Molecaten Park Waterdunen is a unique location where coastal defence, tidal landscape, nature, recreation and tourism come together in a unique and innovative way. The constant cycle of high and low water ensures that the landscape of salt marshes, creeks, sand and mud flats looks different every hour.
The landscape framework of the project was created through a collaboration with the Province of Zeeland, the Waterboard Scheldestromen, Molecaten and Het Zeeuwse Landschap. The Waterdunen project is part of a larger whole in which the tidal nature in De Schelde is restored and protected.
Molecaten Park Waterdunen was designed within the given landscape framework. With a modular approach, 434 holiday homes were designed in 4 different typologies that match the characteristics of the new landscape typologies; the dune valley, the boulevard, the dune ridges and the salt marsh and mud flat landscape.
The landscape base for the masterplan consists of four main landscape typologies.
The sea wall with the high dunes forms the landscape in which a dune campsite is integrated, behind the high dunes, up to the old dike body, lie the lower dune valleys. The new tidal landscape ensures a soft transition to the polder landscape behind it. Dune ridges have been placed perpendicular to these successive zones, which bind the whole together into a diverse and varied landscape. The boulevard along the tidal canal connects the Molecaten Park Waterdunen with the dune and connection to the beach behind it.
The new landscape forms the base for the integration and design of the holiday houses. The housing typology ties in with the characteristics of the environment and interacts with it. A housing design has been created for each type of landscape and fitted into the landscape in clusters. The dimensions of the clusters are aligned with the surrounding neighbourhoods so that the clusters not only relate to the new landscape but also to the scale of the built environment.
The construction of the houses for Molecaten Park Waterdunen is based on a sustainable and circular approach. A clear modular concept was developed for the entire plan area when designing the houses. By cleverly connecting a small number of modular building blocks, all housing typologies for the holiday park can be realised. With just 5 modules, 10 different homes are realised.
The building blocks are made in a conditioned environment, which increases quality and limits waste. The components used (such as facade, construction, interior finishing and furnishings) have different functions with different properties and a different lifespan. By detailing these components as ‘independent’ layers of each other, the homes can be dismantled at different levels (from shell to facade) and are therefore optimally adaptable and circular. Natural materials were used as much as possible in the design.
The design approach is explained in the slides below.
The main building is situated at the entrance of Molecaten Park Waterdunen. The building brings together various facilities, including the reception, the restaurant, the kids club and various back office functions.
The main building is placed on a slope and is prominently visible when entering the area. The basement is largely underground and is only visible at the expedition at the rear of the building.
From the ground floor, the main building has a three-way division with a strong horizontal character. A transparent plinth of frames with alternating glass and closed panels ensures an all-round view of the surroundings. Above the transparent plinth, a closed band has been included that reinforces the horizontal character of the building. A transparent filling has been designed between the roof with a sawtooth profile and the closed horizontal band, which makes the roof appear to come loose from the building. By mirroring the sawtooth profile in the two longitudinal facades a spectacular spatial play of triangular surfaces is created.
The building is executed in restrained dark colour tones, so that it matches the colours of the dune landscape in the immediate vicinity.
Movie of Mainbuilding by ‘Leenhouts’ Aannemings-Bedrijf BV’
