Rooskleurig Risico

Watch out! Positive risk

Six leading principles that guide development for a location that is constantly in transition

Rooskleurig Risico (Rose colored risk) is a development strategy for the 150 hectare brownfield Achtersluispolder. A strategic industrial site on the river of Zaandam, close to Amsterdam. The local government has the ambition to realize 8 000 to 10 000 new dwellings in this area. Existing industry should remain as much as possible. This mix of industry and residential is only possible when designing with the needed safety regulations in mind. The brief ask specific attention to include suitable measures for water safety, social safety, external safety and traffic safety.

Achtersuispolderweg is the backbone of development. Redesigning the road does not only improves quality, but also the traffic safety level.

Permanent temporality
Our concept focuses on the potential of a positive risk. A risk, defined as the chance an incident might occur multiplied by the result of it, are usually seen as something negative. Think of flooding in case of rising water or a robbery in a street where there is little social control. However, a risk can also involve something positive, a chance to develop something that ‘sticks’. We propose to experiment with a new way of urban development, one of permanent temporality that involves a positive risk.

The Achtersluispolder is a test-site for urban development. By allowing a lot of temporary functions into the area development speed can pick up. This is needed because in other comparable zones along the river no residential development is allowed up to 2029. Temporality allows you to test if a function on a specific place will work or not. Temporality allows to familiarize to each other. Temporality by law allows for less complicated building regulations. In the future permanent temporality will remain the basis of urban development. Because of this Rooskleurig Risico can be seen as a city with a faster metabolism.

Long term development vision Achtersluispolder Zaandam

Modular development
Rooskleurig Risico can be the first modular neighborhood of the Netherlands. Permanent temporality offers opportunities for a flexible and circulair form of development, that can also respond quickly to a changing context. Modulair units are easily phased, producible in all scales and fast to manufacture and build up. Because of the strategic location of the Achtersluispolder production of modules can happen on-site by existing maritime companies with supply from the water.

Modular units are able to respond to context required safety measures
Graphics Joost van der Doelen

Zaandam Mix 2.0
Traditionally Zaandam is known to combine light industry and living in close proximity to each other. In Rooskleurig Risico the modern form of Zaandam mixing does not only take place at the level of the district, but with appropriate measures, also at the plot level. These do not only have to be physical (safety) interventions. Agreements on nuisance, such as loading and unloading, can also contribute. Not only at a functional level is there a mixed neighborhood, but also a variety of target groups and lifestyles promote a special form of living together.

Safety as a variable for design

Careful redesign of the streets and public spaces improve traffic safety

Social safety is improved by more eyes on the street and reasons to go out

Water safety and nuisance from water is designed for

External safety is carefully controlled through the multilayered safety approach


Waterfront view Achtersluispolder
Collages Joost van der Doelen
Out of five proposals our entry won the jury prize. Photo: SVP

Team: Joost van der Doelen, Mike Wissing, Chris Steenhuis
Location: Achtersluispolder, Zaandam
Date: May 2019
Organizer: Ontwerp Veilige Omgeving