ABSTRACT
Biesland is joined with plans 12–14 to form the ‘de Bras’ neighbourhood, which has its own distinctive character. In order to create a rural atmosphere, the main idea was that non-architects should not be able to tell which architect designed which house. There are common designs, but these are dotted around so that it doesn’t feel repetitive. In total 11,000 houses form this new district on an old military site. Biesland is one of 20 areas within Ypenburg; each contains 450–600 houses with a 25–30 homes per hectare density requirement. Like the Germans, the Dutch seem less concerned with privacy than the British, preferring large windows with no curtains, letting in plenty of light. Cycling is a major form of transport in the Netherlands, and it is lovely to see cycleways incorporated into new housing design as a standard feature. Biesland’s brick-and-block construction uses 150–200mm cavities, filled with insulation.
