Lommerlust Beverwijk

Urban study for a new care complex and senior housing

Status: study

For an inner city location of approximately 1.7 hectares in the center of Beverwijk is an urban design for the phased implementationof a care center of approximately 8000 m2, 200 senior apartments and their associated parking. The existing care center must continue to function during the transformation.

The qualities of this location are good access to motorized transport, the presence of public transport (a busstop on the Peper Straat) and within walking distance the presence of a railway station. The location lies also close to the shopping center of Beverwijk, the Breestraat, adequate care and cultural facility. The location provides opportunities to strengthen the level of facilities and an expansion of the housing.

The design aims to interweave the plot with the surrounding urban structures. The dynamic and informal forms of the model ensure that the location in a natural way connects to and includes by the in time evolved surrounding urban fabric. The edges are designed rather that they arise as residual space between an invented formal, autonomous form and its surroundings. Building heights are aligned with surrounding building heights. The profile of the Peperstraat is completed allowing surrounding existing structures such as open spaces to gain strength.

The study proposes to generate a diversity of living atmosphere:

• Center. The newly realized care center with new (care) facilities is situated in a prominent place on the Peperstraat. This is also close to the shopping facilities and public transport. The care center is conceived as a compact programmatically flexible building . Group Homes, care-apartments, general (care) facilities but also independent units may find here a place.
• The court. Living around a courtyard, a semi-public area where you can park, entrances of the houses are and pleasant residential areas can be realized. In the court are dwellings with gardens and apartments proposed.
• The atrium. Living in an apartment building with a common roofed atrium and sheltered access to the houses. This way of living gives, even more than the court, many opportunities for social contacts and an optimum sense of security.
• The town villas. Live at level. The villas have only one, two or three apartments per Floor allowing optimum privacy, views and sunlighting occurs. From the fifth floor there is also a fantastic view of Beverwijk, to the dunes!
• The urban garden. The court, the atrium building and the central building limit a central green space that is diverse in shape so changing perspectives and spatial experiences arise. This urban garden is an informal route between the entrance of the area, near the Breestraat, and the particular medieval church, the Wijckertoren.

Meetings between public, semi-public and private are carefully directed: There is a diversity of spaces designed ranging from public (Peperstraat), enclosed public (the central green area in the model), semi-public (the court), common private (the atrium ) to private (the various homes and their private outdoor spaces).

The urban model is a spatial, three-dimensional exploration of the area with a strategy that can give direction to the future development of the site. There are three developing areas defined. These areas can be developed independently of each other, allowing flexibility in phasing occurs.

Not the urban model dictates the location of the various funtions but the wishes of the client. In this manner, a programmatic flexibility is created.
The urban model aims ancient Lommerlust to the city to give. The new Lommerlust gets the city back.

Location: Beverwijk