Description

Urban context

South of the train line by the Haarlemmer Houttuinen, a residential street has
been inserted in two long and – for Amsterdam – deep blocks. It is framed to the
north and south by a slab-like building. Deviating from the traditional block
structures of the surrounding buildings, the small parcel structure is not
continued into the rear courtyards. Instead a street space is presented that
functions as a collective living space and encourages a neighborly
coexistence.

Ground-floor zone

All of the units are accessed directly from the public street space. A number of
different threshold elements form a transitional space that can be interpreted
as an extension of the private living spaces. The “living street” is reserved
for the vehicles of residents. With a narrow profile of just seven meters, the
street resembles a lane in the old town. The furnishings on the street such as
streetlamps, trees, bicycle racks, and seating as well as the front gardens and
variations in paving encourage appropriation of public space by the
residents.

Building structure

The residential building on the north side consists of two levels of maisonettes.
The entrances to the upper units are located on a half-retracted loggia, which
offers a view of the street. This sculpturally formed element communicates
between public space and private housing unit and transforms across the floors:
it is a balcony, a terrace, an oriel, an access stairway, a protective canopy,
and a place to sit.

Facade

Apart from the loggia element in front of the units, whose repetition creates an
arcade zone in the space of the street, the exterior walls are predominately
smooth and characterized by a spacious perforated facade. The friendly-looking
town houses enable the residents to preserve their private sphere inside the
apartment while communal life takes place in the exterior space.

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Originally published in: Ulrike Wietzorrek, Housing+: On Thresholds, Transitions, and Transparencies, Birkhäuser, 2014.