High-Lane, Tilburg (NL).
Special housing in a tower on the railway.
High Lane is a residential development comprising 150 social housing units, built on a very compact site. The project combines affordable living with a high quality of life and a strong social dimension. To qualify for a home, residents had to be willing to support a group of individuals struggling with mental health issues—people who, with the right community support, are able to live independently
The project is part of Talent Square, a large-scale mixed development within the Tilburg station area. Talent Square makes the transition between inner-city and highly densified buildings, with much smaller-scale buildings towards the metropolitan area. A tower and an L-shaped block, both containing social housing and studio homes, together form a solid cornerstone at the intersection of the railway, Sint-Ceciliastraat and Spoorlaan. The tower stands in the axis of the Spoorpark and forms one of the beacons towards the city center. At the same time, the high and heavy volume buffers the high noise pollution of the nearby railway, making the shared courtyard very quiet.
The arrangement of the apartments, the design of the private outdoor spaces, and specific details in the exterior windows respond to these special conditions. The lower L-shaped block on the Spoorlaan makes space towards the Spoorpark and provides the transition from the tall buildings of the neighboring Talent Square to the low buildings along the Hart van Brabantlaan. The building lands on a colonnade, behind which there are workshops. The colonnade provides a human touch, while the workshops provide life in the streets. In this way, a gentle transition is made from the Hart van Brabantlaan to the adjacent Spoorpark.
The emphasis in the project is strongly on the quality of living. Due to the positioning of the buildings, there is hardly any insight, so that maximum use can be made of the view, with wide panoramic windows and rectangular views. Despite the limited surfaces, the apartments therefore still feel very spacious. Acoustic measures ensure very quiet homes, despite the proximity to the railway. By using loggias and 'bloemenramen', you can open windows without losing the silence. The ensemble revolves around a shared courtyard that also collects all addresses.
The relatively low construction budget requires a simple design and structure. In addition, maximum attention is paid to prefabrication. Variations in the stacking and texture of the concrete facade elements result in a subtle articulation that takes over the dimensions of neighboring buildings. By playing with the conventions of prefabrication, a graphic is created where the joints actually add value to the facade. The concrete panels in the plinth have been polished, bringing the green granules to the surface, giving the building a refined and touchable quality.
The design reconciles the high noise load of the railway, with the compact footprint of the building plot and the location opposite the Spoorpark. The built figure is clearly defined and makes smooth transitions to the environment. The resulting homes are compact, but feel very spacious, and take full advantage of the special location in the city.
Images/videos are always set to 4 or 6 columns wide.
Within a 'Project', two additional sizes are used:
- Full-screen image (all columns)
- Carousel (8 columns)
A maximum of 2 images or videos can be on the same row, with at least 1 column of space between them.
'Panels' always accompany corresponding content and never stand alone.
Only one 'Panel' can be attached to each row.
The project is part of Talent Square, a large-scale mixed development within the Tilburg station area.
Talent Square makes the transition between inner-city and highly densified buildings, with much smaller-scale buildings towards the metropolitan area.
The emphasis in the project is strongly on the quality of living. Due to the positioning of the buildings, there is hardly any insight, so that maximum use can be made of the view, with wide panoramic windows.
Despite the limited surfaces, the apartments therefore still feel very spacious.
The relatively low construction budget requires a simple design and structure. In addition, maximum attention is paid to prefabrication.
Variations in the stacking and texture of the concrete facade elements result in a subtle articulation that takes over the dimensions of neighboring buildings.
