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intervention strategies for renovation of social housing estates

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A Dutch case study. The Bijlmermeer, Amsterdam Zuidoost. Chapter 5<br />

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br />

The urban layout is based on an orthogonal grid. The network <strong>of</strong> raised streets and the<br />

<strong>housing</strong> blocks are located following such a scheme. Wide green areas with facilities<br />

(pedestrian routes, bicycle lanes, playgrounds, stretch <strong>of</strong> waters and canals) fill in the lots<br />

between the buildings. By means <strong>of</strong> this modern urban structure, the urban planners tough<br />

they would have attracted middle-low income families living in the city centre, at the time<br />

populated by low-income groups.<br />

Between 1968 and 1975, 13.000 dwellings were realized in 31 high-rise <strong>estates</strong> 1<br />

(Wassenberg, 2006). The buildings are 10 storeys high. Most <strong>of</strong> them are shaped according<br />

to an hexagonal pattern <strong>for</strong> a length up to 400 meters. The bearing structure consists <strong>of</strong><br />

parallel rein<strong>for</strong>ced concrete partitions (walls and floors).<br />

In each block the same scheme is repeated: at the ground floor the entrances to the<br />

buildings (including elevators and staircases) and the storages <strong>for</strong> bicycles are located . On<br />

the first floor small <strong>housing</strong> units are located and an inner walkway running along the whole<br />

building. This path connects the block to the raised multi-storey parking garages. Bigger<br />

dwellings are located on the upper floors.<br />

All the gallery apartments, 300 to 500 each block, are structured on the so-called honeycomb<br />

pattern. Comparing to the standards <strong>of</strong> the time, the flats are spacious (100 to 125 m2<br />

- up to five rooms), well-lit, furnished with luxury sanitary facilities and rationally organized.<br />

(see tables in the two next pages)<br />

However, despite <strong>of</strong> the optimistic beliefs <strong>of</strong> that time, problems arise soon after the<br />

completions <strong>of</strong> the works and multiplied over the following decades (Wassenberg, 2006).<br />

1 For definition <strong>of</strong> large <strong>housing</strong> <strong>estates</strong> see Chapter 2, Section 2.1.<br />

3. E<br />

BUILDING LAYOUT<br />

HOUSING LAYOUT

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