Kattenhof is a thesis proposal made for the city government of Groningen, fulfilling the future aim of integrating living, working and recreation inside the city’s inner canal belt. Spatially, the design is ordered around a central courtyard to which the living units are directed, while commerce is oriented externally and faces one of the city’s main arteries.
Furthermore, project Kattenhof pays tribute to the historical courtyards of the city of Groningen, of which the earliest date back to the 13th century. All throughout the ages these courtyards have sustained their existence, unaffected of the city’s urban growth. The design of ‘Het Kattenhof’ is inspired by the way in which the historical courtyards are nestled within the urban fabric of the city; emphasizing on the obscure and romantic way one discovers them; hidden, in silence, and in a world of their own.
Joseph G. Gardella: Portfolio 