A sustainable mixed-use development springs from a Dutch city center like a green-fringed crystal formation

A redevelopment plan in the Dutch city of Eindhoven will combine new construction with renovated existing buildings to create a 29,000-sm mixed-use community. The project, which was awarded to MVRDV and SDK Vastgoed after their submission won the project’s design competition, will consist of 240 new homes, 1,700 sm of commercial space, 270 sm of urban farming space, and underground parking.

The project, dubbed Nieuw Bergen, is designed with a hyper-modern flair to echo Eindhoven’s status as a city of technology and knowledge. Natural light is one of the most important features of the project. The volumes follow a strict height limit and design guideline that allows for the maximum amount of natural sunlight, views, and reduced visibility from street levels, according to Jacbo van Rijs, Co-Founder of MVRDV.

Rendering courtesy of MVRDV.

Imaginary planes at an angle of 45 degrees are drawn from the footprint of neighboring residential buildings, which results in building forms with jagged silhouettes. The 45-degree angles provide the maximum amount of sunlight for the houses and the public spaces and make the roofs less visible from the ground floor.

Rendering courtesy of MVRDV.

Oblique roof panels are suited for solar installations or to accommodate green roofs. Gardens and greenhouses with lamella roof structures sit atop many of the buildings while the sloping, angled roofs will help to create a varied roof landscape. The façade of the buildings will feature neutral colors and a variety of materials such as glazed ceramic, stone, wood, and concrete.

Rendering courtesy of MVRDV.