Duinenwater Masterplan

Duinenwater neighbourhood is a reference project of successful place-making: the building of a green neighbourhood with a strong identity and a vibrant community lies at its heart, rather than the building of residences.

Location

Knokke-Heist, BE

Year

1999 – ongoing

Size

800 residences

Client

D&W

Photography

Stefaan Degroote

The challenge in the context of Knokke was to design a neighbourhood which could be as successful as The Zoute or Duinbergen neighbourhoods: qualitative green neighbourhoods with a recognizable character and typology of streets and buildings. Both neighbourhoods where successfully planned at the start of the 20^th century.

The most important feature of the plan is the Put De Cloedt, the central lake. The water body is a former sand mining pit, which was private and hidden for the outside. By making the banks publicly accessible and organising sports and other functions, the lake soon became a destination with the urban area.

The masterplan envisions the importance of urban quarters at the pedestrian size and the necessity to build polycentric centres. With a variety of functions on the Keith Haring Square, lively streets are stimulated by planning of a variety of functions.

Today, Duinenwater looks evident and natural. After years of constructing various projects, the area has an attractive quality of living. At its base, the garden city spirit creates a good masterplan, with abundant green, strong vistas and a characteristic architectural language.

Arcas strongly believes that a solid familiarity with history and climate of a region is essential in conceptualising architecture that is optimally suited to its place. The language involves reference to traditional ‘Knokse’ coastal architecture: cladded pitched roofs, wooden windows, white painted brick facades, woodwork en fine ornaments, covered terraces.