Carnisse Eiland

Carnisse Eiland is a new residential area in the south of Rotterdam where leisure, playing, green spaces and social interaction form the key features of the design. The urban plan with over 500 new houses is a design by Keizer Koopmans, Bureau B+B (landscape) and Over Morgen (mobility). After winning a closed competition, the design team worked intensively with the municipality of Rotterdam and various associated building developers to determine the desired qualitative balance of the program and to validate the financial feasibility of the plan. As the project is part of the national housing incentive program, the majority of the houses will be available in the affordable segment.

In line with the ideas of Jan Gehl, special attention is given to the human scale and interaction of local residents. Zoning quiet and active space and the division of private, shared and public space were essential for the design process. Elements, such as a wide transition zone at the front door, collective courtyards and a central neighborhood square encourage social interaction and safety. Where inner-city densification projects in The Netherlands often lead to a one-sided range of high-rise towers, in the case of Carnisse Eiland each building block has a balanced mix of single-family homes, duplexes and apartments. This urban mix prevents anonymity and strengthens the residents relationship with their street.