Rufus de Vries enjoys talking with people and uses his photography to explore how they live, where they live, and how they use a place. This is also how this photo series came about for our Omloop project in Utrecht.
As a typical working-class neighborhood, Ondiep has traditionally been small-scale and shaped by a social housing ideal. A neighborhood with a strong sense of community and involvement. Those social ties had weakened over time, while the original buildings became outdated. Through participatory processes with the neighborhood, residents helped determine how the new district would take shape.
The new buildings of Omloop restore the neighborhood on both architectural and social level. This involved significant densification: 285 homes replaced 168 outdated ones. 75% of these are social rental homes, 25% mid-range rental. Older residents who lived in Ondiep have returned, but there is also room for first-time buyers, couples living together, and young families who are at an early stage in their housing careers. In this way, new vitality comes together with diversity.
The social life of Omloop takes place in several welcoming outdoor spaces around the buildings. Where neglected paving once lay at the front, there are now cozy front gardens. In addition, there are three shared gardens at the rear with walking paths and seating areas. At seven locations along the street, spacious, light-filled entrances provide a sense of openness and room for natural encounters.