Meidoorneiland, the Hawthorn Island , as the location is traditionally called , is located in Weesp, old fortified town in the rural outskirts of Amsterdam. It is a public housing project placed in a post-war residential district between a 9-storey apartment building and low-rise buildings. Given the complex context, the apartment complex mediates through its design with its sloping roof adapting the scale of the surrounding buildings.
The building, with 54 subsidized apartments with underground car park, follows the contours of the site , creating a U-shaped floor plan and creating an enclosed courtyard .
The main entrance of the building at the intersection of busy streets Papelaan and Plataanlaan is marked by a large glass print with hawthorn.
In the quieter side streets, the lower apartments have a private entrance with individual staircases, creating a pleasant connection of the building at ground level. The other apartments are accessed through the courtyard and the galleries. The courtyard with its pottery and water bowls, which was designed in collaboration with landscape architect Hanneke Vroon, now forms the collective heart of the residential complex . In addition to the apartment terraces , which are located in the courtyard, apartments also have spacious private balconies on the outside of the building. The upper apartments have a private roof terrace with fantastic views over the historic center of Weesp. The apartments are suitable for elderly people. and provide a specific provisions for seniors such as an IP data network for home automation.
The building complies with a the strict A++ label for low energy consumption and the apartments are equipped with a low temperature floor heating system with geothermal heating and cooling and photovoltaic panels are integrated into the roof of the project .