Whemedreef Housing

Our development proposal for De Wheme in Arnhem connects an urban concept to green city-space and the wide open Immerloo lake. The toothed edge of this plan abuts an adjoining estate and reinforces the urban biotope through elegant public space which also accommodates wadies, hedgerows and tree lines. Vegetation obscures transversely parked cars from view while the whole area can be activated by various sports- and play-facilities for even the youngest inhabitants. In order to adapt public spaces to changing climate conditions, it is designed to mitigate heat stress and accommodate extreme precipitation successfully. Architecturally, the new plan weaves in with the existing estate, both in street plan and in facade expression. On a larger scale, the special roof structures, corner windows and balconies articulate the design. The front facing veranda roofs not only shelter the entrances of the ground level dwellings, but also offer an accommodating exterior-space to adjoining kitchen-living rooms. This additional shelter creates added opportunities for social contact and an uninterrupted supervision on playing children. To the rear, facing the lake, architectural expression changes color, both figuratively and literally. Blending in with the landscaping and open spaces of the Immerloo lake, the homes are clad in timber to this side and equipped with generous cantilevered roof overhangs to the south and southwest.