ACS101 - HAMERKWARTIER, AMSTERDAM, NL

YEAR
STATUS
PROGRAM

2017-2019
Case Study
Housing

The Hamerkwartier in the North of Amsterdam is redeveloped from an old industrial area to a mixed-living neighbourhood for 6200 people. ACS101 FAMILIA is a research project on how families can have a place in a high-density city. The ensemble consists of six large and five small apartment buildings with space for approximately 440 units of various sizes. Other functions include a culture hus, library, commercial-, shop- and restaurant spaces. The ensemble is situated around a raised platform called Communitas, a space between public and private.

FAMILIAS

Families come in many different shapes and sizes, but they all have shared values and wishes. They want to feel comfortable and safe in their homes, connect with their neighbours, and be part of a thriving community. ACS: FAMILIA projects offer them that.

COMMUNITAS

The Communitas is a deck that connects all the houses in the ensemble. It is a zone located between the neighbourhood and the front door and is a safe place to play and discover.

Under the deck is space for various non-commercial functions that can be used by residents, but also by people from the neighbourhood. These are places for meeting and activities without having to pay entrance fees.

The buildings on the Communitas all have different collective functions, and the connection of the deck makes it possible for residents from different buildings to use each other’s collective functions, which can result in a greater diversity of functions and overall quality.

COMMUNITAS STRUCTURE

The ensemble is formed from the mass of the entire plot. The street plan is based on the orientation of the sun, which has resulted in the base for the grid.

The first two layers in the mass have been raised and are used as a deck, Communitas, connecting all homes. The various typologies were then projected onto the different blocks.

FAMILIA was designed with the idea of doing something with the large existing plots of former factory buildings in the area. The idea is to see if the qualities of a big lot can lead to a new city community, instead of cutting the area into many small plots and developing and designing them individually.