Innovative approach to high-density living
We designed de Bongerd along the lines of a garden suburb, which may be defined as a planned residential community in a park-like setting. However, with space at a premium in Amsterdam, we adapted the idea to provide as many apartments as possible on each plot without compromising liveability. Thus, while the standard new housing development (known in the Netherlands as Vinex neighbourhoods) usually offers about 30 apartments per hectare, we were able to accommodate 62. And we did this while giving each apartment its own ground floor entrance, so that every household could feel connected to their street and to the neighbourhood. Private front doors also avoided the need for a homeowners’ association.