Uitzicht II.

Residential area.

Client                      Wilgenrijk
Year                         2023
Status                     Design phase
Location                 Maassluis
Architect                Machiel Hopman, Georgios Koliotsas
Partners                 ECHO Urban Design
Renders                 Met Studio

“Wilgenrijk is a reinterpretation of old and familiar elements that are linked to contemporary ideas”.
“Good architecture is rooted in the past and is future-proof. The Maassluise School is based on a contemporary interpretation of traditional architecture. A house looks like a house, a barn like a barn, a roof like a roof. Form and function have a direct relationship with each other and it is crystal clear that these are New Holland houses”.

*Stijlboek Maassluise School

 
Urbanism and Architecture

Conversearchitects together with ECHO Urban Design developed the design concept that was inspired by the traditional design of a Brinkdorp. These medieval green villages were built on sand ridges to keep people‘s feet dry. This created small villages where the center was higher than its surroundings. Uitzicht‘s green inner green space, like a brink, serves as a central gathering place for the community.

To create the feeling and atmosphere of our own Uitzicht neighbourhood, we have implemented recurring elements and details, such as dormer windows and fixed glass corners. There are three distinct house types, each of which pays homage to the traditional Brinkdorp design in its own way. These variations are characterized by different traditional Dutch building materials such as ceramic tiles, metal and thatch roofing. All houses feature a hand-formed mixed grey brick facade with different shades of dark to light grey.

The houses on the outskirts of Uitzicht on the west side refer to the village houses that traditionally were also around the brink and are where the craftsmen lived and had their workshops and yards. In terms of material use, here, we choose metal roofs with a matte zinc look and wooden batten facades.
To reinforce the village character and optimally comply with the first architecture rule from the Maassluise school, a house looks like a house, we have them shaped as picturesque attached houses placed on a masonry plinth.
To maximize the garden and terrace area towards the water side, we place the houses as far as possible to the side of the road, creating a small front yard behind the hedge that, in combination with the storage and the gate to the garden, form a frame around the plot.

As a principle, Medieval town squares feature a large volume in the center, usually the church. As an alternative to this volume, we eventually decided, in collaboration with ECHO Urban Design, to place an ensemble of three bold volumes covering the three sides of the elevated inner green area in the middle of Uitzicht.
In addition to the larger volume, these houses are equipped with a flat, dark-gray ceramic roof tile as a reference to church architecture. This is in referance to the use of (natural stone) tiles that were often used as a status symbol in the construction of churches.
To strengthen the interaction and community of this inner green area, the front doors and porches are directly facing the public area, just like at the Wevershof.

 

Originally, both the houses and the farms of the village inhabitants were built closer to the road. These farms had their large barn doors, the Baanderdeuren, facing the road around the brink. This way, farmers could easily drive in and out of the barn with their carts and wagons.
For the thatched roof houses on the east side of Uitzicht, we want this principle to come back, by placing the carports and sheds as a contemporary car shed along the road.
The thatched houses behind these contemporary sheds will get a more sheltered ‘front garden’ on the southwest and the roofs of these sheds can be used to place the necessary PV panels.
For the roofs of these houses that refer to traditional farms, we use reed. Reed was, contrary to nowadays, a cheap building material used for farms. Only when a farmer earned more money did they literally and figuratively get “onder de pannen” (a roof over their head).

By utilizing the same principles seen in the Brinkdorp, in Vergezicht we also want to bring back the idea of having the carports and sheds close to the road as a contemporary car shed, mirroring the farm barns close to the road.
The houses in this area, south of Uitzicht, will have a more sheltered ‘front garden’, while taking advantage of the roofs of the sheds to place necessary PV panels.
Taking inspiration from traditional house materials, reed will be used for the roofs of these houses, as it was once, in contrary to today, a more affordable building material.

Make Uitzicht Project in Maassluis your new home!
With its central location, modern amenities, and excellent investment potential, it‘s the ideal choice for those looking for a unique and comfortable place to live.
Head to Wilgenrijk to get all the information you need to make an informed decision, and jumpstart your journey to your dream house.