Ashley: 'This project will stand or fall on whether or not you manage to include local people in the development process. Allowing them to influence certain decisions and informing them regularly and on time will ensure that residents become your ambassadors. This can only be done if they are genuinely enthusiastic.'

The construction costs are also quite a puzzle. Between the permit issuance start of the actual construction work lies a period of nearly eighteen months. During that period the construction costs will rise considerably, particularly the prices of raw materials, due to the favourable economic climate. Hans: 'This calls for a great deal of creativity on the part of the project team to ensure that the quality of the end result is of the same high standard as we described in the tender'.

Reaching future residents is another process. Ashley: 'This is a really unique project, involving properties of around 140 to 160m² with gardens, in the centre of Amsterdam. A place where a lot of people would love to live. In conjunction with an advertising agency, we're developing a campaign for groups interested in this. We'll be rolling the campaign out after the summer break'.

Walking with Ashley and Hans through the neighbourhood, they keep pointing out recurring elements in the new area. The Spaarndammerbuurt is full of listed buildings in the Amsterdam School style, including 'Het Schip ' by architect Michel de Klerk. This architectural style distinguishes itself by means of expressive use of bricks, masonry and figurative façade elements such as turrets.

Hans and Ashley refer to Spaarndammerhart as a typical Heijmans project, because 'quality and architecture are primary and because we're involving the local residents in the project'. Korth Tielens Architecten and Marcel Lok are seeing to it that the new buildings dovetail seamlessly with their surroundings. Artist Martijn Sandberg is designing the gateways to the courtyard and DS Landschapsarchitecten have agreed to do the landscaping.

Ashley: 'The unique thing, particularly for the area situated within Amsterdam's ring road, is that we're building large, nigh on energy-neutral properties here. There will be 22 council homes, as well as 18 mid-priced rental properties and 36 owner-occupier properties, each with its own terrace. In other words, a great mix for lower, mid-range and higher incomes'.

Hans: 'Spaarndammerhart constitutes a symbiosis of architecture, art, landscaping and sustainability, referring to the fundamental principles of the Amsterdam School, in which construction and art go hand in hand. We're now complementing these principles with the elements of greenery and sustainability'.

Stay tuned!

1. The Spaarndammerbuurt area has earned itself the nickname 'moord en brandbuurt' ('hue and cry district'), due in part to the communist or socialist character of its residents;

2. When it came to winning the tender process, the weighting given to the residents' voice was one third: one of the ways in which Heijmans won them over was by preserving as many old trees as possible in the plan.

3. Old and new residents will be encouraged to mix due to the plan to have the communal courtyards maintained by the residents themselves;

4. The plan includes the street, like it was until the construction of the Spaarndammerschool in the 1970s, being restored with two new façades.

5. The gateways to the courtyard that Martijn Sandberg is designing will take visitors back or forward in time. Gate 1 to 1917, gate 2 to 2020 (the year of completion) and gate 3 to 3025. The years have been incorporated into the gateways in a specially designed brick alphabet in relief.

Heijmans NV published this content on 15 August 2017 and is solely responsible for the information contained herein.
Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 15 August 2017 16:31:06 UTC.

Original documenthttps://www.heijmans.nl/en/news/building-history/

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