A master plan that encourages districts with unique housing typologies and character.
The site Vathorst is situated on the east side of the A1 highway that forms the border to the last suburban extensions of the city of Amersfoort. West 8, together with Kuiper Compagnons, made a master plan for this Vinex site. The plan contains 11000 dwellings, 90 hectares of commercial, industrial and office programs and its required public facilities.
The Vathorst Masterplan has a theme: ‘A World of Difference.’ It was developed between 1996 and 2000 by West 8 together with Kuiper Compagnons. The idea is to show how new suburban housing estates can also be varied and exciting, in contrast to the common ’90s newly built Vinex estates, many of which are criticized to be repetitive and monotonous.
The master plan for the Vathorst district is a bold design with the residential area consisting of various neighbourhoods, each with its own distinctive character. They offer a platform for innovative architecture. The result is an extensive variety of housing types matched with appropriate facilities, while at the same time, much attention is also given to the existing surroundings and the provision of arts and cultural facilities in order to create a new community for the residents.
The masterplan is divided into four main zones:
- Werkstad (City of Labor): an area with a concentration of industrial, commercial and office programs at the junction of national infrastructure.
- De Velden (The Plains): Low-density urbanization respects the existing rural landscape with tree lines.
- De Bron (The Well): high-density cluster around a clean water basin.
- De Laak (The Canal City); a high-density housing area (65 houses p/ha) designed as an homage to the tradition of old Dutch canal cities, with a waterways system connected to the nearby IJsselmeer lake.
After the master-planning phase in 2000, West 8 has been responsible for the De Laak (The Canal City) zone as an urban planner, landscape architect and supervisor of implementation in order to ensure quality execution of this special area.
Client
Ontwikkelings Bedrijf Vathorst
Partners
Kuiper Compagnons; Consultants: DHV
Imagery
© West 8