Two new construction locations in the Eerste Jan Steenstraat form an architectural ensemble with the senior housing complex in the Govert Flinckstraat. Because the client wanted to retain the specific target groups of seniors and families with children for the vibrant De Pijp district, the residential complexes in the Eerste Jan Steenstraat and the senior housing in the Govert Flinckstraat were developed.
In elderly housing, creating meeting spaces was the guiding design theme. The communal living room is centrally located in the building. Because it is on everyone's route and is a bright and warm space, it forms an attractive place to stay.
The floors are accessed by an elevator and a stairwell. The galleries providing access to the apartments are wider than usual. The benches in these veranda-like outdoor spaces provide an extra incentive to stay and meet.
The new construction forms a unity with the existing street facade of the Govert Flinckstraat. Viewed from closer up, however, differing masonry bonds and materials become visible.
It quickly becomes a cozy gathering downstairs in the common room where coffee can be shared. Hein Verkerk (66) has rounded up some neighbors left and right to show how amicably they get along here. "Flinck" is written in large letters on the window, leaving no misunderstanding about where we are. Twenty senior apartments have been built on Govert Flinckstraat across four floors, with some commercial spaces downstairs next to the shared lounge. All apartments are suitable for those in need of care, wheelchairs can easily roll inside, mobility scooters can be parked, and all exterior doors are electrically operated with large push buttons.
Because that was the express purpose of the "Seniors in De Pijp" project. "In neighborhoods like this, seniors often cannot continue to live here, even though they want to," explains Ella van den Bergh (45), project manager at housing association Ymere. "We wrote to all seniors living in social housing units owned by Ymere in De Pijp to ask if they would be interested in this. We are very pleased that nine of the twenty residents come from this neighborhood."
Verkerk comes from the Eastern Docklands, but had to move to an apartment with an elevator because of his health. Here, he pays 661 euros in rent for seventy square meters. "It's wonderful, of course, that I was able to end up in this spot in De Pijp, such a vibrant neighborhood with all amenities within walking distance: a huge choice of restaurants and shops, and of course the Albert Cuyp market."
The other residents are also very satisfied, rating their homes with an impressive 9.4. They praise the construction quality, including features such as underfloor heating, and the beautiful architecture. "As soon as you walk in, it hits you: un-Amsterdam-like spaciousness," one of them reacts. "Where you would expect narrow stairs in De Pijp, here you find a beautiful staircase and spacious elevators."
Special attention was indeed paid to the design, says Manou Huijbregts (42) of HP Architecten. “We took a close look at the facades that originally stood in this spot. We brought back a number of ingredients from that visual image. Especially the difference in depth: part of the new facade protrudes slightly, and the bedroom windows are set a bit deeper. Part of the old facade was white at the bottom, and it is again now.” In this way, the new construction fits seamlessly into the nineteenth-century streetscape.
Accessibility was also of great importance. "After all, this is meant for people who would otherwise have to leave their neighborhood. We opted for galleries at the back. They are so wide that they are more like verandas where you can put benches, so they can serve as a meeting place," Huijbregts says.
"It works," says resident Verkerk. "Because of this design, we run into each other often, and then you naturally end up having dinner with your neighbors at some point. It has a bit of a Southern European vibe here."
Huijbregts explains that for this reason he did not hide the common area away somewhere either, but deliberately designed it right where you enter: "You now go from the entrance through the living room to the elevators."
The five jury members who determined the nominations, residents of new construction elsewhere in the city, are unanimously enthusiastic about this housing project. "They should do that more often in Amsterdam, build homes for the elderly in their own neighborhood," says Jolanda Koeman (52). "And what's more, with underfloor heating, for social housing tenants!"
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