In the green 1960s neighborhood of Haarlem Parkwijk, four apartment buildings have been replaced around a large semi-public courtyard garden (180 social housing units).

Brick Architecture

By thickening and raising the basic volume of the strip-style construction of Block 4 in two places, Hoogeveen Architects were able to add two apartment buildings without altering the neighborhood’s morphological structure. By designing some of the balconies as enclosed spaces, extending them here and there, and connecting them to one another, a playful and chic aesthetic has emerged that evokes the Amsterdam School architectural style of the 1920s.

Climate-adaptive courtyard

The courtyard garden, designed by HOSPER, is a romantically styled park-like garden featuring a variety of trees, inviting visitors to take a stroll. Scattered throughout the park garden are gathering spots, areas for “natural” play, and space for residents to “garden.” The communal fruit and nut garden was created in consultation with the residents.

At the heart of the park garden lies a green wadi with gently sloping embankments. This also serves as a water retention basin for rainwater from the buildings. The wadi enables the park garden to withstand intense downpours. Additionally, the wadi and the abundant vegetation help cool the living environment during heat waves. There is a diverse range of attractive trees and shrubs. The selection of species focuses on flowering, leaf shape, and fall color, and is also attractive to bees, butterflies, and insects. The existing trees have been incorporated into the design. The planting around the wadi is divided into two zones: more natural in the center and more cultivated toward the edges, serving as a transition to the ground-floor residences.

This project demonstrates that social housing can go hand in hand with architectural ambition, nature-inclusive design, sustainability, climate adaptation, and community participation. The design of the strip tower (Hoogeveen architects) allowed for densification without altering the neighborhood’s morphological structure or the size of the courtyard garden. This created space for a playful park-like garden that enhances natural qualities, creates social gathering places, and adapts the living environment and neighborhood to a changing climate. The social environment has been improved by creating ground-floor apartments with outdoor spaces opening onto the courtyard garden. Thanks to the hedges and garden gates, this feels like an attractive semi-public park garden.

Location: Haarlem East – Parkwijk, Dudokpark, Staalstraat, De Bazellaan, and Berlagelaan
Designers: HOSPER Landscape Architecture and Hoogeveen Architects
Partners: DG Group, BK Engineers, Biesot Gardens and Parks, KBM Group, City of Haarlem
Client: Stichting Pré Wonen
Size: 0.47 ha / 4,700 m²
Year of design: 2022–2025
Year of completion: 2025
Status: Completed
Photography: Ossip Architectural Photography
Awards: Nomination for the Lieven de Key Medal 2024

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