The Bachelor’s graduation design involves an urban strategy for the (area around the) “Hofbogen” railway track and the design for a seniors’ apartment complex. In a multidisciplinary group I took the role of urban designer.
The elevated “Hofplein” railway track was constructed between 1901 and 1909, and is a designated “Rijksmonument” status for being one of the first structures out of steel reinforced concrete in The Netherlands. Still in use today as an elevated railway the structure will become vacant from 2012 onwards. How can this structure be re-used for the benefit of city and neighborhood?
The notion of connectivity has been preserved in the developed Urban Strategy. The Urban Strategy proposes two new modes of transportation, at two different scale levels, city and neighborhood.
One is a quick bike route, connecting the districts north of the planning area to the Rotterdam city center. For this purpose two extended bike ramps were added, one on the north side near the A20, and one on the South side. A pedestrian route, with access stairways at six central points will connect the ‘locals’ at a neighborhood level.
An analysis of the urban morphology of the neighborhoods around the track (Liskwartier, Bergpolder, Agniesebuurt and Zomerhofkwartier) revealed four different atmospheres. From North to South they are “green living in the city”, “neighborhood facilities”, “urban living”, and the “mixed zone”, with city center activities like Hotels, Movie theaters, Restaurants, Offices, and high rise living.
The demographic analysis showed an aging population in the neighborhood, and led to the decision to place the seniors apartment complex in the area of “neighborhood facilities”, in the heart of the neighborhood and close to shops and home care facilities.
Hofbogen Rotterdam
B.Sc. Graduation Studio
Rotterdam 2008
design team: T. van den Heuvel, W. van Donselaar, K. Damoiseaux, J. Pedd, R. van der Linden, J. Vermeulen, P. de Ruijter
mentor urban design: dipl. ing. S.S.S. Rousseau
design2sustain 
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