Homestead in Nijmegen
Project update
In the greenest spot in Nijmegen-Noord, an unconventional inclusive neighbourhood called Homestead is about to emerge. With 77 homes ranging from apartments to spacious single-family houses, surrounded by a terp (an artificial mound). Solidly built in the vast floodplain landscape, with the city centre of Nijmegen within easy reach. The enthusiastic project team consists of Vincent Reukers (Project Developer) and Melanie Willemse (Sales Manager). They talk with passion about the progress of this project.
“The neighbourhood is very special, as the houses will be built in a newly constructed terp. This creates an intimate experience with the landscape, with great variation in the homes. There will be two-, three- and four-storey terraced and end-of-terrace houses with a living room on the first floor, at the top of the terp,” says Melanie.
Distinctive living environment
A unique feature of Homestead is that the landscape and architecture of the houses and apartments have been designed in close connection with each other. Vincent explains: “This allows the residents to fully enjoy the vistas over the wild and open floodplain landscape. Because it is built in a terp, a distinctive living environment is created on the inside, with a focus on nature inclusiveness and climate adaptation. There will be an abundance of vegetation, footpaths and playgrounds in this public space. The terraces on the terp side will be separated by garden storage sheds, greenery and gabions. Nesting boxes for swallows and bats will be installed in the end walls. Sustainability is one of our focus areas; all homes are therefore built to be low-energy and sustainable (BENG3=100%). We accomplish this through good insulation, solar panels, balanced ventilation, heat recovery units and green roofs, among other things.”
Living healthier and more sustainable
Melanie adds: “Because of the secure residential environment that the terp offers, meeting others is at the heart of living here. This is also the intention of the plan: the terp and the green courtyard encourage living healthier and more sustainable, together with your neighbours. This was also the inspiration for the project name Homestead. After all, this is a way of life that involves a self-sufficient and green lifestyle, by, for example, baking your own bread, cleaning with natural products, preserving fruits and vegetables, and producing less waste. Befitting for this project, because a green living environment contributes to everyone’s happiness, well-being and health.”
Interested in learning more about Homestead in Nijmegen?
Homestead is developed by VanWonen and BPD, together with the municipality of Nijmegen, which was instrumental in the landscape design. The architecture is by Zecc Architects. Janssen de Jong Bouw Oost B.V. is the construction company. The sale of the homes has started. Construction is expected to start at the end of 2023. The handover of the first homes is planned for the end of 2024. Interested in learning more about this project? Visit the website http://www.homesteadnijmegen.nl