Housing and medical practice in old school
The Royal Housing Association of The Hague of 1854, the oldest existing private housing association in The Netherlands, bought this old school building to convert the property into apartments for people with socially relevant professions, such as law enforcement, healthcare, education and arts.
Together with the client we aimed to save as much as possible of the special features of the building. The concrete beams with their bearings, the glazed tiles in the facade, the staircase with its details and a mural of Will Bouthoorn are retained. The minor changes to the exterior facade softens the appearance and are keeping with the original architecture. The former school playground in the front of the building and the demolished buildings for the workshops, have the allure of a court. As a developer of courtyards as Schuddegeest and Paramaribostraat, the Goudenregenhof is in tune with the tradition of the Royal Housing Association of The Hague of 1854.
Facades
The appearance is that of a typical school building of 1920; brave, noble, durable materials and fine details. These characteristics are recognized and appreciated, also by the neighbourhood. The monumental entrance was ideal as a new entrance to the homes and the medical centre. This entrance is located on the Goudenregenstraat. The concept of the design is surprisingly simple. The school consists of a corridor with classrooms around it. The corridor in front of a classroom is divided into a house entrance flanked by the bathroom and kitchen. This creates a service zone. The classroom with its lovely sizes and a height of 4.5 meters becomes a loft.
Studios: box-in-box
The foundation Stroom, an organization in The Hague, which represents the interests of artists, required small studios of 20 m2 and larger studios of 50 m2. The grant available per workshop did not provide for mayor reconstructions. The walls of the former burgerzaal are therefore retained. The studio of 20 m2 is designed like a box in a box creating a mezzanine on top of it. This mezzanine together with the ground surface results in the large studio of 50 m2. The facade of the small workshop is constructed as overhead door. In the summer it can be opened to include the courtyard and thus increase the size. The overhead door was constructed partially in transparent and translucent glass. During the day the sunlight enters and at night the light shines out. The 11 workshops are linked to 11 homes and cannot be rented separately. This increases the involvement of artists with the other residents.
Houses
The complex consists of 27 apartments in the building, one for commercial use, and the former caretakers house. Some houses are suitable for two-person. High ceilings characterize the apartments that range in size from 46 to 72 m2. The houses on the ground floor have big terrace doors. A gallery along the courtyard reaches the houses on the first floor. The basement contains a shared bike shed. In the courtyard a limited number of parking spaces is created.
Entresol
On the second floor the corridor is retained. The high elevation made it possible to create a mezzanine for the living room. Besides that, in terms of aesthetically and sunlight, a gallery at this height would not be suitable. The original flat gable dormer windows are resized to small loggia’s with floor to ceiling windows. The spiral stairs to the mezzanine is constructed as slim as possible. The void around this staircase is covered with a grid floor, so the void is not only walk able, but also creates a vertical visible sight and light connection with the kitchen. The visible details of the beams and rafters create a cosy living on the mezzanine.
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