Leeuweplaats

Intense building activity will take place in the next few years on a new, green and sustainable residential neighbourhood situated between the Amsterdam-Rhine Canal and the Willem Alexanderpark. Thanks to the Dame Schippersburg on the corner, Leeuwesteyn is not only an attractive and peaceful residential area on the outskirts of the city, but is also close to all the central amenities of the city centre and Leidsche Rijn. One of the new residential neighbourhoods in Leeuwesteyn is Leeuweplaats: a housing block with a decorative, closed façade (inspired by Utrecht Art Deco style) and a surprising, intimate inner courtyard.

The courtyard has been designed as a typical Utrecht patio with a modern twist. It is urban but still intimate. The trees, garden walls covered with vegetation and the broad urban gardens result in a cosy residential environment. It is rendered even more intimate and lively by the three tall Japanese pagoda trees (Sophora japonica). These fast growers will allow enough light to reach the urban gardens around them, take on a beautiful tint in the autumn, and produce lovely flowers in the spring that attract lots of butterflies and bees.

The central area where the courtyard has been ‘stretched’ will become an area to play and to meet people. A real eyecatcher in the patio is the raised garden with perennial plants and decorative grasses. Parents can sit comfortably on the edge while the children can explore the mass of plants and find the lion of the Leeuweplaats. The central area of the patio will be decorated with paving bricks arranged in a striking pattern.

The outer borders of the residential neighbourhood leave plenty of scope for the residents to do as they choose. The new residents of Leeuweplaats can make their own urban gardens here to create the atmosphere of a typical Utrecht residential street. This is reflected in the paving design by combining red-brown paving bricks with a darker stone to demarcate the distinction between public and private.