Projected in Westduinpark, the stretch of dunes between The Hague and the sea, is this perimeter block of 1000 m x 160 m. My aim is to so attune the architecture to its setting that the building enriches the landscape, rather than violating it. The accompanying loss of dunes is more than made up for by having the existing residential area of Duindorp sunk below the sand once its residents have left. After several thousand years it can be dug up as a new Pompeii.

While boasting 2500 up-market apartments, the new development keeps its surface area to a minimum and is no taller than the surrounding dunes. The perimeter block subdivides into three 'neighbourhoods', each based on another type of enclosed garden. In the monastery-garden are a library, a school and a church. The city-garden, coupling diversity with a taut grid, includes a shopping mall. In the dune-garden the dune landscape is literally walled in, its boundary wall consisting of sand held in glass, to be used for water purification purposes.

Place of education: TU Delft
Specialization: architecture
Tutors: Carel Weeber, Saskia de Wit & Arjan van Timmeren