Site Practice, in collaboration with Dun Agro Hemp Group, has won the design competition for the residential complex in Hof van Holland.
On the occasion of their 125th anniversary, the Volksbelang Foundation of 1895 has launched a competition for the design of a residential building in Hof van Holland, in collaboration with the Talis housing foundation.
The competition was a call to design an affordable, buildable, socially and ecologically sustainable project as integrally as possible.
The competition concerned a design assignment for a residential building in Hof van Holland, located in a newly developed area next to De Oversteek in Nijmegen-Noord. The competition focused on a design for the construction of a residential complex of 70 social rental homes, with the application of innovative and creative ideas, partial aspects of construction that can also be applied elsewhere in circular, energy-efficient housing.
”The Hemphof”
The winner of the design contest has become Site Practice! Their winning design in collaboration with Dun Agro Hemp Group will be used for the realization of the residential complex in Nijmegen.
The proposal of ”Het Hennephof” consists of 81 social rental homes with shared constructions of timber frame construction and lime hemp. The communal workplace forms the basis of the concept of co-creation. By delivering the rental apartments as shells when rented, only what is needed is built and the homes are adaptable and flexible over a long period of time.
Not only people, but also nature is central to ”Het Hennephof”. The communal areas on the floors, the roof, but also the immediate surroundings are green spaces that stimulate biodiversity.
The choice for construction materials from Dutch soil is in line with a sustainable, energy-efficient and circular construction method. The construction consists of a timber frame filled with lime hemp and can be built quickly (and therefore cheaply) thanks to the hyper-prefab approach. The choice for timber frame construction reduces the use of materials compared to a construction method in cross-laminated timber, and is therefore more in line with the principle of circular and energy-efficient construction. In the future, the design will also be built by Dun Agro Hemp Group.
According to the jury, Site Practice presents itself with ”Het Hennephof” as a real ‘innovator’ due to the ambition and daring in the field of circularity and social sustainability in the design. ‘Compared to the other entries, Het Hennephof goes one step further. The designers have focused on the behavior of the residents.
In addition, there is a minimalism in the use of materials that is consistently applied in the design. The diversity of the homes and the richness of collective spaces are also highly appreciated by the jury.
