The netherlands

Introduction The former UWV office (Employee Insurance Agency) at Prinses Beatrixtraat  in Hengelo had been empty for over 8 years. With the redevelopment of the office building into a residential building, the potential of the building and the location are fully utilized and a welcome contribution has been made to the housing stock in Hengelo. Alfred Lor This project was realized with special attention for reuse, sustainability and affordability. The apartments are designed for one- and two-person households and often have their own outdoor space. In addition, there are collective facilities such as a communal garden, bicycle shed and carports with solar panels. Alfred Lor The existing building is a composite building... More

Orange Architects has designed four of the fourteen building volumes – 1, 2, 9, 10 – that make up the central block on the Westerdok Island in Amsterdam. This perimeter block is composed of various volumes grouped around a large central space called the Cour.   The volumes vary in height from three to eleven storeys, and an underground car park extends under the whole development. The volume overlooking the IJ waterway varies in height from seven to eleven storeys and contains 111 apartments and 1,500 m2 of office space. The volumes on the Westerdok side contain 36 apartments and a gatehouse. This tower is eleven floors tall and contains four apartments per floor on levels 0-6 and two apartments per floor on levels 7-10.... More

The pictures displayed here are not photorealistic renderings, but actual pictures of a finished project! The White Restaurant in Batumi offers guests a total upside down dining experience.During a visit of CLS Management to Batumi in August 2011, the project was first discussed, during which most delegation members were under the impression that the original plans were a practical joke. However, this was not the case with this remarkably original design by a 24 year old architect.The façade lighting features the REVO Compact in warm white and amber colours. More

The consulate building Batumi (Georgia) was recently featured with CLS LED lighting. The 19th century building which houses two consulates and several offices, is recently restored. The LED lighting accentuates the historic character of the building.The challenge for the lighting designer was to create an exciting, perfectly matching colour draft. After some tests a combination of warm white and amber proved to give the desired result. REVO luminaires with blue LEDs give the dome on the roof a ‘heavenly’ touch. The minaret of the mosque is also beautifully lit by CLS LED luminaires.This project features the following CLS-products:As many as 57 pieces of CAS9 amber were used for the ground level. The ornaments on the higher levels of the bui... More

ArchiFolds, winner of the Creative Heroes Awards, is an innovative series of textile structures inspired by traditional Japanese folding techniques: “Embedded origami patterns afford natural movement characteristics, growth and metamorphosis” explains Samira Boon. The textile structures are the result of extensive and ongoing research by Studio Samira Boon in collaboration with TextileLab and Prof. T. Tachi from the University of Tokyo.ArchiFolds embodies Samira Boon’s vision on healthy environments as spaces that: “are flexible and dynamic like natural systems. Adaptive textiles are able to accommodate and regulate changing needs on spatial circulation, efficient energy usage and acoustic ambience.” By transla... More

Pack your bags, today we are heading out to the Netherlands! The Villa Aan De Vect is a beautiful modern home designed by the architectural firm HOGO from Helmon, in the Netherlands. The home, inside and out, incorporates the clean lines and neutral tones that we’ve come to expect from modern design. However, the designers were able to sprinkle in a few traditional elements such as muted still-life paintings, representational sculpture, and a reclaimed wood table that could hold the dinner conversation all on its own. The Villa Aan De Vect transitions between traditional and modern style with an elegant ease — both time periods resting comfortably on the strong shoulders of great design.Read the full story on the Eu... More

N House, a harmonious presence at the forest’s edge in Dorst by Lab32 architects. The forest at your feet. Opposite the beautiful Boswachterij nature reserve in Dorst, a mere stone’s throw from Breda, a new residential area of the same name is being built. On the north side of the area, on the edge of the forest, are five lots designated for private development. The key starting points for the design of this villa were the natural setting, the relationship with the forest and a timeless, minimalist design with warm materials and first-rate detailing. In addition, the villa was required to be energy neutral and a home for life. The villa is characterized by the strong lines of white render that frame the large picture windows, the... More

In the city centre of Delft runs a railway viaduct that divides the city in two. The planned construction of a railway tunnel will remove this barrier. In its stead will be an expansion of the inner city including a park and a promenade. A station foyer in combination with offices for a thousand municipal employees will be built on top of an underground railway station. The inner city of Delft reflects its past. The campus of the Delft University of Technology on the edge of the inner city holds the promise of future development. The starting point for Mecanoo’s design is an interweaving of this history and the future. The result is a building where each elevation is designed in relationship to its context. The building is compact and it... More

Today Queen Máxima of the Netherlands opens Markthal Rotterdam, a project by developer Provast. Markthal is the first covered food market of the Netherlands, drawing inspiration from food markets in Stockholm, Barcelona and Valencia. The roof of the market hall is an arch accommodating 228 apartments, underneath the hall are 1,200 parking spaces and a supermarket. The combination of market hall and housing is a new typology and, located in Rotterdam’s city center, is expected to attract 4,5 to 7 million visitors each year. The construction of Markthal, a design by MVRDV, took five years to be completed. The project was executed by contractors J.P van Eesteren, Mobilis and Martens en Van Oord. At Markthal Visitors will be able to shop, ea... More

The strategy for a.s.r.’s 1970’s office building renovation was to preserve what worked, and upgrade what didn’t. This gargantuan structure with 86,000m2 of floor space was stripped down and fitted with new façades, an underground conference center and a completely new interior including the addition of voids. Remarkably, the office remained in use throughout the renovation. The end result is the astonishing transformation of a dated, imposing workspace into a bright, leafy, open office complex, as well as an ‘excellent’ rating from BREEAM­ for sustainability. Jannes Linders Sawtooth façadeThe new façade makes the building brighter and more energy efficient. The double-layer, clim... More