Kerkzicht

't Goy is a small village in the municipality of Houten, located in the Dutch province of Utrecht. Since 2016, resident group 'Mooi 't Goy' has been committed to larger village development. On their initiative, a participatory process was launched to draft a village development vision called 'Agenda for the Future', assisted by the municipality of Houten.

In this bottom-up project, B-city worked together with the landscape architects and (landscape) heritage consultants of office MooiSticht (NL) to bring together the wishes of the public authorities and residents in a master plan for village expansion and village core development. Each stage of the design process was reviewed with the working group and in close contact with residents. The municipality of Houten will use this master plan as a basis for drafting a zoning plan for the further village expansion of 't Goy.

Design concept

Our master plan is based on the existing spatial figure of the village and seeks to connect to the already present buildings on several levels. It aims for an integral design of the central village square that continues along Beusichemseweg, strengthening the visual and experiential connection between the existing village and the new development. The plan creates a so-called 'village street' between Social Cultural Centre 'De Ploeg' and Primary School 'De Boogerd'. Central to this village street is the new village point around the church. Here, versatile public spaces will function as meeting places and locations for village activities.

Our plan focuses on a compact residential area, allowing a green village heart for 't Goy to emerge. Our proposal to design all public spaces as a chain of landscaped, green zones promotes a sense of belonging and reinforces the concept of a high-quality, rural village heart. The varied housing programme aspires to a social mix and takes into account different target groups and housing needs, while at the same time aiming for unity within the various housing types.