Almere Duin
Almere Duin
Almere Dune
DUIN: Living in the Landscape
DUIN is a long-term urban development rooted in the collaboration between the Municipality of Almere and AMVEST. Since the initial competition, ZUS has been closely involved as both urban planner and landscape architect. Over the years, the project has remained true to its founding principle: the integration of construction and landscape as parallel, mutually reinforcing processes.
Guided by the concept of “everyone in the front row”, the plan extends the coastal zone by physically pulling new dunes from the Almeerderstrand across the dike into the polder, where they merge with the existing 40-year-old Muiderbos. This intervention creates a rich, layered landscape that enables the development of diverse biotopes with high ecological value.
Within this spacious and shared environment, compact low-rise neighborhoods of single-family homes alternate with high-rise clusters that accommodate apartments, offices, and amenities. These are partially embedded in underground parking structures beneath the undulating terrain of the new dune landscape.
The strength of DUIN lies in the free positioning of buildings within a natural setting of dunes, forest, and beach. Landscape and architecture are fully interwoven at every scale. The defining quality of the plan is the experience of living in nature rather than next to it.
The low-rise areas are composed of short rows of terraced houses, semi-detached and detached homes. In parts of DUIN, such as Kreekbos Zuid, plots have been made available for private development, allowing residents to build their own homes within a clear, area-specific architectural vision. Plot sizes vary, encouraging architectural diversity while maintaining overall cohesion.
Architecture in DUIN is seen as a guest in the landscape. Houses are compact and modestly designed, standing directly in the sand or forest—without conventional gardens but with terraces instead. Privacy is achieved through landscape features rather than fences or walls. Materials, textures, colors, and forms are inspired by the surrounding nature, reinforcing the idea that architecture should help shape and strengthen the landscape.
These principles are secured through comprehensive design guidelines and elaborated in urban development plans, quality frameworks, and detailed regulations for the transitions between built form and landscape.
Landscape and Nature as Identity
Ecology at the Scale of the Entire Area
In the development of DUIN, the coastal landscape is not merely preserved—it is actively extended. The sandy beachfront is literally pulled across the dike into the polder, where newly formed dunes emerge like a mirage. Three dune formations are draped perpendicular to the dike, effectively obscuring its physical presence and visual perception. Rainwater and seepage from the dike are managed through a network of so-called “creeks”—small waterways and streams integrated into the landscape.
The approximately 40-year-old Muiderbos, located within the project area, was found to consist largely of monoculture forest stands with low ecological value. Based on ecological assessments, select forest sections with future potential have been preserved and incorporated into the development.Locations of protected nesting sites for year-round breeding bird species—such as the goshawk, raven, and sparrowhawk—were carefully mapped and specific mitigation measures were applied. A comprehensive forest compensation plan has been established for all affected tree stands across the development.By extending the coastal zone inland with newly introduced dunes and integrating preserved forest patches, DUIN creates valuable ecological habitats. These transitional zones—between dry and wet, forest and dune, open and closed landscapes—support high levels of biodiversity. This layered green-blue infrastructure forms the ecological backbone of the development and supports compact, integrated urban forms.DUIN’s approach to nature and landscape development aligns with and enhances larger ecological networks nearby, such as the IJmeer (a designated Natura 2000 area with protected beaches) and the forested nature reserves of Pampus Hout and Kromslootpark. The rich polder ecology visibly interacts with the project on a daily basis: rabbits, foxes, deer, bats, hedgehogs, and countless bird species are regularly observed, reflecting Almere’s unexpectedly rich biodiversity—something the city rightly takes pride in.The Municipality of Almere’s Vision for Ecology 2020: Building with Nature for a Biodiverse, Robust and Resilient Ecosystem provides general guidelines for nature-inclusive planning, including green buildings, terraces, and urban typologies that support key indicator species. The city’s ecological policies clearly demonstrate that nature and urbanity are not separate realms: the city is part of nature, and nature is part of the city.This synergy is fully embodied in DUIN. Here, people live, work, and recreate in a landscape shaped by existing forests, newly formed dunes, and sandy beaches. The experience of living in nature is what makes DUIN truly unique.Overall, the development enriches the area’s ecological values through the creation of varied biotopes. In addition, targeted nature-inclusive measures have been implemented both in the landscape and in the architecture. Although DUIN does not formally specify a “Baseline Nature Quality” (Basiskwaliteit Natuur), its spatial concept, aligned with legal frameworks, achieves equivalent outcomes.Part of the DUIN plan area lies within—and directly borders—the Natura 2000 site Markermeer & IJmeer, which has been designated under both the Birds and Habitats Directives. The Almeerderstrand acts as a vital connection between inland nature and the ecologically rich aquatic biotope of the IJmeer. In this transition zone, the design and maintenance of pioneer vegetation and feeding grounds for waterbirds and amphibians are key priorities. The construction of new beaches required specific mitigation measures to protect species such as the great crested grebe, tufted duck, black tern, and goldeneye. The creation of small nature islands in the IJmeer near Almeerderstrand forms part of this ecological compensation strategy.