project: adaptable apartment building
Client: Municipality of Dordrecht
designteam: Harmen van de Wal, Smahan Amrach, Sofia Fernandes
Start of design: November 2005
Program: Urban block with 232 dwellings and parking garage
Location : Dordrecht Stadswerven

The city of Dordrecht, known to have one of the most beautiful Dutch old citycenters, plans to extend its center towards a former harbour. The municipality commissioned Krill to study on an elaboration of one of the building blocks in the urban masterplan of this extension. The main objective was to realise an identity resembling the old city center without reaching back to the so called pre-modern building styles. We strongly believe it is possible to create this atmosphere of ‘deep urbanism’ with modern means. To achieve this we defined three major design principles;
– All outdoor spaces not integrated in a building are collective
– A collective parking garage is seen as intrinsic part of the collective space
– Architecture is prepared to undergo an endles range of changes, even those not foreseen.

Two new housing prototypes were developed. The first was the (W)hole House, the second prototype, the (W)hole Block, is a small apartment block. Using the same aesthetics of holes, thus creating a new Dordrecht vernacular, this building allows for a range of housing typologies. As fashion change, the building can allow for loft-like apartments, maisonette-like apartments or a mix of them.
Each couple of floors have different incorporated outdoor spaces, adjusted to it’s place in the block, such as a balcony-gallery on the first floor, two double high porticos and a roof garden.