On a triangular plot, where the historical Vlietweg diverts from canal the Vliet, VVKH designed a house based on experiencing the Vliet. Rough, brick walls engage each other, vaging what is inside and outside. Water and landscape are part of the house.
At the entrance you're being received in a yard with monumental trees. The aperture in the wall give a first glance of the Vliet. From the high entrance it's three steps up to enter the livingroom giving a panoramic view over the Vliet, but shielded from the road.The folding window opens completely and extents the livingroom straight to the edge of the water. A stair with cantilevered steps and a glass balustrade leads to the first floor.
| Architects | Gerrit-Jan van Rijswijk |
| Employees | Tijmen Versluis, Thomas Gillet |
The Kanaalpark is an office area along the Vliet on the south side of Leiden. Here, two apartment buildings are being built for starters.
Many offices in this area have long been vacant and the area looks messy and dated. The municipality of Leiden has challenged developers to take the initiative to transform the site into a high-quality living-work area. That glove is being picked up. Some offices are being converted into apartments, others are being demolished and replaced by residential buildings. Viable office owners are making a quality improvement. The municipality has drawn up an ambitious plan for the redesign of the public space.
Commissioned by the Leidse Vastgoed Maatschappij we have designed two apartment buildings for starters on the labor market. Block 1 with 88 apartments is being built on the site of an old office building. Block 2 with 41 apartments will be built on an existing parking lot. The buildings have been carefully integrated into the urban design and complete the structure of closed building blocks. Height accents are determined in conjunction with the environment. The blocks are architecturally parceled, in line with the already completed housing construction.
Housing association St. Willibrordus wants to renew 40 duplex houses along Stompwijckstraat in Wassenaar. The program provides for the realization of 86 social rental homes, mainly for starters and seniors. The plan area is located in a village extension from the 1960s. At the time of completion, this was the northernmost district of Wassenaar and it overlooked the meadows and farms. The district is spacious with a focus on greenery. In the development of the plan, we link up with the basic qualities of the neighborhood with spacious profiles with front gardens and lots of greenery. In order to be able to make the closed building block, the Stompwijckstraat in between will be removed. This provides space to solve parking for residents within the building block. The plan also provides for a communal courtyard with a social facility adjacent to it.
To create privacy in the front gardens, we create a green strip between the front gardens and the sidewalk that remains the property of the municipality. The existing structure of mature trees will be maintained. There is a distinction between a formal front, with zoom houses on the ground floor all around that are accessible from the street side, and an informal rear with parking under an open green deck (through which existing large trees protrude) and the access to the houses on the upper floors. through wide galleries. In the long streets, the building blocks match in scale with the buildings on the overlying because the top (third) storey has a setback in relation to the building line. On three sides of the building block, the balconies of the houses on the upper floors hang from the building blocks as ornaments. The balconies provide contact with the street and respond to the orientation with respect to the sun by means of a rotation and still show the echo of the current situation. The building block responds somewhat more robustly to the northern park side. On the northwest side, one of the blocks reacts in height to the adjacent apartment building.
The Plantsoen in Leiden is well known for the historical appearance of both the city park (1836) and the houses of the last quarter of the 19th century. The park was originally landscaped on the edge of the city in the place of an old defense belt. At the entrance of the park at the east side the monumental building Plantsoen 1 – 3 is redeveloped in a complex with 6 apartments. The apartments of about 150 m² are provided with all luxury and comfort, such as a private indoor garage, spacious roof terraces and an elevator, while retaining the historical look and value of the building. Redevelopment also applies to sustainability; obtaining Energy label A. Exterior facades, window frames and roof are additionally insulated. The houses are underfloor heated and solar panels are provided on the roof.
The municipal monument at Plantsoen 1 – 3 is divided over three floors and a basement. The property at number 1 was originally a fully detached house, number 3 was part of a block of 3 houses. Both buildings date from 1875 and were connected in 1957 and converted into one large nursing home. In this function change, the original qualities have largely been lost. The round expansion at number 1 dates from 1993.
In the new layout with 6 apartment, the monuments are restored to their former glory by restoration contractor Burgy from Leiden. The façade of the intermediate building is renewed and aligned with the monuments. The existing façade of the round building is finished with a bronze wall cladding, a ‘veil‘ with a leaf motif. This pattern is inspired by the leaf motifs and decorations of the 19th century, which can still be found in various places along the Plantsoen. The round with ‘veil’ becomes a special recognition point in the inner city.
Each apartment has both rooms in the monumental area as well as in the newer parts. The interior of the monumental buildings is provided with appropriate details to bring back the historical character as much as possible. This specific part is provided by Verlaan & Bouwstra architects from Vianen.
On the inside buyers have a lot of freedom of choice; they can choose for an even richer historical finish with wall tension, panelling and en-suite layout or a tight, modern finish and layout; both are possible. Each apartment is unique, has its own layout and its own character. Only the view is the same for all apartments; they all look out over the beautiful monumental city park the Plantsoen at the town canal.
The redevelopment was completed in July 2018.
For the Hoge Rijndijk location in Zoeterwoude, a new construction plan has been developed for an apartment building with starter homes, after demolition of the existing office building. The building stands on the edge of the large-scale buildings that are currently being built between the Oude Rijn and the Hoge Rijndijk, and the existing residential area from the 1980s. It adjacents to a small park on the east side. The new building has been placed in the building line of the Rijndijk and thus strengthens the profile of the road. The parking spaces are located in the rear area, lined by green. By dividing the building mass in three, a smaller scale is created, which is further reinforced with differences in brickwork and roof shape. The building will contain 34 residential units of approximately 50 m2 and a bicycle storage. An extremely energy-efficient and sustainable design is achieved with individual heat pumps and solar panels on the roof.
The permit application is being processed, implementation is expected in 2021.
