In the restructuring of the Kolenkit neighborhood, the emphasis is on 'transitions': between building and public space, between private and public. The urban plan even includes a specific encroachment zone, where these transitions are shaped. In Blocks E and F, this zone is conceived as a place to linger, as one of the spaces of the dwelling that simultaneously forms part of the street. These spaces are bordered by brick pilasters and planters, by sturdy parapets, and by distinctively designed composite balcony ceilings. The apartment entrances, which incorporate continuous parapet elements such as storage doors, benches, and notice boards, are also robustly designed. These collective spaces are designed as living areas that should approach the atmosphere and finishing level of a home. This means that entering doesn't begin at the individual front door, but immediately in the entrance hall.
The visually defining private balconies face the street, and the gallery faces the collective inner courtyard. An effort was made to generate as much light and sightlines as possible. From the entrance area, the inner courtyard can be seen in various places through large windows placed in specific spots in the stairwells. The materialization of the blocks with yellow-brown brickwork, bronze-colored aluminum frames, and concrete finishes aligns with the stony and solid adjacent Erasmus neighborhood.
"Are we happy here? Absolutely!" Seher Çiftçi (36) says with a broad smile. She lived with her husband Serdar and their four children one street over in the Kolenkit neighborhood, where their home was demolished. In its place, housing corporation Rochdale offered them this new five-room ground-floor apartment. They went from 656 to 1345 square feet.
They are also willing to pay more for it: 681 euros per month, including service charges. "Look at how high these rooms are," says Çiftçi. "And we have a garden in front and back. This is how all new construction should be, right?"
"We really wanted to stay in this neighborhood too," she says. "We're close to the metro and for our groceries, we can go to the supermarket or to Bos en Lommerplein. Besides, all this renewal can only benefit the neighborhood."
Indeed, it is telling that two projects located close to each other are among the ten nominees for the Amsterdam New Construction Award. From LommerRijk, as this block of 51 social rental properties across five floors has been named, you can look directly at The New Kit, the slanted residential tower that was featured in this newspaper on October 2nd.
Unlike that striking tower, the streetscape of Lommer-Rijk is not at all eye-catching. But that wasn't the point, says Gus Tielens, the architect from the Korth Tielens firm: "We didn't want to build an icon, no bells and whistles."
"We've carefully examined the details of this neighborhood," she says, "because that's the foundation of good housing. Of course, the floor plans are important, but the quality of living also has to do with how it looks from the outside, how the transition between the house and the street works. Then you can see that it adds something to the neighborhood."
From the outset, emphasis has been placed on close collaboration between the client, contractor, and architect. "Certainly, we truly formed a team," says Gertrude van der Bijl, managing director of contractor M.J. de Nijs en Zonen. Although the architect did present a few challenges.
"The homes are constructed from precast concrete on which the brickwork was already applied, but it had to be laid in such a way that it doesn't look like precast," says Van der Bijl. "And Tielens paid a lot of attention to the stairwells for the upper apartments. They are clad with custom sheet metal, it was almost carpentry work."
Tielens: "Yes, I find those common areas at least as important. You have to say to yourself: this is my home.” The residents of the upper floors also have an elevator at their disposal.
All of the tenants are very happy with these new homes and give an average rating of 8.1. "The house offers a lot of space and light," one person stated in the survey among residents. "They have used beautiful materials, such as in the design of the stairwell," said another.
The jury that selected the ten nominees is somewhat disappointed with the view from the street. "I find the exterior bland," notes Jolanda Koeman. "It's not exciting, not that special," also finds Ineke Genee, "but not bad either."
Anton de Beij, on the other hand: "I do have a positive opinion. They are large houses with beautiful high spaces."
All in all, the five judges decided that LommerRijk truly belongs among the ten contenders.
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