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Houstma
Houstma
Amsterdam, Netherlands
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Other Projects by Architectenbureau Marlies Rohmer
Houstma
Amsterdam, Netherlands
YEAR
2010
The small scale charm and the varied buildings of the Bellamy Neighbourhood give it the atmosphere of a small village, embedded into the Amsterdam pericentral suburb of Oud-West. The urban structure of the neighbourhood follows old farming field boundaries from the 19th century. Living and working functions intermingle in the neighbourhood. The Houstma Site occupies a prominent location on a shipping canal, Kostverlorenvaart, and is named after the former Houtsma kitchen furniture factory.[caption]This industrial shed on the Houtma Site used to house a boat builder.Perimeter blocks – Field boundariesPlot-by-plot development of BellamyHoutsma at the border between perimeter block planning and historic field boundaries.Kostverlorenvaart is flanked by a succession of solitary buildings embedded in the urban block fabric. The new Neighbourhood Factory is one of them.Neighbourhood Factory. More than the sum of its parts.The urban development brief for the Houtsma Site was the outcome of close consultation with local residents. The key concepts were functional mixing, a livelier atmosphere, better public safety and a varied programme of housing which would boost the social structure. A prominent building of up to five storeys was required at the corner of Bellamystraat and Wenslauerstraat, plus a section no more than two storeys tall on the side facing into the neighbourhood (so as not to impeded daylight and views). Locals coined the name “Neighbourhood Factory” for the new development. It was a challenge for the designers to achieve a sublime synthesis of all the local residents specifications – a result that would be more than the sum of its parts. Emphatic articulation and height differences as prescribed in the urban design brief had to be combined with a building respecting the existing plot boundaries. It had to harmonize with the characteristics of Bellamy but retain its “factory” typology, which harks back to the industrial past of the canal and is consistent with the busy little factories and other business premises dotted around in the small-scale fabric of Bellamy. At the same time, the resulting building had to be a contemporary icon which would not be out of place among the individualistic buildings flanking Kostverlorenvaart, such as the Wester Mosque across the canal. The distinctive roof formation combines with articulation on a plot-by-plot basis to produce an uncontrived informalityEnvelopePlotsRoofsMixed programme1. Grand Café2. Studio3. Youth work centre4. Business space5. DwellingThe building mass consists of two five-storey tall volumes aligned to Bellamystraat and Wenslauerstraat, enclosing three little factory halls each of two storeys. The small volumes house public-oriented functions such as small-scale industry, artists’ studios, a youth work centre and – at the extremity of the building – a grand café that looks out across the canal. Windows and shutters are all openable, and combined with the wide footpath this produces an inviting atmosphere in which indoors and outdoors appear to mingle. The plot-based articulation generates triangular semipublic front areas which the users can annex for various purposes, so creating lively locales which will be a long term contribution to the urban fabric. The building basement includes an underground car park which is accessible from Tweede Kostverlorenkade.HomesAll dwellings above ground floor level enjoy a view of the canal. The design uses a central corridor to make this possible. The dwellings differ in type, size and orientation. There are one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments, ten sheltered living units (WIBO) with a meeting room, and a penthouse with a roof terrace. The maisonettes (type A) profit maximally from a view in two directions. The apartments (type B) have been made as wide as possible, and are suitable for senior residents. The volume on Wenslauerstraat contains staircase-access dwellings plus one “super apartment” on each floor. The top super apartment has a huge roof terrace. All the units have concertina glass windows which can be folded open across the full facade width. The emergency staircase at the extremity of the block is oversized and functions as a communal terrace.DetailThe white polyester-concrete panels, the large roof units and the steel emergency staircase give the building a factory look. By giving all parts of the building the same colour, the design produces a calm, robust whole. The polyester-concrete panels are resistant to fouling and are easily hosed clean. The building’s industrial character helps blend it with the neighbourhood by referencing the past and so anchoring it into its context. The aluminium slats in the facade give the plinth a layered character and provide security for the industrial spaces in a natural-seeming way. Opening the slat shutters combines the indoor and outdoor space and engenders an open, inviting atmosphere. The roof peaks, clad in the same material as the slatted shutters, are designed to integrate the pipes that emerge onto the roof rather than leaving them exposed as though an afterthought. The size and spacing of the roof peaks produces an unmistakable rhythm in the design. Not all the roofs of the industrial sheds contain building services. They leave room for a future air-conditioning system, thereby adding to the flexibility of the layout. Each of the residential units is marked by large concertina windows which when fully opened unite the interior with the outdoor space.
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