NN Kralingen

The plan forms the border of the Kralingen East district in Rotterdam. Due to careful urban integration, on the one hand, a connection is made with the structure of the existing district and, on the other hand, space is created to continue the nearby green structure of the ring canal along the water. The ribbon development on this Kralingse Zoom side also acts as a buffer for the underlying neighbourhood against noise from the highway.

The chosen parking solution is leading for the urban design and clearly demonstrates the two-sidedness of the site. For the 31 terraced houses on the east side, parking is placed in a semi-sunken parking basement underneath the houses. This creates space for a green zone at the front side. On the neighbourhood side, 23 semi-detached houses with carports are situated in connection with the opposite, area-specific typology. Visitor parking is housed in green parking lots between the houses.

The ensemble derives its identity from a characteristic architecture of large masonry surfaces with carefully positioned openings. In the houses on the Kralingse Zoom side, the supporting functions are positioned on the floor next to the noise-affected facade. The only opening in this facade is a large window on the living floor that offers a panoramic view of the water and greenery. For the masonry, a light, hand-moulded brick was chosen from brick factory Façade Beek in Limburg. The white cementation provides a strong contrast to the dark grey window frames. Wooden facade cladding in recessed facades provides the plan with a warm accent.

The houses are connected to the heating network and all have green roofs and solar panels. With the green strip along the water, more space is created for local flora & fauna and nesting possibilities for swifts have been installed in the end facades.