Commissioned by De Alliantie Ontwikkeling, Studio Selva designed 379 relocatable homes with a community space at a temporary location on Diependaalselaan in Hilversum – Circusterrein – which is one of the last empty plots in the central parts of Hilversum.

What is special about the design is that it can be taken apart at a later date without any structural adjustments, and permanently placed as eight separate residential blocks at different locations. Instead of building on the entire site, it was decided to build on a smaller footprint along Diependaalselaan, in order to free up space for a new park. The park can play an important role in connecting the future developments of the Circusterrein.

This creates a design with two different sides: a closed urban side with parking spaces and main entrances to the blocks along Diependaalselaan, and an open park-like side with bicycle paths and entrances to the semi-public collective inner gardens. This division is also visible in the design, with Cradle-to-cradle certified ochre-yellow fibre cement panels on the outside and green weatherboard facades of thermally preserved wood on the inside. In addition, a subtle variation and reduction in scale has been introduced by varying the size and placement of the balconies, consisting entirely of hardwood elements.

The cyclist is central to the design, with good accessibility and shared bicycle sheds in the plinths. A new path between the two blocks functions as a traffic-calmed entrance to the park and the homes. Along the path is a community space with entrances and a private terrace. This creates a lively and dynamic environment despite the temporary nature of the project.