De Vier Heeren is a project where the properties at Ceintuurbaan 356, 358, 360, and 364 have been renovated on behalf of AM. This resulted in 19 owner-occupied homes and a commercial space. The property at Ceintuurbaan 362 was renovated on behalf of the Oud-Zuid district and contains 5 rental homes.
The front and rear facades of De Vier Heeren have been treated as an architectural unit. The buildings on the street side have been renovated to a high standard with the reconstruction of several characteristic elements, and on the rear side, the buildings at numbers 360, 362, and 364 have been equipped with balconies two meters deep on the upper floors. Conservatories have been added to the ground floor.
All apartments are two- and three-room dwellings accessed via a central zone. The homes are flexibly layed out. The living and sleeping areas span the full width of the homes.
Each year, the Amsterdam New Construction Prize includes a project that makes you wonder if it belongs there. Those stately buildings on Ceintuurbaan behind beautiful 19th-century facades – is that really new construction? The jury struggled with it too. But so much was done with the apartments behind those facades that it can indeed be considered new construction. And of such quality that the jury was lyrical about it. "If only all facades in the city were treated this way," sighed Steven Delva – because indeed, a lot of work went into it. The jury members did have objections regarding the lack of storage space and the hefty price. For instance, Robbert-Jan Slager (31) had to pay 307,000 euros for a sixty-square-meter apartment. "That required serious saving. But we both have an income and no car."
Despite this, these homes sold quickly. "It was a lottery, there were so many interested parties. We had almost given up hope," says Slager. "This is such a lovely part of Amsterdam; it's like a village here. I haven't regretted it for a moment." Slager, who was previously in a rental property on Burmanstraat, really wanted to stay in his neighborhood and preferably live in a classic Amsterdam house. "It's special to live in a house that has witnessed two world wars, yet offers all the advantages of new construction in terms of sound insulation and fire safety." And all the residents felt the same way when giving their rating: a 9.4. "The authentic appearance has been preserved," they noted, "and the characteristic look of the building." They owe this primarily to architect Alenca Mulder. "It was a stalemate for years," she says. "A project nobody wanted to touch. There was a plan for demolition and new construction, but the district then demanded that parking be provided on-site." Only when the project was transferred to developer AM did things start moving. "With the exception of the front and rear facades, partition walls, and staircase, completely new homes were created within the shell." "All the homes behind the facade have new construction quality," adds Wim Looijen, the deputy director of AM. "For us, this is a relatively small project," he admits, "and redevelopment is an exception for us. But even when demolition isn't necessary, developing homes is very interesting, especially when it comes to sustainability." "It's very important that old buildings are preserved in the city," states Mulder. "You have to handle them with care. And it's very special that you can then execute that as new construction."
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