van der Looskwartier
2 apartment buildings
Year: 2024
32 appartments
Gross floor area: 2350 m2
Location: Ouderkerk aan de Amstel, the Netherlands
Client: Eigen Haard - KBK bouwgroep
wv-studio, in collaboration with Micha de Haas Architects and Formhet, has received a permit for the construction of two apartment buildings on Theresiastraat in Ouderkerk aan de Amstel. The two apartment buildings are part of a master plan by Micha de Haas Architects for the “Van der Loos Kwartier”.
The Master Plan provides for the construction of 29 apartments and 28 single-family homes. The Theresiastraat, located south of the Bullewijk river, takes its name from the adjacent Theresia care home that was opened in 1925 as “Amstel Rustoord” and later called “Theresia Rustoord”. A few years ago, the owner of the buildings in this street (Eigen Haard) decided to redevelop the Van der Loosstraat and Theresiastraat. The Master Plan provides for new single-family homes in Van der Loostraat and two apartment buildings in Theresiastraat opposite the “Theresia Zonnehuis”.
The existing healthcare institution in Theresiastraat is 3 to 4 floors high. By making the apartment buildings on the other side of the street 3 storeys, a balanced street profile is created. The facades of the new buildings are made of brick that is in line with the existing buildings in this street. The two apartment buildings are positioned on either side of Van der Loosstraat and, due to their position and corresponding design, form a gateway to the street.
The position, set back from the site boundary and the rounded corners of the buildings, guide traffic into Van der Loosstraat. The building mass of the two buildings is broken up by using a different colour brick on the second floor. This creates a more even transition to the smaller scale of the Van der Loosstraat.
The single-family homes in this street are 2 stories high and have a mansard roof on the first floor. This makes the brick facade only 1 storey high. The small scale of the houses and the widening in the middle of the street give this street a village-like character. The widening allows for a green strip with trees that is enclosed by the warm colour of the red brick facades.