Friezenlaan is a new neighbourhood in Tilburg, a city in the south of the Netherlands. Tilburg City Council requested Karres en Brands Landscape Architecture and Urbanism together with DAT architects to design a new plan for Friezenlaan, comprising 34 houses and 98 apartments. The 3.7 hectare site used to be the grounds of a swimming pool, and is surrounded by diverse neighbourhoods.
The starting point for the urban regeneration was to create a high quality residential area, while maintaining the existing landscape qualities. Preserving the monumental trees, providing the required density, dealing with the traffic noise from Baronielaan and harmonizing the very different housing types was a complex design task. The aim was to achieve a new interpretation of the traditional, closed housing block. By opening up these blocks and thus transforming the mass of the buildings, they became a part of, and formed a new relationship with the existing groups of trees and surrounding buildings.
Placing housing blocks on the edge of the site created a public courtyard that has the character of an enclosed private space. This inner area incorporates a number of collective facilities, such as sufficient benches to seat all the residents, a shady garden and – as a reference to the former swimming pool – one remaining lane of the old 50-metre pool. This lane is framed by original paving of natural stone cobbles and has several benches along the strip of water, inspired by the pool’s diving boards. The existing 135 trees have been kept, and the former lawn and its surrounding hedge has become part of the new park.
The area is the property of its new residents, but is accessible to the public. Because the area is maintained and managed by the Owners’ Association, the outdoor spaces have a high quality level.
The design was one of the final nominees for the 2004 Golden Pyramid, Award and won the 2004 national Omgevings Architectuur Prijs (Public Space Design Prize).
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