Description

In the Overvecht-Noord Settlement in Utrecht, completed in 1971, so-called partial open-use floors were implemented to create expanded circulation areas that could be shared as common space — one for every four family apartments. The spatial connection encouraged a personal bond among residents and created a zone between the stairwell and private apartments. Each apartment entrance also had an additional front area with a cloakroom and lavatory, acting as a filter between shared areas and the private apartment. By affiliating each partial open-use floor with four private apartments, the communal areas were clearly assigned to a specific user base and made available to these residents as neutral open-use areas that could be furnished as desired.

The 168 apartments of the Overvecht-Noord Settlement were planned and realized by architect H.W.M. Janssen and funded by the City of Utrecht Administration via the Department of Building and Housing Services. The standard size of the units remained three- to four-room apartments, corresponding with the concept of a family apartment at the time.[1] The partial open-use floors of around 60 m² were initially designed merely as very wide corridors. Only once the building was completed were the corridors made into spacious communal areas by altering the façade recesses. The collective aspects of life were therefore not incorporated into the building project itself but had to be organized by the residents.[2] At the time the building was realized, the impact that these unconventionally established collective areas would have on residential behavior could not be foreseen. The city administration even expressed concern that the apartments would be difficult to rent.[3] As a result, the housing project was promoted in a broad public relations campaign in local media and at informational events. The selection process for prospective residents was steered by a questionnaire in which interested parties could express their ideas about and wishes for collective living, and the resident population was assembled accordingly. This selection process resulted in a predominantly homogeneous group of upper-level white-collar workers and academics. Blue-collar circles were less interested in this form of living, despite the attractive rent prices.

Residents began to self-organize at the very outset of the use phase. Selected individuals from each group of four apartments and the partial open-use floor joined together to form a resident group to oversee administrative duties, the organization of collective life, conflict resolution, and tenant selection.[4] In consultation with this resident group, various multi-floor uses blossomed in the partial open-use floors, including cafés and workshops. The partial open-use floors could also be used, for example, as a children’s playroom, communal living and dining room, or library.

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Originally published in: Susanne Schmid, Dietmar Eberle, Margrit Hugentobler (eds.), A History of Collective Living. Forms of Shared Housing, Birkhäuser, 2019. Translation by Word Up!, LLC, edited for Building Types Online.