Stadsoevers

Stadsoevers (city riverbanks) is the largest new area development in Roosendaal. This former industrial area between the Vliet and the future Noordlaan north of the centre will be transformed in the coming years into Stadsoevers, a lively area where living, working, nature, and recreation come together. 

 The plan includes the development of approximately 165 sustainable and contemporary homes on the green zone of the Molenbeek and the Zwaaikom water square. An urban plan has been created that reflects and accentuates the explicit housing wishes of future residents. At the same time, the neighbourhood as a whole feels inclusive and complete. Green paths connect the four residential blocks, and invite residents to explore nature.

The design responds to the needs of residents in the city of the future. The spatial structure is based on three main elements: the stepped common areas that create a gradual transition from city to neighbourhood and from courtyard to home; making the living environment greener and more sustainable; guaranteeing the physical ‘crossability’ of the area. The aim is to create a confident yet quirky neighbourhood with shared public space and a strong social character. The individuality of each home is a central tenet in this. There are no repetitive street walls in sight, but varied and individual series of homes. An informal fine-meshed fabric of routes through the blocks connects the park zone through the collective courtyards. The car-free, informal city streets offer unexpected glimpses through the urban maze. Places that promote being together and meeting play a major role in this domain of pedestrians and playing children. The boundary between the private and public is blurred, and encounters between neighbours are stimulated. The result; an attractive and lively living environment.

Stadsoevers consists of various ‘living atmospheres’. Future residents will soon open their front doors to the Vliet, the harbour, the Noordlaan, the side streets, or the ecological zone. Stately mansions will be built on the Vliet, with apartments on the Zwaaikom in an urban atmosphere. The homes, with a markedly green character, are located on the west side of Stadoevers, between the ecological connecting zone of the Molenbeek stream and the Noordlaan. Here, three residential blocks will be seamlessly connected to the new ecological park zone. The houses are located in an alternating line, so that the green ecological zone penetrates deep into the blocks. There is space for parking under the collective green courtyards, so that the streets between the blocks remain car-free. Residents will enjoy direct contact with nature: they are just a few steps from the ecological connection zone and the stream, the green vein that runs through Stadsoevers.

Regardless of where or how people live, connection with nature is essential in Stadsoevers. Our nature-inclusive approach taken in the design ensures that new plant, insect, and bird species are also welcomed by the greenery. All homes are built with nature-inclusivity in mind, with attention and space for plants and animals and the use of green roofs. Rainwater collected on green roofs is drained via wadis and green residential streets to the Vliet or the Molenbeek stream tributaries, and ultimately fed into the Molenbeek. The neighbourhood as a whole acts as a connecting zone, linking the city with the surrounding landscape.