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Westerwierde

Building to protect the landscape

Westerwierde, Uithuizen

Uithuizen is a small village located in the far north of The Netherlands; it is near the ‘wadden sea’ and in the midst of the typical Dutch countryside with its panoramic views and farmhouses. In order to prevent this unique scenery from becoming messy it is imperative that the existing villages are densified. Uithuizen is one of the municipalities where this is necessary.

Ontspannen setting

Typical for the Kennedylaan in Uithuizen are the wide profiles, a lot of public greenery and a differentiated planning of row houses from the sixties and seventies, combined with detached villa-like buildings. The apartment complex consists of 35 luxury senior apartments with communal amenities and a care unit. To match the large-scale program to the size of the village the complex has been divided into three mansion-like buildings situated in natural, green surroundings. The buildings vary in height, are staggered and partly float over a semi-underground parking garage.

Sculpturale bewerking

They are in perfect harmony thanks to the natural realization of the pointless dark red brickwork, the natural wooden window and doorposts and the galvanized metal fencing. The mansion-like ambiance is enhanced by the sculptural workmanship, the universal orientation and the white stucco accents on the corners. The elegant design, the level of detail and their positioning are subtle distinctions in this large-scale project. The building is nested in close vicinity to the village without losing its authenticity.

Info

Client
Stichting Uithuizer Woningbouw
Program
35 apartments and a care unit
Design
Adriaan Mout, Jurriaan van Stigt, Marianne Loof
Projectteam
Lex van Waarden, Ingeborg van Lent, Ulf Bjällerstedt, Marcia de Groot
Location
Uithuizen
Year
2005 – 2008
Contractor
Brands Bouwgroep
Photography
Marcel van der Burg, Gerard van Beek