Punt Sniep: A Living Peninsula Where Water and Community Flow Together
Four Public Spaces Transform a Diemen Peninsula into a Vibrant Car-Free Neighborhood
Diemen, The Netherlands – Punt Sniep transforms a central Diemen peninsula into a vibrant, car-free community of 202 very specific homes. The development is between two waterways, the Muidertrekvaart and Weespertrekvaart, giving it distinctive character along the route to Amsterdam. A strategically placed sequence of buildings defines four distinct public spaces: a waterfront square, harbor, green courtyard, and entrance zone. These open spaces connect programmatically and visually to the buildings, encouraging residents to meet and interact. High-density living harmonizes with generous greenery and waterfront areas. Carefully designed interfaces between private and public realms support community building, one of the key ambitions in this new neighborhood within cycling distance of the city.
Project Highlights
- Four distinct public spaces (entrance plaza, green arboretum courtyard, maritime harbor, and waterfront square) form the social backbone of the car-free peninsula community
- Innovative landscape design enables mature trees to thrive above the parking garage through undulating topography and specialized tree bunkers
- The peninsula's waterfront location on the Weespertrekvaart creates direct sailing access to Amsterdam while giving the development its distinctive island character
Four Zones, One Connected Community
The entrance plaza opens the peninsula to visitors. The visitors' car park is maximally embedded in green, with grass concrete paving that blends parking into the landscape. Lush planting divides pedestrian zones from the car park, creating a buffer of abundant greenery. A communal lobby at the entrance brings residents together for shared activities.
The green courtyard sits at the heart of the development accessible to all. Designed as an arboretum with various tree species and grassland it provides food and nesting opportunities for birds, butterflies, bees, and insects. A custom-built greenhouse allows residents to practice urban gardening together. The courtyard's center accommodates various activities from informal play to neighborhood barbecues.
The harbor invites maritime recreation and celebrates the direct relationship with water. The Muidertrekvaart connects residents by boat to Amsterdam. A wooden tribune provides space for meeting, relaxing, and playing in the sun. An elevated seating area overlooks the water while accommodating a monumental tree planted above the parking garage.
The waterfront square at the peninsula's tip acts as Punt Sniep's meeting point. Its urban topography has a sculptural quality that highlights the water surrounding the site. The striking square faces south and west. A lively ground-floor program includes gastronomy functions that serve as a catalyst for social life. A pedestrian bridge connects the development to Diemen's historic city center, subtly referencing the area's nautical heritage.
Greenery Above, Function Below
What makes Punt Sniep distinctive is its combination of high-density residential development with mature trees. The parking structure hides beneath an undulating, playful landscape. This topography enables the planting of large trees above the 182 underground parking. At three strategic points, the ground level rises to create space for mature trees. At the waterfront square, trees grow in specially designed bunkers within the garage itself. Durable and reoccurring materials including concrete, steel, and wood celebrate the site's rich maritime history, creating visual unity. There's a continuous carpet of natural stone along the entire peninsula that connects all areas, marks the car-free zone, and unifies the project.
“The landscape is designed to encourage social interaction and create a resilient neighborhood.” – Pieter Theuws, Landscape Architect
Project Team
Design: KCAP
Client: ABC Planontwikkeling + Nedreim (original commission); Vesteda (turnkey acquisition/owner)
Developer: ABC Planontwikkeling + Nedreim
Contractor: Heddes Bouw & Ontwikkeling B.V. and Kleywegen
Advisors: ABC Nova (project management), MoBius Consult (sustainability), J. van Toorenburg BV (installations), van Rossum (construction)
Collaborators: Gemeente Diemen
Photography: Aiste Rakauskaite, Jan Bitter & Fred Tigelaar
Project Drawings
Project Photography
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Year: 2016-2021
Status: Completed
Disciplines: Urban Design, Architecture and Landscape Architecture
Program: 202 Apartments & Commercial Space (22,000m²), 182 Underground + 52 Surface Parking Spaces (6000m²), Marina & Landscape
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About KCAP
KCAP is a leading international design practice specializing in architecture, urbanism, and landscape architecture. Founded in 1989 by Kees Christiaanse, the firm is today led by seven partners — Xavier Blaringhem, Jeroen Dirckx, Ruurd Gietema, Anouk Kuitenbrouwer, Irma van Oort, Ute Schneider, and Edward Schuurmans. From its offices in Rotterdam, Zurich, and Paris, KCAP’s team of over 100 international professionals works on a diverse portfolio of projects across Europe and Asia, shaping sustainable, human-centered environments at every scale.
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