location
Nieuw Kempering is part of the renewal plan for the Bijlmermeer, a mainly high-rise suburb of Amsterdam built in the seventies. It lies in the southern part of the K-buurt around the site of the recently demolished Kempering block of flats. In SeARCH's master plan, the footprint of the original building transforms into open green space in the new development. Through this reversal, a distinct, connecting element flows through the neighbourhood.
Due to their scale and position, the two tall apartment blocks act as landmarks for the locality. Through their form, both buildings relate to the original footprint and help the transition to the low-rise structures.
streetlife
The Bijlmer's rich street life forms the inspiration for the scheme's design. The ground floor of the single family houses is recessed at street level to create a transition zone or threshold between the home and the public domain.
The glazed brickwork of the ground floor elevations is articulated in a wide range of colours and patterns that give the neighbourhood a strong identity and a warm expression. The upper floors hang as 'clouds' above the street.
richness
The scheme's rich diversity is achieved within very efficient and rational guidelines so the housing is financially affordable for the current residents of the Bijlmer. There are dwellings to let as well as for sale. All with an exterior space. A design framework has been integrated to define the form of any future extensions to the dwellings. In this way the architectural image we created remains also in the future.
