Will the woonerf revive?
Can the idea of the typical Dutch woonerf be translated to the 21st century? The small-scale, pedestrian friendly neighborhood from the late 1960s, had in fact already been dismissed by city planners. Will this woonerf now get a second life? In the publication ‘Het Woonerf leeft’ (The Woonerf lives) the architects of Delft Architectural Studies on Housing (DASH) seek new applications for these residential areas built and dismissed some 40 years ago.
An Alternative for high-rises
The woonerf was the alternative to high-rise in the 70's. It has also been called the most important contribution by the Dutch to the suburbanization. A typical example is the 'cauliflower district’ (bloemkoolwijk), the neighborhood with winding paths and courtyards and various solutions for traffic.
They're back…
In the last two decades not many residential areas built. In the book ‘Het Woonerf leeft’ DASH describes the historical development of the woonerf and shows how they, mainly in the Netherlands and Scandinavia, in recent years have made a quiet comeback.
Residential areas in the late 20th century
Social geographer, Ivan Nio, describes how the original inhabitants of the residential areas built in the ‘70s have gotten older and how these woonerven are now inhabited by a mixed crowd, including many one-and two-person households. The spacious green areas are still very much in favour nowadays. On the other hand, the more sober residential areas built in the ‘80s, are rundown and decayed. In the ‘90s elements of the woonerf were used in designs for VINEX districts (housing for low income families in the Netherlands).
Residential or Vinex?
Architects Dick van Gameren and Harald Mooij show how the woonerg has revived in VINEX housing. The suburban VINEX districts often do not have much space, so many ideas are reused from woonerf areas. The idea of shared property is not applicable to VINEX districts, but houses in the woonerf areas were often quite narrow, making the type/built of houses suitable in the modern VINEX neighborhoods.
Woonerf as social institution and residential care homes
An example of a new application of the woonerf is' woonzorgerf’ (woonerf as a social institution where people are cared for). In an interview with architect Alex van de Beld a design for an erf (area) with 100 senior housing is mentioned, where the residents are connected to communal gardens. Another example of a new application of this principle are the porch houses in Almere-Buiten, where the houses stand on mounds and the residents do not own yards and there are no fence. Instead, the houses have a porch on the property (erf), thus enabling them to an outdoor area with some privacy.
For more information
Delft Architectural Studies on Housing
The residential living
NAi Publishers
ISBN 978905662
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