens. In the butterfly garden, the urban ecology is experienced through colorful  planting, the food garden offers residents the possibility to grow vegetables and herbs themselves and water elements in the water garden offer opportunities for people to play, and rainwater collection which can be used directly in the innerr gardens to the water plants in the facades and gardens.

Utrecht, Overvecht, commissioned by AM, first price tender 2017, in progress, i.c.w. NL architects, Paul de ruiter architects, Studioninedots, images Studio Prins, park design, circular city, healthy city, climate adaptive city, public space, transformation, densification , Flux landscape architecture Utrecht  2018-present