"Playing with unity in diversity"

Landmarks of the historic center and before that the white houses of the IJsselkade. This is how Zutphen shows itself as you approach the city. A beautiful, characteristic image. The redevelopment of the Noorderhaven appears to match that perfectly. Go take a look at Kade Noord ...

The Noorderhaven used to be an industrial site. Heijmans Realty recently redeveloped it into a contemporary live/work area.

Quay North

Part of the redevelopment is Kade Noord: a closed building block with 134 homes surrounding a courtyard garden. "Kade Noord is located in a unique spot overlooking the newly constructed marina and the IJssel River," says architect Jos van der Linde of Utrecht-based Zecc Architects. "Together with KCAP Architects and Planners, we designed Kade Noord. KCAP designed 53 apartments, made the urban plan and designed the courtyard. Zecc designed 81 apartments and was responsible for the technical development of the entire project and the application for the environmental permit."

Urban design premise

Noorderhaven is an expansion of the inner city, extending the IJsselkade. "Connecting with the character of the existing, white buildings on the IJsselkade was the urban design starting point. In the architectural design, this character was allowed to be reinterpreted in a modern way, but the new buildings on the waterfront had to be white."

Variations in white

The buildings on the IJsselkade date from various periods: from 1800 to the 1990s. In the course of time they have undergone many changes. "Here an extension has been added, there a door has been moved. Cornices have been retained, but sometimes the entrance has ended up on the side. As an architect, I think it's cool that buildings that on the one hand have a lot in common show a lot of variation. Inspired by that, it was decided to introduce variations that you don't usually see in new buildings." That became the architectural game: creating unity with variety.

The new interpretation

Jos explains how the architectural game was played. "Coming from the Contrescarp with the harbor to your left, you approach the white ensemble. Here the entire façade wall is made of different light or white materials. The building on the far right has light brick, while the adjacent building is built with white keim brick. Next to it will be a building with a white light brick and again next to it is stucco - white. Different textures and nuances." Also special: "Each building has its own typology. But each building also always shares a theme with the neighboring building. One of the themes is a dichotomy with two windows, which you see in the rightmost property and in the adjacent property in keim stone. Further on, two adjacent properties have a dichotomy with three windows in the facade."

Rich detailing

If you pay attention, you will discover that different themes are thus intertwined in the building. They are accentuated with details that give a new interpretation of the old IJsselkade buildings. "Wooden louvered doors from the past return as details in two properties. Cornices are abstractly interpreted as recessed planes above the windows, incorporating blinds. Balconies that stagger and the alternation with bay windows, loggias and setbacks create a playful character."

Beautiful view

Another characteristic is the alternation of apartment buildings and ground-level housing. "We wanted to create a varied, lively plinth," says Dr. K. K., "and we wanted to create a lively plinth." This involved careful consideration of how residents would take full advantage of the harbor views. "The lower apartments and ground-level homes start above the semi-sunken parking facility. You're always above street level, which adds to the quality of the view."

Various housing types

There are homes with extra-high living space on the first floor, bell-floor apartments with lots of privacy and homes with 4-meter-high living space on the second floor. "Take a split-level home with high windows: it's really great to stand there and look outside. Then you experience what that does to the experiential value of the home."

The windows are fitted with plastic frames based on the VEKA profile system SOFTLINE 82 NL. WN Kunststof Kozijnen in Dinxperlo supplied the window frames in RAL 7012, and with the pivots in RAL 7039 and RAL 9018. "Heijmans chose to use plastic window frames. Because of the value for money and because of the sustainable nature - plastic, for example, is more durable than aluminum."

Back

The homes designed by Zecc at the rear have a different character. "These houses are not by the water; you can see that in the architecture. It is characterized by references to the former industrial area, parts of which are still preserved. Near Kade-Noord, for example, there is still part of the old cold store that used to be part of a production hall. The architecture also refers to this. The color of the houses is also different from the front: brown and gray bricks have been used here."

Communal courtyard garden

Looking out over the harbor or relaxing in the greenery? The second option is also attractive thanks to the KCAP-designed courtyard garden, which invites meetings and promotes social sustainability. "There is greenery from facade to facade: the back gardens. And every resident overlooks the courtyard that is accessible to everyone. KCAP designed it as a real Zutphen courtyard, the kind you still see in the old city center. The dike landscape of the river IJssel was the inspiration for the walkway that connects the different living spaces in the courtyard like an infinite dike. We explicitly told residents to make use of the courtyard: look for each other, for example by having a barbecue."

Proud

There is much more to tell about Kade Noord. Stories that belong under the heading of "pride. "Residents are proud of the unique place. The active VvE is aware of the importance of preserving the collective image of the complex. And proud are also the people who worked on it, such as the masons who were able to show their craftsmanship in special masonry work." Added to that is the pride of the architects. "Heijmans gave us the opportunity to realize the design in all its richness."