In a subdivision created by West 8, HvdHA worked out a residential courtyard. It is located in the courtyard of a block of single-family houses and is accessible through a gateway. The spatial structure is derived from well-known Dutch examples, such as the Hofje van Nieuwkoop in The Hague. From the gateway, a well or spring becomes visible. It is a traditional symbol, which is also the focal point of the hof in Kralingen. In the axis of symmetry behind it is a flat-roofed house, which contrasts with the gabled roofs of the court houses. This dwelling refers to the regents' quarters, or playhouses, in charitable courts. On the playhouse is bricked in large letters: Court does life.
The project has 93 gable columns, between which are the front doors and window. In one layer of the columns, you see only racks and in the next layer only the narrow stone heads. All the columns have a simple base and capital of dark green stones. These consist entirely of stretches. The column shafts have green heads in every other layer. Arch motifs and various areas of decoration also occur. It is the brick architecture with which the modern Scottish classicist Alexander “Greek” Thompson made residential buildings in Glasgow.
The facades are finished with so-called Ecobricks with a special size: 24x7x4 cm. (length x width x thickness). The Ecobricks are 30% thinner than traditional bricks. The environmental impact is correspondingly less. Two grades of these bricks are used to form decorative patterns on the façade columns.
The homes are set around a hedge-lined garden. Both the outdoor space of the courtyard homes and paving of the courtyard are sloped toward the green courtyard garden, so that the courtyard garden acts as a water storage facility. Rainwater from the roofs is collected in gravel boxes and drained naturally.
Team:
Architects: HANS VAN DER HEIJDEN ARCHITECTEN
Photographer: Stefan Müller
