Barcode architects

Barcode Architects proudly presents the ambitious masterplan for the Rotterdam Rijnhaven. For the creation of the Rijnhaven vision, Barcode Architects collaborated intensively with the City of Rotterdam, BGSV and Robbert de Koning Landschapsarchitect. The Rijnhaven masterplan is one of the biggest large-scale urban development tasks in Rotterdam and comprises a total of approximately 350,000m² of new, mixed urban programs. On the southern bank of the river Nieuwe Maas, a part of the harbor basin will be drained to create new land. A vibrant center area will emerge in the coming years, connecting the Wilhelmina Pier and Katendrecht.

In, on and along the Rijnhaven with its historic quays, industrial monuments and views, this creates an attractive urban area that will continue to put Rotterdam on the map as a 21st century metropolis. A wide esplanade with urban functions and special high-rise projects will soon be adjacent to a large-scale city park that adds a pleasant green quality to the harbor basin. This new urban park, located at the beginning of the Rijnhaven, will become an attractive public area with a permanent town beach and an educational ‘tidal park’. With its unique location, size, and special character, the Rijnhaven offers the opportunity to create a unique combination of city and park.

The master plan for the Rijnhaven contributes to Rotterdam’s major task of further densification. The program comprises around 2,000 to 2,500 new homes, offices and a rich mix of urban facilities. The combination of high-rise buildings on the one hand and city blocks with large green gardens on the other offers room for a diverse mix of social housing, rental apartments, and owner-occupied dwellings. In the plinths, space will be reserved for small-scale businesses and cafés and restaurants.

The masterplan lays down the most important spatial and programmatic starting points and forms the basis for the development of the Rijnhaven. In the next phase, the plan will be elaborated on before market players take over.

Barcode Architects and cepezed will make the design for the transformation of ‘Gele Scheikunde’, a former faculty complex of the Delft University of Technology. The development combination of Amvest and Kondor Wessels Vastgoed recenty won the tender for this 3 ha. area near the inner city of Delft.

Transformation
The faculty grounds, on which the characteristic yellow-brick chemistry complex is located, have not had an educational function for some time and were therefore offered for redevelopment. In the new plans, the area forms an important link between the Delft city center and the university campus.

Green residential enclave
The location will be transformed into an attractive green residential enclave with a varied residential program with 300 owner-occupied and rental homes in the social-and middle segment and a commercial plinth. The transformed original buildings and the new properties will form a characteristic whole. In the vision presented, Gele Scheikunde will become a place where it is safe and pleasant to live in in three years’ time; with small-scale activity and at the heart of the project a place for residents and neighbors to meet.

Inner-city development
In the next few months, the development combination will start with concrete plans for further development of this inner-city area. More detailed plans will be announced in the course of 2020.

Barcode Architects was selected by the Utrecht University to create a new urban vision for the Utrecht Science Park. This urban vision encompasses a development strategy for the central cluster (Heidelberglaan and surroundings), the urban framework for the areas surrounding the Kruyt and Van Unnik buildings, and the urban plan for the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine.

The Utrecht Science Park continues to develop. It is committed to a course in which the primary tasks of care, education and research are anchored and strengthened. At the same time, it wants to further expand its role as a knowledge cluster within the municipality of Utrecht, nationally and globally. To achieve this and to go through a successful transformation, it is necessary to translate these ambitions into a spatial image of the future Utrecht Science Park. This task is an integral part of it.

Utrecht University: “A lot is going to happen on the Utrecht Science Park in the next few years. With Barcode Architects, we work together with a team that thinks along with us and that will surprise us with spatial solutions can be applied immediately, but from which we will still benefit in 10 years’ time.”

Caro van de Venne, responsible partner at Barcode Architects: “As a partner architect at our firm, I am very involved in the projects and highly motivated to get the most out of them. I look forward to translating the potential of the Utrecht Science Park into a surprising and creative learning and living environment.”

The Earth Simulation Laboratory won the Betonprijs 2019 in the category ‘Utility buildings’! From the jury: “The character of the new ESL is determined by the subtle play lines in the concrete façade elements. The panels powerfully portray the identity of the Geosciences faculty. The applied scientific approach to the development of the concrete elements interlaced with RVS fits seamlessly with the identity of the Betonprijs.”

Many thanks and congratualtions to the entire team at ABT and Friso Bouwgroep for your collaboration with us on this unique project!