Merwede Utrecht will become a green and car-free city district where 12.000 people can live, work and relax. The urban development plan for this most modern district of Utrecht has been completed. The plan was drawn up by the municipality of Utrecht and Bura Urbanism together with ten other owners. As a result of this collaboration, the 24-hectare site between the Merwedekanaal and Park Transwijk will be developed as a whole. The plan, with a high diversity of housing types and functions, is divided into seventeen building blocks.

VenhoevenCS and Marc Koehler – in cooperation with Lingotto, 3T Vastgoed and Janssen de Jong – are together involved in blocks 13 and 14, centrally positioned in the Merwede zone. These blocks will house a rich mix of living spaces varying in size and characters, public functions, cultural programs and outside meeting places, as a future proof high density mixeduse MicroCity.

In the design of block 13 and 14, a special place is dedicated to a flexible cultural house where people can meet, perform, take classes, work and exchange experience and ideas. A mix of ground bounded houses, lofts, work-live houses, apartments and penthouses is programmed in the two blocks. Vertical streets link the square to ‘makers lofts’ where artists and makers can create their work, meet clients and engage by being present on the square. A green route connects the canal park to the green landscape in the courtyard via green roofs, terraces and communal gardens. Modular and standardized building systems create the base for our Open Building system and flexible programs.

Read more about Merwede Utrecht via this link (Dutch).