Housing typologies study, 350 dwellings

When we were asked to do a study project about typology, intensity, density and water, we quickly realized we were rather investigating topography. Groningen shares with most of the Netherlands a natural condition of proximity with water: a rather flat landscape, is struggling since the very first day with a need of economy of space. Land is so difficult to regain from water that every single bit has to be saved and preserved, forcing housing development to obsessively deal with density issues. Incredibly enough this resulted in a landscape modification where the only skyline excess is the one given by cities and villages. When we approached this project we realized that this very special conditions were the ones able to respond to all our demands: if the problem of density and intensity is related to the amount of ground, what if we could multiply this ground surface in vertical stacks? Raising the garden city into a mount will produce a multiple levelled project were housing will integrate with vertically staked gardens and long open promenades along the site. A wide set of typologies will be accommodate (row houses, duplexes, single houses and apartments blocks). The weave configuration allows for maximum views possibility and for optimal orientation toward south. The big voids resulting will allow generous semi-private yards and the entire roof will become the first vertical public park on a hill of Groningen, diving directly into the water, providing very special edge conditions and fantastic views over the landscape.