Architectural firm NSL won the competition for a residential and care center in Buitenveldert in 2002. Kalfjeslaan contains 70 spacious apartments of an average size of over 150 m2. The project’s requirements stipulated that the building should have a ‘Thirties look’ and create a stately impression. To achieve this, a warm brown brick was chosen. Spacious interior windows, framed by broken white frames, run almost from floor to ceiling to create the best possible contact with the green Kalfjeslaan. The entrances are located on the north side (Doornburg), so that the building can blend into the greenery of the south-facing Kalfjeslaan. The sunshine is thus ideal.
You wouldn't expect this in Amsterdam: a lavish manor-style building, lushly situated in greenery, with seventy unusually spacious apartments.
This surprise is hidden on the edge of the city, along Kalfjeslaan, which forms the border with Amstelveen. Behind the Catholic church there was a nursing home, even before Buitenveldert was built.
When that had to be renovated, the managing foundation decided to build a new nursing home next door. A luxury apartment building would be built on the site of the old one. The sale of these apartments would make it possible to fund more space and better facilities for the residents of the nursing home.
Architect Luuk Naarding (64) was commissioned to design both the residential care center and the apartment building. The latter had to exude class and a sense of the 1930s, and that has succeeded.
“If you want to offer quality to people who can afford more, the facade has to have something majestic,” Naarding believes. “But beyond that, it’s not just imposing; I kept it simple and calm, with red stone. However, I gave the concrete of the columns, balconies, and overhanging roof beams a nice color by using white instead of gray cement. That makes it warmer and friendlier.”
“We were a bit startled by it,” responds Harrie van Noorden (47), director of the Thunnissen Group. “White concrete turned out to be much more expensive than the ordinary gray concrete. But the entire design by Naarding immediately made us enthusiastic. In such a building, people feel at home.”
Thunnissen not only became the builder, but also the developer of the complex. “The care foundation didn’t dare take that risk and approached us about selling the homes,” said Van Noorden. “It’s also a place with its ups and downs, especially due to the aircraft noise. But it also has the great advantage of being the only part of Buitenveldert with its own land.”
Bill (65) and Louise (59) Duursma bought an apartment of 140 square meters on the ground floor plus another 170 square meters of outdoor space and a parking space in the garage, for 514,500 euros.
They came from Heiloo, but they were tired of traveling up and down and wanted to return to Buitenveldert. “But we wanted something similar to what we had, so spacious rooms and at least two bedrooms. When we found this on the internet, we immediately said: this is it.”
They don’t have to worry about aircraft noise: “It’s very well insulated. And the house has underfloor heating as standard; we don’t have radiators. There are no thresholds anywhere, either. It’s a beautiful building, beautifully situated among trees and water, with the Amsterdam Forest right nearby.”
The residents gave it an 8.9 as a rating, and the jury members wholeheartedly agree with that. “Absolutely brilliant,” judges Riet de Graaf concludes. “There’s absolutely nothing to fault,” also notes Joyce du Pont.
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