NPD neighborhood

The NPD site is characterized on the one hand by its location directly adjacent to the Overvecht shopping center, and on the other hand by its location near important green spaces in Overvecht. The urban, dynamic side combined with a sheltered green quality offers important starting points for the design, which focuses on energetic, inspiring, socially sustainable places, encounters, and the local economy. The north side focuses explicitly on the shopping center, with the idea being to complement rather than expand the shopping center. The public space of the NPD site will become a new pedestrian area with a green network of walking routes and places to stay that connect important programming in the area. The public space gives the area a clear and recognizable atmosphere for shoppers and residents.

Project details

Location
Utrecht Overvecht
Year
2016-2021
Size
5,2 ha
Status
Gebouwd
Commissioned by
AM
In collaboration with
NL architects, Paul de Ruiter architects, Studioninedots
Honorarium
Eerste Prijs tender 2017

NPD Openbare ruimte en binnentuinen 1 op 1000-01_LR_met wit

The public interiors in the plinth and between streets are an explicit part of the new network of public spaces. The green areas in the streets are positioned in such a way that one side of the street has a quiet residential quality and the other side has a lively public plinth. The sidewalks are used by residents and give the streets an informal and lively character. Towards the park, more homes have been incorporated into the street, resulting in a transition from a more urban side to a green, park-like quality that creates opportunities for a new ecology in a highly urban area. The roofs, inner gardens, side streets, and park together form a cascade for rainwater, allowing 100% of the rainwater to be collected and infiltrated into the NPD strip.

The spaces within the blocks will be designed as communal courtyards, each with its own unique character. Social interaction and a healthy living environment are central to all courtyards. In the butterfly garden, colorful plants bring urban ecology to life, the food garden offers residents the opportunity to grow their own vegetables and herbs, and water features in the water garden provide play opportunities and collect rainwater, which can be used directly in the inner gardens to water the plants on the facades and in the gardens.