Steenzicht
Steenzicht 1A is one of the first buildings to be completed within De Zichten, a large-scale densification and renewal plan for the post-war neighbourhoods of Dreven, Gaarden en Zichten in the south-west of The Hague. The building comprises 118 social dwellings and responds to its surroundings – densifying the existing urban fabric while introducing a courtyard typology that brings new green quality, intimacy, and street life to the neighbourhood.
The plan is based on half-open courtyard blocks in which pairs of L-shaped volumes enclose a shared garden. Rather than continuing the open, anonymous character of the surrounding post-war landscape, the blocks define a more intimate urban grain – one that gives the neighbourhood a clearer structure and a greener, more sheltered public realm. The courtyard sits raised above street level, forming the roof of the parking garage beneath. Staircases from the street makes it publicly accessible, creating a permeable network of outdoor spaces that feel protected without being closed off.
The two L-shaped volumes of Steenzicht 1A are subtly differentiated. One is orthogonal in character, aligning with the rhythm of the surrounding slab buildings. The other is staggered in section, with a corner accent that gives the building a confident and grounded presence in the streetscape. The composition is tuned to optimise sunlight for both the dwellings and the courtyard garden. The housing programme spans a broad range of types – two and three-room gallery apartments, maisonettes along the street facade, and dwellings with private terraces facing the garden – all within the social segment.
Along the street, the building speaks the material language of the neighbourhood: warm yellow brick on an orange-red plinth, with tall vertical masonry frames marking the entrances. Inside the block, the atmosphere shifts entirely. Courtyard facades in fresh green concrete block and white balustrades along the galleries open onto the shared garden, designed with a nature-inclusive and climate-adaptive character. Rainwater is harvested from roofs and galleries and used to irrigate the planting. The result is a green and sheltered place of calm at the heart of the block – one that will become a natural part of daily life for its residents.
