defensie eiland – conversion of a former military terrain into an urban neighbourhood

team: pasel.kuenzel architects with KCAP, Rotterdam, KOW Architectuur and Braaksma en Roos
size: 242 housing units
perimeter: 3,5 ha
location: Woerden, Netherlands
date: 2009-2011
role: Urban design, masterplan and architectural design
client: Blauwhoed BV, VORM BV
awards: 1^stprize
competition

The pittoresk medieval city of Woerden is separated from its station through a longitudinal island. As this island is named “Defensie Eiland”, the world “separated” starts making sence: The isle was a military terrain for centuries.

While the isle is now given back to the city, it is a great opportunity to connect the city towards its station with a new residential area. With its character as an isle and its beautifully arranged old industrial buildings, Defensie Island has great potentials to be transformed into a fantastic new urban neighbourhood with more then 200 housing units in various typologies with a strong and unique identity.