location

The area lies on a hinge point of 2 watercourses that become increasingly vast and greener. The complexly designed building block makes a leap in scale from the small-scale Slachthuisbuurt to the open profile of the Spaarne. Due to the construction of the block, the single-family homes have their entrance on Vijhuizerstraat and Zomervaart, which makes those parts vivid on eye-level of the city, the living room with outdoor spaces are located on the south-west. The courtyard can be reached through three gates on the three public fronts of the building block. These entrances provide access to the space with an intimate courtyard-like character where public and private merge.

inner courdyard

The entrance to the garage, which has been slid under the building block, is situated on the corner with Zomervaart. This causes for the inner courtyard to be slightly higher than the public space around the building. This lifted up courtyard creates an area with its own peculiar urban atmosphere.
There is a clear division in the plan between apartments looking over the Spaarne and apartments on the ground level that match the small-scale structure of the surrounding neighbourhoods.

friendly

The parcelling of the walls, subtle incisions in the facade and rich materialization achieve a reduction in scale that, despite the urban density, gives the project a friendly appearance.