intervention strategies for renovation of social housing estates

A Dutch case study. The Bijlmermeer, Amsterdam Zuidoost. Chapter 5
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5 CONDITION FOR SUCCESS
WHAT
IMPROVEMENT OF SURROUNDINGS ArenA area
INTEGRATED APPROACH
combination physical and socioeconomic
renewal
RADICAL SOLUTIONS replacement of existing estates
ALTERNATIVE FINANCING
PERSPECTIVES TO INHABITANTS
Central Housing Fund;
facilitate the inhabitants
priority to improvement of living
conditions
ACTION
5.2.4 OVERVIEW ON EXAMLES OF RENOVATIONS
catalyst to solve problems within the
high-rise area
housing differentiation (demolition -
renovation)
job creation
better maintenance
demolition of existing high-rise
substitution with new construction
(low-rise, single family houses)
the CHF pays half of the costs;
moderate (rent and sale rate) prices
offer better house within the
neighbourhood or elsewhere
In the Netherlands, physical renovation of social housing estates typically reflects two
approaches: ‘renovation light’ and ‘high-level renovation’. Both of them intend to improve
the initial building quality. High-level renovation, however, is more profoundly and leads to
higher quality by moving the walls to improve, for example, housing differentiation. Clearly,
for implementation of high-level renovation, tenants need to move out during the works.
There is not an official definition to refer to those two approaches, but the professionals tend
to use such terms to distinguish the level of intervention. In chapter 4r, where ten Dutch
examples of renovation have been introduced, some of the projects are based on ‘high-level’
renovation. It is the case, for examples, of the Complex 50 (Tab. 10) in Amsterdam by van
Schagen architects and Osdorperhof by van der Torre architects. In the latter renovation, the
casco structure has been preserved and a new attractive façade attached on it.
However, Ouwehand and van Daalen (2002) argue that wherever there are severe problems
on the physical and socio-economic level, radical (renewal) approaches at neighbourhood
level are necessary, where dwellings should be made available for middle and higher income
households. This means also the “removal” of many of the original residents. This is a
political choice.
Renovation light and high-level renovation, are both largely implemented in the Netherlands.
Deciding to go for one or another depends on many factors (like financial and social context
and location). Most of the motivations are indigenous and often driven by the ‘personality’ of
the housing association and its leaders (Gruis, 2007).
Among the factors to be improved by implementing high-level renovation, the physical ones
are usually the followings:
Building function: by improving accessibility to the block and/or the dwellings, increasing
social safety and liveability of shared spaces (often by interventions focused on inner
walkways and/or storages)
Housing differentiation: by adapting existing dwellings more chances for wider target
groups are provided (combination of units);
Technical performances: by updating technical equipments and the characteristics of the
façade (usually focusing on thermal and acoustic insulation).
Look of the building: mostly by preserving its initial architectural features or constructing a
completely new one.
Those factors are widely used in the Bijlmermeer. A lot of interventions to improve the
quality of the high-rise blocks have been carried out in the neighbourhood since the middle
‘90s.
16. E
RENOVATION LIGHT
HIGH-LEVEL
RENOVATION
RENOVATION IN THE
BIJLMERMEER