Joy Merwede
New neighbourhood and a real city
Joy Merwede, Utrecht
A neighbourhood with a mission
Merwede positions itself as a pioneering urban district. On 34 football pitches’ worth of former industrial land, a healthy and sustainable neighbourhood is emerging. Thousands of affordable homes, public facilities, and spacious greenery take form here. The district implements a car-free concept, relies on an energy-neutral system – the Netherlands’ largest underground heat and cold storage – and pursues ambitious densification and greening. As a result, Merwede sets a unique precedent in the Netherlands, perhaps even worldwide.
Its urban quality comes forward in many ways: a healthy mix of functions, diverse housing for first-time buyers, families, and older residents, and meeting places that range from lively to tranquil. The concept aims to create a neighbourhood with the organic, diverse character of a real city. Every scale receives careful attention: from the urban blocks to the smaller ensembles and buildings they consist of.
Joy: in the heart of Merwede
Within this ambitious development, LEVS, Paul de Ruiter Architects and Zecc Architecten are designing an ensemble of three residential blocks. LEVS focuses on block 9, named Joy. The block has a central position in Merwede: close to the canal yet enclosed by other urban blocks. It faces a city square to the north and south, and meets residential streets to the east and west. Joy embraces a serene, natural garden that residents and visitors enter through two passages. Across the district, a low parking standard shapes mobility; only at the edges, a number of concentrated parking facilities integrate into the buildings.
Representing the city itself
This plan is a microcosm of the city. A wide range of housing types alternate throughout the block: townhouses, single-family homes, stairwell-access flats, gallery-access flats and corridor-access flats. With this rich mix, Joy supports long-term adaptability while everyday life remains vibrant. Amenities play a crucial role as well: a community centre, a living room for youth, and hospitality spaces connect residents and anchor the block in the wider neighbourhood.
Architecture aging with grace
Joy’s careful detailing ensures that the block ages well. The project brings together an array of materials – timber façades, brick in several finishes, ceramic elements and bamboo. We apply low-carbon concrete, timber-frame construction for the single-family homes, and bio-based materials throughout. Nature-inclusive elements come alive in features such as green façades and wall vegetation. Housing and building scales shift in a pleasant rhythm, reinforcing the sense of a block that mirrors the layered richness of the city itself.
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