Vrijburgh was developed as our proposal for the Vrijburgh Phase 3 competition in Drachten, commissioned by Harns Invest in collaboration with Studio BLAD and VDM Woningen. The design takes its point of departure from the existing landscape. The historic water structure and the characteristic coulisse landscape form the spatial framework for a residential environment in which water, landscape and architecture are conceived as a single composition. By concentrating the homes into three compact clusters, most of the island remains free from development. This creates a continuous landscape of natural embankments, walking paths and shared gardens that extends beyond the private plots and becomes part of the neighbourhood as a whole.

From this same design approach, both the architecture and the material strategy were developed. The houses are conceived as modest timber volumes with a rhythmic façade of vertical ribs that integrates doors and windows into a calm and coherent composition. Developed together with VDM Woningen, the homes are based on a prefabricated timber-frame construction system with a high proportion of bio-based materials. Climate-adaptive measures—including green roofs, rainwater retention, minimal paving and a robust water management system—are not treated as separate sustainability features, but as an inherent part of the design. Material use, biodiversity, water management and energy performance have been developed as one integrated system, with a strong focus on low-tech and passive design principles.

The collective landscape forms the social heart of Vrijburgh. Between the residential clusters, space is created for a bird meadow, a neighbourhood park, a shared kitchen garden and gently meandering walking routes that remain accessible to the surrounding neighbourhood. These shared spaces encourage everyday encounters while strengthening biodiversity and ecological connections. Together with Studio BLAD, a long-term landscape management strategy was developed that actively involves residents in the care and evolution of the landscape from the very beginning. In this way, the landscape becomes not only the setting for living, but also the foundation for a community that can evolve over time.

• Location
  Drachten, The Netherlands
• Program
  23 detached and semi detached houses
• Client
  Harns Invest
• Contractor
  VDM Woningen
• Landscape Architect
  Studio Blad
• Status
  Competition
• Gross floor area
  143 m² (per house)
• Photography
  Noemi Wagner Rodríguez
• Visualisations
  Unknown Architects en Studio Blad