ZKD

ZKD is an industrial site located in The Hague, Netherlands. Currently, the area is very grey, dirty, and dangerous for anyone outside a vehicle. Locals know the area as a troubled site. It is full of life during the day, with people commuting to work and trucks delivering goods, while at night it is known as a racing district. The city council tried to manage the issue by redesigning the streets with trees and grass. Speed bumps were placed to reduce speeding. However, pedestrian and cycling infrastructure was not taken into consideration.

We worked in groups of six: three construction engineers, two civil engineers, and one spatial development student. Our goal was to redesign the area and introduce two new functions into the district. In this article, I will focus on my own contributions.

The district needs significant work, including renovation and a complete redesign. If we want to integrate shopping and residential functions into the area, we must prioritize safe infrastructure for future residents. One of the main objectives is to increase the industrial or working area by 40%. Vegetation should also be included—the area must be inclusive for all forms of life. The homes or buildings to be added in the future should be easy to reconstruct and made from circular materials.

Analysis

Great design requires thorough research. I started by analysing the existing buildings and infrastructure. All the collected data was used to create visuals.

Inspiration and drafting process

After the analysis, we began drafting layouts and planning the district. The idea was to build a large structure that stretches across all the existing grey buildings. This structure would be covered with soil, effectively creating a park above it. The slogan we chose was:

Green on one, gray on zero.

Later in the design process, I chose to work on the archive building. My idea was to reinforce the structure of the building and place three towers on top. These towers would be detached from the larger construction.

Design steps

Zoomed in

I zoomed in on one building that I had to develop in more detail and considered how to design a healthy building in a seemingly harsh environment.