The Houses of Borneo

The houses of Borneo are located to the east of Amsterdam’s city center. The site, a former Docklands area, was redeveloped into a residential area accomodating 2500 housing units including three large apartment buildings and small housing blocks. The street below is an attempt to bring the concept of the canal house to the 21st century. Within the confinements of Dutch building regulations and the urban plan by West 8/Adriaan Geuze an international team of architects designed the houses, each of which is unique (MVRDV got 2). Following its completion in 2000 both the scheme and the houses received a lot of international acclaim.

Brian

WoZoCo Apartments for Elderly People

This building is known as WoZoCo's Apartments for Elderly People. It was designed as a housing option for the elderly by MVRDV and completed in 1997. WoZoCo refers to a Dutch term that describes the building's capacity for medical care as there are doctors and nurses there to care for the residents if necessary. It is located in Amsterdam Osdorp, a planned garden city suburb developed in the 1950's. This is an area mostly inhabited by elderly people and new development eating up the green space. This building was designed to suit the needs of the elderly residents while breaking up the monotony of the area. The building contains 100 apartments, 87 in the footprint and 13 cantilevered off the north facade. The building has its unique shape due to the architects' solution to zoning regulations. The footprint was only zoned for 87 units and the regulations specified that no apartments be north facing. To solve this with a request for 100 units, the architects decided use a reinforced concrete and steel structure and cantilever the remaining 13 units off the north facade and use the rest of the north side for corridor space. The mass of the structure was also broken up with small balconies protruding from the apartments made of steel and colored glass. This solution created a building that is varied and full of movement and color in contrast to the surrounding area.
Elizabeth Conte

RVU Building by MVRDV

The RVU building is less known and significant than its neighbor Villa VPRO next door. The building, also designed by MVRDV, is part of a complex of buildings that make up the center of Dutch broadcasting, an area with studios, radio stations, etc. The building as seen from below seems to hover aboove the group while from the street it is unnoticable as one can only see the grass roof. One can walk under the building and slip up through a stairwell to street level. The building is clad in what looks like steel metal panels that are fully rusted. The building from the side appears to rise out of the sloping ground.

Brian