Neighbourhood with hundred dwellings and 24 apartments for the elderly

In the early nineties, Amsterdam city council accepted a scheme for the regeneration of the Bijlmermeer, a large-scale district dating from the late sixties, to the south-east of Amsterdam. The district is characterized by high-rise flats amid car-free green areas. The regeneration of the Bijlmermeer mainly amounts to the demolition of a number of flats and the realization of single-family dwellings in low-rise development.

A key basic principle of the scheme is differentiated dwelling. The project by Venhoeven ties in with this and comprises 15 different dwelling types in all financial categories and flats for elderly people of Antillean origin. These have flexible layouts. Elements such as voids, extra front doors and sliding windows at street level contribute to the flexibility of the dwelling.

The neighbourhood consists of rows of low-rise with two higher blocks on the edges. The façades of the ground floor level are clad with dark grey brickwork, those of the upper storeys with horizontal planks of cedarwood and aluminium. The horizontality and abstraction created by this exterior establish a connection with the high-rise flats.
The head-ends of the rows are emphasized by projecting volumes. Due to the lack of spandrel panels and the extremely narrow window frames, the facade surface forms as it were one large window. As a result, the surface derives its expression from the interior and particularly when the curtains are closed it assumes the appearance of an abstract painting. (ARCAM/Bu)