THE FiVE COURTYARDS

Planned as an addition to the existing fabric of Vijfhoven, the Matchmaker is a new building designed to house 50 senior apartments on the upper floors and a daycare programme at ground level.

Its placement divides the existing green space into two distinct areas: a large-scale park/playground planned by the municipality to the south and a communal courtyard to the north: the fifth courtyard (Vijfhoven).

Like the other four, this courtyard includes an east-west pedestrian connection but aspires to set a new standard for community engagement and biodiversity, inspiring positive change throughout the neighbourhood.

Bordered by natural play areas along its façades, the ground floor fosters a safe and seamless transition between indoor and outdoor spaces, catering to all ages and abilities.

A beacon of sustainability, the building —designed by Urban Climate Architects —features a timber structure, an innovative energy strategy, and bio-based façade materials. The landscape design also relies entirely on eco-friendly resources, with a planting palette composed of endemic and climate-adaptive species.

MULTI-GENERATIONAL & MULTI-SPECIES

Both the buildings and courtyard are designed to foster interactions between different generations and species.

The community courtyard and public social hub on the ground floor provide opportunities for senior residents to engage with neighbouring families and children from the daycare. Outdoor amenities encourage both physical activity and social events, including a pétanque court, a communal glasshouse and gardens, a flexible green parking area that can accommodate larger gatherings (such as food trucks or neighbourhood celebrations), as well as picnic tables, reading nooks, and more.

The rooftops and courtyard landscape follow a nature-inclusive design strategy, creating ideal conditions for site-specific ambassador species to thrive.

Water management plays a key role in addressing the core themes of this proposal: urban resilience, biodiversity, and privacy buffers. Collected on a brown roof, rainwater flows along the façade into rain gardens at ground level. These gardens irrigate climbing green façade elements and redistribute excess water to a large-scale landscape swale. As it crosses the courtyard, the water also serves as an engaging, playful feature that helps children connect with the natural cycles of their environment. The undulating topography create intimate seating areas embraced by multi-layered vegetation.