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VMX Architects has been commissioned by Vesteda to design three identical blocks in the ‘Noordbuurt’ on IJburg, a suburban district of Amsterdam. The master plan for this part of IJ burg is characterised by its high density, large perimeter blocks and a narrow street pattern. In spite of this rather rigid pattern and many regulations each block design has to comply with, VMX aimed to create housing with as much privacy as possible and high quality private outdoor spaces. 

As a starting point, the obligatory use of the perimeter block is combined with the spatial qualities of the ‘slab’. By doing this, nearly every individual house is offered a private outdoor space facing south. In this system, half of the houses (those on the North side) are given their entrances on the street. The remaining houses are opened up with the inside part of the block. This mix of private outdoor spaces and entrances within the block results in a ‘collective atmosphere’. 

In offering sufficient privacy in the narrow streets, the ground floor has been raised slightly above street level. Furthermore, multipurpose spaces have been introduced between the street and living room. These spaces allow a highly flexible use - for example as study rooms on the north side and as ‘garden rooms’ on the south side of the block. The idea of maximising the amount of privacy also leads to the specific composition of the facades. The size of windows gradually climbs as they get higher above the ground, thus offering a greater view of the city and the river IJ.

Nominated for the Gouden A.A.P. 2010 (Amsterdam.Architecture.Prize.)