Sumit Singhal Sumit Singhal loves modern architecture. He comes from a family of builders who have built more than 20 projects in the last ten years near Delhi in India. He has recently started writing about the architectural projects that catch his imagination.
DE BOUWMEESTER GIVES GOLDEN TOUCH in Utrecht, The Netherlands by LEVS architecten
November 20th, 2013 by Sumit Singhal
Article source: LEVS architecten
DE BOUWMEESTER (THE ARCHITECT) GIVES GOLDEN TOUCH TO ZUILEN, DISTRICT OF UTRECHT
The multifunctional residential and care building stands as a golden sculpture on the edge of the Springer Park. It is one of the anchor points for the renewal of the park and the adjacent post-war neighbourhoods. After 20 months of construction residents, care institution and nursery have moved into their new domicile.
Program: 10.000 m2 with care and housing for the elderly (5 psycho-geriatric living areas, 2 living areas for psychiatric treatment, day care) , nursery , 30 social apartments and space for neighbourhood functions
Client: Mitros Project Development
Users: Mitros (housing), Vecht and IJssel (care), Ludens (nursery)
STEPPED VOLUME JOINS ITS ENVIRONMENT
At the edge of the new park De Bouwmeester is a striking building in colour, shape and material. The shiny golden metal, the only round corners, the stepped volume and the undulating balconies are in contrast with the surrounding reserved residential and commercial houses. Yet De Bouwmeester joins with its 10,000 m2 its environment on each side. On a warmly coloured brick plinth, the volume steps up around a courtyard. The lowest point is only two floors high, the highest point at the park side has seven floors. Each ‘step’ offers space to make a shared terrace with sweeping views of the greenery. On the upper floors the residents have a view even to the outskirts of Utrecht.
\”ON THE BALCONY YOU NEARLY SEEM TO SIT BETWEEN THE TREES\”
Already since May people have been living there with great pleasure. A young resident is full of praise: \”The big amount of space is what attracted me to the apartment. Also the balcony is great where you can almost sit in the trees.\”
Next to the residents of social apartments recently the other tenants have withdrawn. On the ground, first and partly on the second floor there are different living groups for residents who need care. Combined with nursery and community centre at ground level De Bouwmeester has a sustainable mix of social functions. As soon as the courtyard is ready, the ‘citizens’ of the nursery and the psycho-geriatric homes can use it together.
ANCHOR POINT FOR NEIGHBOURHOOD RENEWAL
Wavy and golden. De Bouwmeester is clearly an urban accent to the Springer Park , the green lobe between river Vecht and the Amsterdam – Rhine Canal. With its functions, the building also provides an important contribution to the vitality of the district.
De Bouwmeester is one of two new ensembles at the urban corners of the park which emphasize the visual connection between the two major waterways. The neighbourhood renewal is based on the urban plan of LEVS architects which are also lines out the two adjacent neighbourhoods. In total LEVS here designed three new plans. The houses on the Park Location, along the border between park and existing residential area, were completed last year. The second ensemble, a residential building on the Vecht Location, is in development.
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