The area around the Westlandgracht canal is being modernised and commercial spaces are making way for residential buildings. When the municipality of Amsterdam designated the Westlandgracht as a Collective Private Commissioning project, this created a unique opportunity. We developed a small-scale apartment complex with regard to which future residents could have considerable say. In fact, their wishes and requirements largely determined how the project was implemented.
Type of development
Residential
Size
25 homes
Garage underneath with parking spaces and storerooms
Awards
BNA Architecture Award – Best building 2019, in the ‘private living experience’ category.
Partners
Co-creation
Joint development within the context of Collective Private Commissioning means huge opportunities for purchasers. The residents were given every opportunity to express their ideas during the design and development phases. They were the focus. This innovative and consumer-oriented approach appeals to us hugely and has also turned out to be successful. The interaction which resulted from this co-creation resulted in an inspiring residential building. It is also a valuable building with homes and communal spaces which link up seamlessly with the wishes of residents.
Co-creation between residents and professionals requires a tailor-made approach. In that respect, no two projects are the same. SchetsBlok Westlandgracht involved a collaboration between us, stichting 4Winden and ANA architecten, with 4Winden representing the interests of the residents and ANA architecten taking responsibility for the design.
The concrete steps
The shell development work was commissioned by stichting 4Winden. The members of the foundation were able to sign up for the project at an early stage and make their general wishes known via a questionnaire. Wherever possible, the range of wishes was included in the design and concepting of the shell. Once the shell had been developed, residents could start work on their own homes. First, this entailed deciding on the location and the size of their homes within the shell and, after that, the (façade) layout and the finishing. This resulted in a wide variety of homes in terms of size, layout and finishing, within a clear structure.
Quality of the area
Besides the building’s development, the quality of the area was also an important factor when it came to making the homes enjoyable to live in. This is a quality determined by the combination of green spaces, water and accessibility. ‘Het Schetsblok’, or ‘The Sketch Pad’, establishes a link with the local area and there is direct access to the park from the patios of the maisonettes on the ground floor. The residents jointly determined the layout of this screen space and also work together to maintain it. This involvement is typical of the process used to construct Het Schetsblok. The building has been created on the basis of cooperation which fulfils the wishes of the current owners and is flexible in terms of future use. It is an urban block which is embedded in its surroundings and adds quality to the city. It is ultimately this combination which determines the quality of life in the area and which, therefore, has a major influence on the well-being of its residents.
Roadmap
- Start of sales
- Start of construction
- Winner BNA Architecture Prize 2019
- Nomination for EU Mies Award 2022
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Februari 2016 - Start of sales
Februari 2016Sales of the properties in Het Schetsblok started in February 2016.
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Oktober 2016 - Start of construction
Oktober 2016In October 2016, confetti, champagne and happy residents marked the start of construction work on the Schetsblok along the Westlandgracht canal. Stichting 4Winden, ANA Architecten and contractor Bébouw Midreth were also present at the ceremony.
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Mei 2019 - Winner BNA Architecture Prize 2019
Mei 2019The SchetsBlok won the BNA architecture award in the Private Living Experience 2019 category! The North-South Line in Amsterdam was chosen as the 2019 BNA Best Building of the Year. The unique sustainable trophies which are made of clay from the Azewijnse Broek nature reserve were presented to the winners by Jort Kelder.
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Januari 2021 - Nomination for EU Mies Award 2022
Januari 2021It was a fantastic start to the new year! The Schetsblok, or Sketchpad, is one of the projects nominated for the prestigious European Mies van der Rohe Award 2022. It had already been awarded the BNA architecture award in the Private Living Experience 2019 category.