One Architecture

One Architecture was asked, at the end of 2010, to write an ‘essay’ on the future of the neighborhood. This has been instigated by One’s essay on Gouda-Oost. One’s analysis mainly focused on the arduous method of planning used in the past, in which every aspect and element was entangled with all other aspect and element, and proposed an alternative way of planning. In February 2011 One was commissioned with designing a new start. This has led to an Urban Framework and the associated execution agenda. With their approval by the corporation and the city council at the end of 2011, the go-ahead was given for the renewal of the Rivierenwijk.

The Urban Framework describes spatial starting points, conditions and directives. It indicates how the actors’ various spatial interventions, e.g. the reconstruction of the Amstellaan, 500 new houses, local facilities, neighborhood connections, and landscape structure, will combine into a coherent result. All obstacles obstructing the restart have been solved with the designs of the plan’s components.

Further optimizations of the plan’s components are the result of this joint planning process. Investments in the integration of the Amstellaan also help the construction of Children’s Center. Project Amstellaan will result in a “tree bank”, making full-grown trees available cheaply for new construction. The green buffer space enables flexibility and room for optimization of Rentree’s housing program.

The various components (a.o. the neighborhood connections) can be elaborated within this Framework in a time and pace fit to the specific project. This also allows for the insertion of new insights in the project.

The article ‘Reflectie op de Rivierenwijk’ (in Dutch) can be read here.