Text description provided by the architects. Havenkade, located by the harbor along the Waal River, is the most recent residential addition to Nijmegen’s urban silhouette. The development is part of the larger urban transformation plan for the Waalfront area, the city’s former industrial district. The project is a joint initiative, notable for its diversity in housing types. It comprises 324 apartments, including 164 social rent units for housing corporations Talis and Portaal, designed by architectuurcentrale Thijs Asselbergs and Van Ommeren Associates (VOA). The 38 medium-priced rental apartments and 122 private-sector apartments were designed by JURY!
Within a recognizable masonry ensemble, a versatile mix of housing has been created. Characteristics are the two-story high entrances that form the connection between the new city street and the courtyard within the building block. The exterior has a robust masonry character, while the courtyard is detailed in a more neutral way that serves as a basis for the vegetation to flourish.
Building housing diversity. The urban masterplan for the Havenkade plot was conceived by Asselbergs and VOA. By deviating from the original plan for two separate buildings and instead proposing an integrated development for a cohesive building block, maximum benefit can be derived from shared resources such as mobility infrastructure, landscaping, and a robust architectural ensemble.
There is an urgent need for more affordable housing in general but in particular compact apartments for starters and single occupants. The collaborating architectural firms, aTa and VOA, see tailor-made standardized construction and modular construction as the solution for the future. Series-produced housing projects consisting of diversity in housing typologies create architectural enrichment with lasting value. In the Havenkade project, social housing is designed with the same attention and thoughtfulness as all other housing types. The variety of housing typologies on the Havenkade – living by the water, the street, or the courtyard and the range of sizes of apartments and maisonettes – offer diverse housing options for the Nijmegen community.
Green living by the harbor. The location of Havenkade lies at the intersection between the views of the harbor, the Waal River, and the main cycling route across the dyke to the city center. The courtyard of the ensemble opens up to the harbor, creating a connection with the public waterfront and the landscape. The landscape, designed by Felixx Landscape Architects and Planners, combines the need for mobility infrastructure, green surroundings, and a vegetative environment. Future-proof interventions along the embankment have been made with flood defense in mind, integrating parking with trees in the open ground and infiltration of rainwater in the courtyard. These interventions contribute to a climate-adaptive and healthy living environment.
