Het Nieuwe Noord

Van Ommeren architecten and Thijs Asselbergs architectuurcentrale collaborated with landscape architects, VLUGP, to create an urban framework for more than 550 dwellings. This framework acts as a toolbox of urban and architectural principles that aim to integrate housing, public space, mobility, and climate and noise adaptation into a cohesive and liveable plan.
The Het Nieuwe Noord is defined by its surroundings, with building heights varying from four stories along the Wijkermeerstraat, to nine stories along the N201 northern edge, responding to the size and scale of its context. Along the Hoofdvaart canal, the building line is deliberately setback to give room to the large trees along the road. A central axis, or ‘green corridor’, forms an open sightline to the Hoofdvaart and acts as a car-free space where children can play and local residents can meet.

The public space is defined by three landscape atmospheres: the 'green corridor’, roof gardens and surrounding street. 
The central ‘green corridor’ runs in the direction of the original polder allotment to the northwest and forms the basic structure for further developments to build upon. It is an important car-free slow traffic route, water retention zone and entrance to several apartment blocks.
Sloping garden beds, stairs and ramps lead residents to the roof garden, above the parking garage where semi-public and private outdoor spaces are enlivened with small-scale play zones and places to meet neighbours. Large trees protrude through voids in the parking deck and multi-stemmed shrubs grow above the deck.
The development’s surrounding streets have wider sidewalks, with attention to refined pavers and the introduction of larger trees. Residents vehicles are located in the parking garages and out of sight.

Parking and bike facilities, located on both sides of the green corridor, are accessible from the edges of the development and are integrated into the landscape allowing for cars to be out of view and provide more outdoor green space. The green parking deck retains and carries the water to a series of wadi’s (buffering and infiltration landscape) along the ‘green corridor’ before flowing into the Hoofdvaart canal.

Within the ensemble, four zones have been created with their own distinct characteristics that relate to their context and scale: the N201 northern edge, Hoofdvaart, Wijkermeerstraat and the ‘green corridor’. For each zone, specific approaches to architectural massing, articulation, silhouette, plinth & entrances and exterior spaces are defined to create recognizability and diversity within the ensemble.  
Brick masonry in a palette of earthy tones forms the basis of the facades and is used to create a cohesive and recognizable ensemble as well as massing for a comfortable interior acoustic climate. Differentiation in facade rhythm, color and plasticity create refined and tactile architecture.