Market consultation
In the start of 2014 the municipality of Amsterdam has granted Studio Prototype, resulting from a market consultation, the assignment for realizing a tribune staircase in the Zouthaven in Amsterdam. For the small-scale assignment, a special way of tendering was chosen: design & build. Thus Studio Prototype is not only responsible for the design-, but is also the main executer of the build process.
As the client, the municipality of Amsterdam has strived within this special process for maximal quality within a strictly predetermined budget.
Zouthaven
The Zouthaven in Amsterdam has the potential to grow into being a public link from which tourists from the cruise terminal find their way, along the bottom of the bridge, to the center. Part of this link is the new tribune/stairs. The concept of studio Prototype starts with a triangular shape, which guides the tourists in a natural way. Spots to reside are provided by the tribune on both sides of the (functional) stairs. One spot is oriented at the sun and the other at the water and view.
On a detailed level the steps and timber seating elements are subtly interwoven. Bellinga timber parts used as seating elements vary from the profiled aluminum parts for the stairs. The tribune stairs does not stand out because of its expressive shape, or its materialization, but because of its simplicity. Thus it is one with its surroundings and creates extra value for the future use of the place.
Design & build
From the design & build principal, the accepter of an assignment is responsible for the complete building process: from the first sketches and the concept to the completion of the last screw of the project. The client thus spreads the risks better than in a traditional process and in the mean time this kind of tendering decreases the building time.
The new responsibility ensures that the accepter of the assignment should carefully organize the design and build process. By involving suppliers and subcontractors in the design phase, an integral exchange of knowledge occurs in an early stage. In this way risks are further decreased, complex execution aspects are better engineered and a more efficient and a shorter building process comes into being. By organizing responsibilities in a different way within the building process, the capability of the designer to aim for quality is increased. From this responsibility for the whole process, the designer is capable of contracting parties and to select on prize in relation to quality while doing so.
