How can you live a green life in an urban environment?
Regulateur
De Regulateur was designed by De Zwarte Hond and is part of the Grunobuurt, where the agency also created the urban development plan and designed the previously completed housing blocks Typhoon and Tractie. The building was developed through a close and long-term collaboration between Nijestee, Trebbe, and De Zwarte Hond, with the aim of enabling healthier and happier living.
The Regulateur is a compact residential building with 105 apartments arranged around a courtyard garden. There are 79 social rental apartments and 26 mid-market rental apartments. Typologically, the design is based on Groningen’s traditional hofjes (almshouses). In addition to the greenery in the courtyard garden, greenery will also grow up along the inner façades. All the housing types are oriented towards this inner garden by positioning the outdoor space on this side. In addition to the living space, the extra-high ground floor provides space for two social and commercial spaces that will boost the neighbourhood, as well as shared bicycle storage.The stepped residential building ranges from three to seven storeys and features unique brickwork that appears to consist of a repeated header bond. The rooftops are covered with sedum in combination with solar panels. Parking is solved centrally in the neighbourhood in a parking garage. This has created space for a garden in the courtyard with lots of greenery, a wadi to store rainwater and places to spend time and meet other residents.
data
- Location
- Groningen, NL
- Size
- 9.942 m²
- Client
- Nijestee
- Discipline
- Architecture
- Program
- Housing, Housing Associations
- Period
- 2019-2023
- Status
- Completed
- Photography
- Eva Bloem
- Partners
- Trebbe, Felixx Landscape Architects & Planners
- Awards (1)
-
- Groninger Architectuurprijs
Third Prize Jury
- Groninger Architectuurprijs
Groningen
Gruno
Compact residential building in Groningen’s Grunobuurt
The Regulateur is part of the Grunobuurt, where De Zwarte Hond is also responsible for the urban development plan and the design of the already completed Typhoon and Tractie apartment blocks. This building is the result of a close and long-term collaboration between Nijestee, De Zwarte Hond and Trebbe, with the aim of making living even healthier and happier.
Transparent collaboration
Groningen’s Grunobuurt has been under renovation for two decades. In 2016, housing company Nijestee, architecture firm De Zwarte Hond and developer Trebbe joined forces to renew the building, design and development process.
Throughout the process, every aspect is transparent to all the parties, allowing them to make adjustments together if necessary. Where, in a traditional process, good ideas often come too late and fail, here there is room for innovation. This approach should result in high-quality, affordable housing in an inclusive neighbourhood.
The collaboration in Grunobuurt is based on a shared ambition: to make people happier.
By locating parking for residents in a central car park in the neighbourhood…
space has been created, allowing the courtyard to become an inner garden…
…around which people live.
Façade rhythm with light and views
The façade, with its rhythm of openings, is repeated around the block, with loggias at the corners.
The higher you are in the building, the greater the light and views. This is reflected in the façade image with wide windows at the bottom and narrower windows at the top.
Brickwork principles
Together with the Strating brick factory, we created a special brick for the Regulateur. The brickwork has flush mortar joints, creating an interesting block bond that emphasizes the ‘fade’ pattern of the facade. The frames around the windows are made from standard 100 mm deep bricks, and recessed surfaces use shallower 70 mm deep bricks.
© Eva Bloem
Over time, vegetation will grow along the façades on the inner sides of the building.
