Directly south of the medieval town of Culemborg (from
Kuilenburcht literally: pit castle), between the small Meer river and the railway, meadows were to be found until the end
of the twentieth century. This location opposite the railway station had never
been developed as is was the site of a
deep drinking water well. This meant that urban development was not permitted.
But in 1994 Marleen Kaptein a resident of Culemborg had the vision of an
ecological housing estate based on the EVA Concept. She found the town planners
on her side. Also the water company took a positive stance towards development
as long as water safety could be guaranteed.
In 1995 the municipality of Culemborg, with its green
character and forward thinking town councilors decided the idea for an
ecological housing estate in the Lanxmeer polder fitted well within their
sustainability strategy. The provincial government of Guelderland was willing
to allot extra housing quota to Culemborg on the condition that a minimum of 100
houses would be built between 1998 and 2002. In a coproduction between the EVA
foundation, local government and the residents association Lanxmeer an area of 24
hectares (60 acres) is being developed with circa 400 dwellings, schools, offices
and an urban farm.
Residents are mandatory members of the residents
society (Bewonersvereniging EVA-Lanxmeer or BEL). It is not possible to live in
this eco-estate without subscribing to the residential charter
(Bewonersovereenkomst) that stipulates the number of motor vehicles a family is
allowed to own (one but preferably none), the rules regarding the shared
gardens, the rules on waste management, the expected participation in the
upkeep of the living environment, etcetera. The Terra Bella foundation, linked to BEL is
responsible for maintenance of the whole terrain except the buildings and
private gardens. The private gardens are small however, most of the outside
space is in shared ownership (mandelig
land) and thus responsibility for the upkeep is also shared. The paths,
roads, waterways and ponds belong to the municipality of Culemborg. The
municipality has outsourced the maintenance to Terra Bella for a fixed fee that
is negotiated at the end of each year. Most of the maintenance work is done by
volunteers (i.e. residents). Some of the work is contracted out to a landscape
gardener. At the heart of the estate the drinking water well is located beneath
an orchard. Terra Bella is also responsible for maintenance of this area. At
summers end a harvest festival is organized in the orchard.
The urban plan for EVA-Lanxmeer is an example of "fragmented
city" urban design with urban fragments imbedded in a green counter mould.
This makes for an urban environment that is not easily navigated. Because so
much of the area is reserved for green space the building density is high.
The paths and roads in part follow the old parcelling.
The ditches are distributed in a similar way. The series of ponds follow an old
river bend that silted up a thousand years ago.
The drinking water well is put to good use as a source of heating for the
houses through a heat exchanger. Additionally warm water is provided by solar
boilers on the roofs. Electricity is generated by solar panels. The local heat
and power network is exploited by Thermo Bello, a foundation company linked to
BEL. This energy company is fully owned by the residents of
EVA-Lanxmeer. It is a good example of the EVA Concept merging social cohesion,
self-determination and self-sufficiency.
Another example of the sustainable strategies employed
in EVA-Lanxmeer concerns water management. Lanxmeer is the name of a medieval
polder besides the Meer (this is also the literal translation of Lanxmeer:
along the Meer) and thus water management is an issue. Here especially so
because of the drinking water well. All clean (rain) water is led to retention
ponds via a system of ditches. To limit runoff most of the roofs are planted
with vegetation. Water from the streets is led to dry ditches and hollows where
it can infiltrate the soil. Domestic water from dish washers, showers and
kitchens is collected in reed beds for purification and then led to the ponds.
There are three such Helophyte filters tucked away in the margins of the
residential areas. Sewage is planned to be treated on site. The solids are to
be separated and burnt in a Bio-gas plant; the liquid component can be released
in the reed beds.
The urban fragments are organized in strips within the
old parcelling of the polder Lanxmeer. At the heart of the estate lies the
drinking water protection area (in green) that is covered by an orchard.
Flanking this strips of housing (shown in red) have been arranged. On the north
side along the artery road amenities and facilities (in orange) have been
placed. North of the artery road the urban farm (indicated in olive green) is
located in a bend of the Meer river. On the outer edges all offices and
business premises (shown in purple) have been concentrated. Opposite the train
station the EVA-Centre has been planned (shown here in yellow).
Situated opposite the train station the prospective
residents of the EVA-Lanxmeer estate opted for discouraging car use and car
ownership. The whole estate is transversed by walking paths and cycle routes.
All parking places are situated on the edges of the estate; there is no
motorized through traffic allowed. In several spots vehicles belonging to a
local car sharing organization (Buurtauto by Wheels4All) are available for
use.
The final, but no less important, part of the sustainable
strategy is the urban farm Catshaege. It is located on the edge of the estate
bordering the Meer river. It was named after a farm (Katshaag) that once stood
here. This organic farm provides food for the residents, but also grows plants
for the outdoor spaces within the estate. The farm is run commercially and also
has an educational function. Both crops and animals are to be interacted with
by children and residents alike. The urban farm also plays a role in providing
a fulfilling daily routine for people with disabilities and mental issues.
The plan of EVA-Lanxmeer encompasses both amenities,
residential and commercial buildings. The commercial buildings and offices (C-O)
are all located along the edges. They are mixed with facilities such as a public
swimming pool (PP), Kindergarten (K), primary school (PS), secondary school
(SS), religious centre (R), social work and welfare office (W) and the EVA Centre (EVA) opposite the train
station (T). The residential areas are a mix of 20% affordable owner occupied,
50 % high end owner occupied and 30% rental with both apartments (a) and family
homes. The family homes are grouped around communal gardens (g) or in strips of
terraced housing along shared outdoor space. There is also room for detached (d)
and semidetached (s) houses. Central to the eco-estate is the orchard (O) that
connects up to the urban farm (F), the string of ponds (P), helophyte filters
(H), an archeological site (A), a nature reserve (N) and the drinking water
plant with water tower (WT).
Although I personally would never be attracted to such
a communal way of living I found it impressive to see how an idea(l) like this can work in practice.
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