Process: Terraced Houses in Osdorp, Amsterdam
Large-scale housing schemes on the outskirts of Amsterdam have a tradition that goes back to the Modern Movement, but many large estates became symbols of anonymity and social tensions. For some years now, “New Urbanism” has presented an economically successful alternative. The conversion of the 1960s’ Zuidwestkvadrant estate into a new urban housing district is quite remarkable. The basic layout was retained, but a strategic demolition of many uniform buildings took place, followed by a more varied reconstruction with different types. Atelier Kempe Thill was chosen to implement a row of 23 unconventional terraced town houses. With their use of extensive facade glazing and white surfaces, the architects recalled the design guidelines of classical modern architecture – and not just visually: they have implemented a vision of dwelling in a private landscape with a great deal of internal space and extensive visual links externally – a vision that has succeeded in attracting middle-class homebuyers to live amid publicly supported housing.
