Courtyard for a Town

Bringing much needed homes in to the heart of the Baarn, a town in the centre of the Netherlands, Courtyard for a Town is a project of over 40 dwellings on a brownfield site that lines the historic core of the town. The project comprises of a series of 3 and 4 storey blocks, mixing apartments with compact terraced housing, placed to restore the rhythm of the existing urban fabric, that had become distorted and damaged over the years. The distinctive roof forms refer to the industrial past of the site, a former print works, and the mixture of masonry and plasterwork draws explicitly from the context. With high aims for the use sustainable materials throughout the development, timber is planned to be used through, dimensioned to ensure future adaptability for maximum impact. At the heart of the site lies a new courtyard, lined by dwellings and colonnades, and orientated to ensure good sun exposure throughout the day. The new public space provides a peaceful contrast to the busy shopping streets to the south of the site.