ArchShowcase Sumit Singhal
Sumit Singhal loves modern architecture. He comes from a family of builders who have built more than 20 projects in the last ten years near Delhi in India. He has recently started writing about the architectural projects that catch his imagination. Care Housing Boxmeer in The Netherlands by Zecc Architecten BVApril 25th, 2017 by Sumit Singhal
Article source: Zecc Architecten BV Zecc designed an apartment building with 46 apartments commissioned by housing association Mooiland Vastgoed. The project concerns social housing for people with a need for limited residential care. The building is part of an ensemble of connected buildings and is designed to accent its height in the area. The building has a basement of curved masonry with a broad main entrance area. From the ground up the sculptural masonry transforms itself into an angular freeform with emphasized vertical elements.
Collaboration This plan was accomplished in optimal collaboration with all construction partners. It has been awarded as a Design & Build project and Zecc worked formally under supervision of the contractor. The maximum project quality could be achieved within the available budget through a highly efficient LEAN process. The building is developed in 8 weeks from sketch to environmental permit in an integrated BIM model. Directly after the building was realized with direct input from sub-contractors and suppliers. Zecc Architects kept a key role in the aesthetic guidance. Context The building is part of an ensemble of connected buildings with meeting spaces, healthcare facilities, GP’s and a pharmacy. People live independently, if possible, but can make use of the care facilities in the building. The circulation space runs through the building and is shaped like it is part of the public space. The building contributes to the quality of life for a group elders and stimulates personal encounters. Design explanation The building is part of a series connected buildings of the residential care complex Weijstarstaete. It had to be attached to an existing building. It is like a thickened ‘head’ and height accents against the existing more low level surrounding. The complexity within this task was to design an efficient volume with 6 Apartments a floor against the existing building with a different floor height than the surrounding buildings. The different floor height is created through the half-sunken area with storage units . This gave the apartments on the ground floor more privacy. Within the same gesture, there arose an elegant high entrance area. The entrance zone runs right through the building and connects the street with the interior. By using the material from the facade into the entrance, a feeling of being outside is created. The bright space invites to meet each other and there is room for a small communal facility in addition to the provisions in the rest of the complex. The basement of the building is made of rounded brick masonry, which upward increasingly rejuvenates into a more angular motion. In the transitions areas there emerges outdoor areas and a urban angle accent. Upwards balconies with fencing slats are properly curved. The challenge in the design was the search to provide a relatively large block of six homes with a nevertheless slenderness and a vertical accent in the context. A light brick was chosen with bronze anodized frames and fences. The frames are hidden into a deepened space to emphasize the sculptural design of the bricks. Contact Zecc Architecten BV
Tags: Boxmeer, The Netherlands Categories: Apartments, Building, Housing Development, Residential |