The Kitchen

The Kitchen, 8 apartments in the historic village center of Krommenie

Het Vlietsend in Krommenie serves as the entrance to the lively Zuiderhoofdstraat. Shops, boutiques, delicatessens, art, antiques, and curiosities color the retail landscape. Here we see a mix of monuments and modern architectural styles, with storefronts at the front and storage space at the back. In a time when the demand for retail space is decreasing, but the supply of housing is lagging far behind, the math is simple. Transform a commercial property into homes, especially if that business uses a lot of space and, logistically speaking, no longer fits on such a village street. At the location where kitchen expert WST Keukens currently has its showroom, workshop, and warehouse, a total of eight new homes will be built. The store will remain intact and will be renovated. WST Keukens is staying on the Vlietsend! The two floors above will be arranged as a single-level four-room apartment and a maisonette with two bedrooms and an attic, respectively. Six apartments will be realized on the site of the shed. New. State-of-the-art. Comfortable. Energy-efficient. Fitting within the traditional streetscape.

The four new three-room apartments are being built above a parking garage.
The outdoor area remains designated for retail customers. Plus a green entrance for the apartment building. Via a spiral staircase, residents arrive at the outdoor space in front of their apartment. At the rear, French doors connect to a private – and sheltered – terrace.
In the existing building, two two-room apartments will be created in the stone extension, behind the four-room apartment on the first floor. The entrance to the two-bedroom maisonette one floor higher has its own private access on Vlietsend.

In accordance with good Zaan tradition, when transforming a building into residential units, we refer to its former use: The Kitchen.

Village with direct connections to the city
The village center of Krommenie is favorably located relative to the national and provincial road networks, as well as the railway. Optimal accessibility with minimal travel time is a plus for commuters, with Amsterdam taking at most twenty minutes by car or half an hour by train. Those commuting to Haarlem or Schiphol will easily reach their destination by both public transport and roadways. The A9 motorway is a bit further away, at most a ten-minute drive, which also provides access to Alkmaar. Parking is not an issue, as there is a residents' garage. Those who prefer two wheels can cycle to all corners of the Zaan region within half an hour. Or to the beach. The forest. The lake... Because both culture and nature at the edge of the rural area are just as easily accessible as urban amenities.