Folkert Elsinga

Garden City
Urban Design

Rotterdam | The Netherlands

With 250 new homes facing a public sports field, we create a place where the neighbourhood and surrounding schools can play sports. With the adjacent axes, we connect the different physical worlds and make space for encounters based on all kinds of motives. This development increases the space for interaction.

Client:	HD Groep
Year:	2018 – until now
Partner:	Municipality of Rotterdam
Status:	In development
Type:	Area vision, Urban plan, Development plan
Location:	Lage Land, Rotterdam
Program:	240 dwellings, boxing- and ski school, public space and sports ground
Urban planning:	ECHO Urban Design
Landscape design:	ECHO Urban Design
Architecture:	HD Architecten, BuroSALT, De Zwarte Hond

From vision to implementation

By first drafting an area vision and thus seeing the scope of the assignment larger than just replacing an office, neighbourhood-wide projects emerged that we were able to address integrally in this area. This allowed more dilapidated objects and features to be included in the consideration, in turn allowing us to provide a solid force of energy that genuinely contributed to the upgrade of the Lage Land’s core. After that, we designed an urban block that is a further development of the original footprints. A semi-open block that is partly elevated and a courtyard garden create a more affluent transition zone between public and private spaces, significantly increasing the space for interaction. You can reap the benefits of this beating heart 24/7!