Timpaan, Blauwhoed and White Arkitekter, together with SeARCH, Space&Matter, Atlas Architects and DS Land Landschapsarchitecten, have been selected for the proposed development of The Erven, a timber-based neighbourhood planned for Hoofddorp in the Amsterdam metropolitan region. The winning proposal forms part of a major phase of the Lincolnpark area and outlines approximately 519 homes designed around four courtyards, or erven, inspired by the traditional Dutch farmstead.
A comprehensive bio-based design strategy defines the proposal. Buildings employ cross-laminated timber with timber-frame walls insulated using straw and wood fibre, while facades incorporate reused and natural materials such as wood, reed, hemp fibre, lime, and recycled aluminium. Roofs feature reed or timber shingles, as well as green roofs equipped with solar panels to promote biodiversity and local energy production. Circular principles extend to the foundations, made from recycled concrete and gravel, and to modular, adaptable structural systems. Each courtyard also includes an "ecozolder," an attic designed to support local bird and bat populations.
Mobility hubs integrate bike parking, parcel delivery, and shared electric vehicles to reduce environmental impact. According to White Arkitekter Lead Architect Oskar Norelius, the design reinterprets local traditions and aims to demonstrate how timber, bio-based materials, and community-oriented planning can shape future neighbourhoods where buildings, people, and nature function as an interconnected ecosystem. Overall, The Erven proposal sets out an inclusive and circular framework that foregrounds sustainable materials, social resilience and ecological values.
Within the team, White Arkitekter is responsible for designing several of the buildings and supervising the broader architectural group, while DS Landschapsarchitecten leads the landscape design with support from Merosch and additional local partners. Timpaan General Manager Ingeborg de Jong highlighted the project's potential contribution to the region's strained housing market, noting its emphasis on affordability.
Other recent project news includes the National Gallery in London announcing the shortlist of architecture offices competing to design a major expansion that will extend the museum into the St. Vincent House site, the most significant transformation in its 200-year history. Mexican architect Frida Escobedo was also recently selected to design the new headquarters for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Doha's waterfront. In addition, the Zayed National Museum, the national museum of the United Arab Emirates and a key institution within Abu Dhabi's Saadiyat Cultural District, has opened to the public. The project was awarded to Foster + Partners following a 2007 design competition.
