ROOT | LEVS architects

Living among the trees

ROOT, Eindhoven

Our ambitious design for a nature-inclusive residential building is going to be a connecting link between living and greenery in Eindhoven's Mensfort neighborhood.

LEVS Root maaiveldsituatie beeld LEVS architecten en BOOM Landscape zoom min

The symbiotic city

Due to its round shape, we can realize a number of great qualities with one powerful gesture: preservation of almost all the old trees on the plot, panoramic balconies and windows along the stretched outer facade and intimacy in a spacious courtyard garden. With sturdy wooden terrace zones that float above the surrounding park, we create a transition zone between inside and outside. A symbiotic relationship is created between the people, animals, insects, plants and urban culture of the environment.

Connecting urban green spaces

ROOT is located in a central spot in Eindhoven’s Mensfort neighborhood: adjacent to the green heart of the district and the junction of three district routes, various building types meet here. Along the smooth curved line of the volume, we design a transition zone between those different types of environments. Moreover, this creates two worlds: a public city park and a collective courtyard for residents. BOOM Landscape made the landscape design for both, in which the existing old trees could also remain. Walking paths connect the park with the surrounding area. Around the inner garden, all the houses are accessed by wide galleries, where the sunlight penetrates from above, and which hang slightly above the garden. This creates seating areas where intimacy and tranquility can be enjoyed.

LEVS Root doorsnede beeld LEVS architecten en BOOM Landscape min

The wooden framework

On the outside, the facades open up with wide green terraces. Halfway up the wall, the dark accent of the maisonettes with roof terraces form a subtle fourth layer. At the northern end, the curved walls come together in a passageway to the green courtyard.

Bewoners herkennen en waarderen deze bijzondere woonkwaliteit:
"Elke dag opnieuw, wanneer ik het appartementencomplex van ROOT binnenstap, krijg ik een magisch gevoel. Wat een prachtig complex is ROOT en wat voel ik mij bevoorrecht een van de bewoners te mogen zijn. Samen met de bewoners hebben we een fijne en betrokken community binnen ROOT. We groeten elkaar, maken een fijne babbel en iedereen staat voor elkaar klaar."

The grid structure in the façade refers to the interplay of lines in the surrounding reconstruction architecture. Like a flexible skeleton, the wooden structure bends with the circular volume, while the many vertical lines emphasise the small-scale pledging. The fourth layer is a subtle accent of black-coloured wooden cladding. The staggered wooden ribs also provide additional privacy and are a nod to the newer surrounding high-rise buildings with similarly dynamic façade layouts.