You can learn more about the challenge on the Hague city website.   

The Challenge 

Students designed ideas for the following prompt: 

We want to create a very beautiful and sustainable neighbourhood; a neighbourhood where people like to live and work and others like to visit. We want to hear from you what such a neighbourhood should look like. 

They were asked to think about:

Residential and commercial space

• What homes should be built in the area and where?

• Where will people work and what does the workspace look like?
• Where do the inhabitants do their shopping?
• What other facilities does the district need?
• Which solution do you choose for loading and unloading and delivery?

Sustainable communities and inclusive urban design

• How can we design multi-storey residential blocks that are pleasant to live in and take the environment into account?
• How can we make inclusive solutions for residents to stay active and maintain a healthy lifestyle?
• How do you deal with the contradiction of limiting traffic and the need for some people to have to park nearby?
• How can we ensure inclusive design so that everyone of all ages can live comfortably? How can people who have lived in the neighborhood all their lives continue to live here if they start to need more help?
• How can we design meeting places for the community that are safe, inclusive and sustainable for people and nature?

Urban nature and climate resilience

• How can separate green places be connected in a way that stimulates nature?
• How can we make an area cool and shady, yet still have enough light so that plants can grow well?
• How can any new buildings contribute to a water safe city through water collection and drainage?

• How can we collect large amounts of water so that the streets do not fill up during heavy rain?
  
• How can water be stored for times of drought?

The Celebration 

Students developed their designs for the site by adopting different personas of community members, ensuring the new development suited all community needs. The entries were presented to a jury consisting of Fransje de Gelder, from the municipality of The Hague, Phlip Boswinkel, project developer, and Herman Tijsen, resident of the Binckhorst and board member of I'M BINCK - het platform van en voor de Haagse Binckhorst. The winning group spent a day with the 'real' design team of the Binckhorst. The jury was very impressed by the smart integration of the greenery in the school canteen and the roof garden of the school building and the romantic neighbourhood restaurant with glass roof. 

About the site

The Hague is developing the Binckhorst neighbourhood as place to live, work and relax. As a former industrial site, the municipality has identified three places in the site where you can build new buildings to reinvent the area during this challenge.