Groningen Building Survey – 2nd prize for Touwbaan Phase 2

On Friday 19 June, on the occasion of the Day of Architecture, the Groningen Building Survey prizes for architecture were presented. The Touwbaan Phase 2 housing project designed by De Zwarte Hond landed the second prize. The jury, consisting of Paul Diederen, Jaap Jan Berg and Owen Zachariasse, commented: “When visiting the building awarded second place, the first thing the jury noticed was the superb urban planning shown in the design area. The architectural design expertly and skilfully builds on this to make the most of the opportunities offered by the underlying plan. Thanks to the careful coordination of urban and architectural design, smooth transitions were created between the old and new town, and between public and private spaces. Visitors to the area experience a pleasing and well-balanced inner-city living environment. The project itself is convincing due to its good and careful design, beautiful detailing, and the high standards of work shown by the contractor.”

The jury report also shows that the jury were slightly disappointed with the general level of entries for this year, although it praises the consistent quality of the buildings designed by De Zwarte Hond in the city of Groningen. “The quality and added value of a number of housing projects fell short. Even taking into account the – probably low – budgets involved, there was a general lack of distinguishing and quality-adding elements, varying from material use to spatial quality. [...] The jury would like to note that the consistent quality offered by De Zwarte Hond stands out. In this context, the company shines a bright light (in Groningen), demonstrating that in spite of restrictions architecture of distinction can be produced that contributes to a high-quality living environment.”

The first prize of the Groningen Building Survey was awarded to the Violenstraat Sport Block by Marlies Rohmer.

The full jury report can be found here.