Client:
ACK / Rabo Vastgoed, Utrecht
Contractor:
Commencement | Completion
1995 – 2005
Floor Space
400 apartments, 5.000 m2 of retail and commercial space, two parking garages (600 spots)
In Collaboration With
Urban Supervisor: H. van Olphen Architects Partners
Awards
Nomination Incentive Intensive Land Use STIR
In the old harbour of Katwijk local fishing companies have made room for 400 new apartment units. The requirements of the development, dubbed Princehaven, stated that it needed to become a place that Katwijks could identify with. The members of Katwijk did not want to experience any separation between themselves and adjacent the village of Port Prince. This has been considered in the design and architecture of the development. The Bouwfonds organization worked closely with local developers, and the municipality to negotiate a land development that was amicable for all parties. The apartment blocks are focused around the port, and provide residents of the upper floors views of the village. Large arcades provide residents with a desirable level of security, while maintaining a connection the community. The neighbourhood functions as a 6m high bowl that frames the village, portions of the development seen from the harbour experience direct access from the street level, sitting level with the older fishing cottages. The architecture of the apartments is sensitive to the vernacular style and scale of the existing fishing cottage. Throughout Princehaven, connections have been established in the form of stairways, lifts and roads, which provide residents with easy accessibility to the village. The inner courtyards of the development provide playgrounds, green space, ventilation and circulation, and possess a sense of intimacy between the blocks. The new development has become a critical component of the success of the village.