This graduation project sounds out the possibilities of living on edge-of-town industrial sites. The developed strategy I have applied to such a industrial site in Amersfoort: De Hoef (The Hoof). It can, however, be used for other places of work. The proposed compaction could make space for some 2.5 million houses on industrial sites across the Netherlands.

It is usually so that zoning plans rule out housing on peri-urban employment zones. In exceptional cases live-in units are tolerated even though there is generally enough space to camp an army. Then again further compaction with businesses would only strengthen the prevailing monofunctionality. Introducing houses pumps up the diversity and creates an extra support for metropolitan amenities against an alienating backdrop of reflecting monoliths.

The spatial concept for De Hoef evolved out of research into the situation as it exists today. Sustainability, the street as catalytic agent of urban life and showing both the good and bad sides of industrial buildings, are the key premisses informing the scheme. Here, De Hoef has been consolidated with 43 houses per hectare. The design transforms the texture of free-standing industrial buildings into perimeter blocks with tranquil courts and vibrant streets that structure the district. Offices or multi-storey car parks are relegated to the shadow side of the blocks so that the houses get all the light they need. The road structure is adapted to keep as much heavy traffic as possible away from the houses. Sheds that involve a great deal of toing and froing of lorries are placed at the rim of the area. In the scheme, working and dwelling are complementary rather than mutually exclusive.

Place of education: TU Eindhoven
Specialization: stedebouw/urban design
Tutors: Reinder Rutgers, Gijs Wallis de Vries, Bert Dirrix & Piet Beekman