Haven Island, Wilhelmshaven , 2015, 3rd prize

In projects involving living by the water, we play with the concept of inner-city density: the vastness of the harbour basin is deliberately given a counterpart of urban spatial structures. Accentuated distribution of densities creates not only connecting bottlenecks but also differentiated open spaces, which are essential to keep a district together. The design is thus a kind of antithesis to conventional residential areas. There are no semi-private backyards, but the greenery, the recreational areas and parks (concentrated and decentralised) are part of the urban outdoor space. The north-south alleys form a network of viewing axes to the sea, while the west-east axes connect the squares scenographically. The “mistakes” in the system or the omissions create small squares and points of attraction. Public life is focused around these spaces and a new quarter full of character and variety emerges. The buildings are dimensioned in a way to allow, depending on the apartment mix, four to six residential units with a shared circulation core. 80% of the apartments are oriented to two sides and overlook both the harbour basins and the squares. In addition, there are tension-filled connections from the corner of the apartments into the alleys and along the main axes.