Feb 26, 2009
IJburg House | Marc Koehler Architects
Architectural Design | Marc Koehler Architects
Image ©Marcel van Der burg
A nice little house designed by Marc Koehler Architects shows us interested Architectonic, sustainable, and eco- friendly design. The black façade will be changed to green soon by the vertical garden. Here is from the architects;
The 140 m2 house is located on a small plot in IJburg; a recently developed suburb of the city of Amsterdam. The house is designed as a vertical garden giving space to flora and fauna to grow in a densely urbanised area. Closed private spaces contrast with open collective spaces, that seem to have been ‘carved out’ from the solid volume as a continuous transparent void. In this way the interior space is visual and socially connected to the street, the garden and roof terraces. Outdoor- and indoor spaces become one and natural daylight flows into the interior.
Three bedrooms, a small bathroom, WC and a ‘multi-purpose hall’ are situated on the ground floor whereas the first floor remains completely open for living, cooking and eating, flooded with daylight. The multi-purpose hall on the ground floor is much more than an entrance. It also functions as an artist studio, work desk, laundrette and playground. Storage and service spaces are invisibly integrated in thick walls keeping the living spaces as open, transparent and flexible as possible.
The façade contains specific brick detailing inspired by techniques from the famous Amsterdam school style from the 1920′s, which had become redundant in the 2nd half of the 20th century. By intensive cooperation with brick and mortar suppliers, masonry consultants and brick layers, the architect managed to introduce these traditional texture effects in contemporary building methods. Because brickwork lasts long, is free of maintenance and can be recycled it is an interesting sustainable building material. The ornamental masonry is not a decorative enhancement of the sculptural character of the design, but also functions as an under layer for different sorts of climbing plants to grow up the façade, giving birth to the idea of a vertical garden, which was enhanced integrating flower pots on several levels in the façade. Hedra, kiwi’s, grapes, apples and roses will over time overgrow the house and create a ‘natural curtain’ around the living spaces and terraces, dividing natural shading and privacy. Although the living area is situated on the first floor, the inhabitants will experience their garden as an integral part of their living space, uniting nature and culture in a unique way.
The green façade of the house is a ‘living façade’, changing the image of the building over time and giving space to birds and insects, creating a new urban eco-system.The house uses large windows to capture sunlight to heat up the collective spaces in winter, and uses the ‘natural curtain’ to create shading in summer. Moreover, the house features a heating earth-pump, solar panels on the top roof and a balanced mechanical system using a heat recovery unit combined with natural ventilation in each space. This house shows that comfort, beauty and sustainability can strengthen each other, moting eco-effectivity more than eco-efficiency. Because of this, the house received a special subsidy given to sustainable buildings in the Netherlands and was nominated for the Dutch Façade Design Award 2008.
All images © Marcel van Der burg
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