Contemporary "bourgeois" architecture: antique clinker, vertical landscaping and solar panels. Tradition, ecology and energy efficiency in the project of the architect Mark Koeler organically complement each other, and the project itself serves as an example to follow, especially in the environment of dense urban development.
The architectural bureau of Marc Koehler Architects works in different fields - architecture, communication theory, sociology and ecology, which significantly expands its design possibilities. Practical experience helps to successfully solve complex planning problems. For example, as with this house in the suburbs of Amsterdam - the lack of free space did not prevent the construction of comfortable housing of monumental forms, and even with a garden. True, it was placed not on the ground - under the windows, but around them on the wall of the house.
The building is located on a very small plot in a new residential area east of Amsterdam. Without further ado, the architect settled on simple, always appropriate in architecture forms - parallelepipeds and cubes. The house is designed as a monolithic volume of several rectangular blocks, which gives the building monumentality and even sculpturality, creating a sense of stability and constancy. Closed private areas contrast with open public areas, as if "carved" from a solid volume.
In order to accentuate the facades, the architect used the special stonework technique that was popular in Holland at the beginning of the 20th century. In cooperation with the manufacturer and suppliers of clinker bricks, he managed to reproduce a texture close to the samples of the last century with modern materials.
Decorative clinker masonry not only enhances the sculptural qualities of the building, but is also used as the basis for the climbing plants that decorate the facades. The vertical garden gives expressiveness to the appearance of the house, and at the same time solves the problem of landscaping the site. In addition, since the building is equipped with solar panels and a recuperation system, the greenery further emphasizes the environmental focus of the project.
The vertical nature of the garden was chosen with a distant aim - plants, fruit-bearing trees and flowers after some time "outgrow" the house and form a natural curtain around it. Downstairs, on the ground floor, the garden is perceived by the inhabitants as an integral part of the living space, combining the natural and cultural layers in a unique way.
The building was nominated for the Wienerberger Award - Brick Award 2010 and entered the shortlist of 45 projects selected from 250 entries from around the world.
Collections of bricks with color schemes for the project: Onyx Zwart facing bricks.
Text and photos are provided by Kirill.
