Weezenlanden Noord

Karres en Brands is working on the design of Weezenlanden Noord in Zwolle, a new neighbourhood close to the city center after winning the design competition organized by housing association Openbaar Belang. Based on the urban development plan of Urhanh, Barcode Architects and Karres en Brands developed this integral green-urban masterplan, in close cooperation with Nijhuis, Explorius, Bouwinvest en DGRM. The plan consists of approximately 500 houses, 230 of which are social, with great diversity in public space and housing typology.

Collectivity is the starting point for the design of the indoor and outdoor spaces and resounds on all levels. The scale of the individual elements are an important reason for encounters between neighbours in your own street or on the other side of the block.

The meeting places designed around objects form a hybrid between your livingroom and the outside space. Such as a table, bench, stairs – integrated into a place in the outdoor area where you would like to meet with your family or neighbours. These special objects contribute to the recongnisability and collectivity of Weezenlanden Noord. By flexibly placing the objects through the phasing, and moving them along with the growth of the area, a high-quality outdoor space is created already in the first stage of the project.

In this special city district we look at green not only for use and experience, but also from the point of view of biodiversity and climate adaptation. Weezenlanden integrates biodiversity at all levels of scale. Water is also an important part of the design strategy of Weezenlanden Noord. It is a recognizable connector between environment, building and resident. Insteat of draining water as quickly as possible, the strategy in Weezenlanden Noord is to collect, filter and reuse the water in its own area. The mix of intensive green roofs, nature-inclusive facades, varied vegetation with water storage means that not only a lot of water is retained, but also a higher level of biodiversity is provided.

The next ten years we will work on the realization of this inclusive residential area where everyone can live, and which fits in with Zwolle. The first houses are expected to be delivered in 2023.