Apartments and penthouses overlook idyllic park-like setting

This is how Weusten Liedenbaum Architects designed the apartment buildings of Park Waaijenstein, commissioned by Ter Steege Bouw Vastgoed. This unique project includes a total of 16 owner-occupied apartments, 2 penthouses and 67 free sector rental apartments, spread across 5 buildings that form a square around a central courtyard. Large windows in the living rooms provide unobstructed views of the park.

Construction company De Vree en Sliepen, sister company of Ter Steege Bouw Vastgoed Rijssen, is fully engaged in the realization of Park Waaijenstein in the Waalsprong, a stone's throw from the center of Nijmegen. This is because project developer Ter Steege, together with institutional investor MN and Weusten Liedenbaum Architects, won the tender for this project with small-scale but stately apartment buildings. The investor, on behalf of the Stichting Bedrijfspensioenfonds voor de Koopvaardij, will also take delivery of 67 apartments for the free sector rental. The remaining 16 apartments and 2 penthouses have already been sold. 

"The project consists of 3 buildings with a total of 5 entrances forming a square around a central courtyard. The parking facility is realized under the houses and is hidden from view by a slope in the landscape. During the design phase, we paid great attention to the articulation of the large volumes to give the mass a human scale. The site is built asymmetrically with fairly large cuts and indentations in the volumes. The buildings get taller the closer one gets to the Waal: from three stories in the north to a five-story head," architect Hugo Liedenbaum explains his design. "The buildings face the surrounding landscape and establish a relationship with it. The main entrances are located 3.5 m above ground level and only become visible once one walks up the wide faint entrance to the entrance courtyard.    

The courtyard forms a green space with benches and a number of trees poking through the holes in the parking deck. Those living on the first floor adjacent to the courtyard will have their own private spot on the facade there, while residents on the higher floors can look out onto the courtyard from their kitchens."

Living with a view of the park

The rental apartments have an area between 73 and 96 m2, while the apartments for sale range from 93 to 100 m2 including a 9 m2 loggia. The owners of the penthouses will have a space of 163 and 173 m2 at their disposal, respectively. All buildings are oriented outwards and great attention was paid to the integration of living rooms and outdoor spaces. Large glass windows in all apartments guarantee an unobstructed view of the park-like surroundings as well as providing plenty of natural light. Furthermore, the homes include loggias and the penthouses have spacious outdoor terraces.

Architectural unity

The red and brown mottled bricks, with which the exterior facades of the buildings are finished, integrate perfectly into the green surroundings. On the side of the courtyard, a deliberate choice was made for a facade brick with a lighter color in combination with a red accent color. The design and layout of the rental apartments naturally took into account the wishes of client MN. The construction site is in full development and is scheduled for completion in mid-2021. Even though the buildings differ from each other in terms of program, they still form an architectural unit and create a peaceful backdrop in the green surroundings.   

Construction Info

Client 
Ter Steege Bouw Vastgoed, Rijssen i.c.w. institutional investor MN, The Hague

Architect 
Weusten Liedenbaum Architects, Arnhem

Main contractor 
Construction company De Vree and Sliepen, Tiel