ROOTZ

Living amongst the trees: that is the atmosphere this neighborhood in Schalkwijk, Haarlem, will breathe. The area will be densified not only by housing but also by various trees. Moreover, it will represent a densification of the modernistic principles on which Schalkwijk was built. Due to its centeral position, surrounded by 6 other volumes, this block has been conceptually developed as a pavilion in a park and will accommodate 72 apartments, each around 50m2.

Although the construction is concrete, the facade cladding consists of vertical bamboo planks, a bio-based material. Those are matched with bronze anodized aluminum frames and balustrades. The volume is a clear, crisp cube with a legible grid of the windows that enhance the clarity of the building. On sunny days, the deep window sills will animate the facade with a play of shadows. Alongside the outcrop at the roof terrace level, that reveals a snippet of the sky, those elements allow the eye to travel across the facades.

The chain of collective spaces starting at the entrance, going through the lobby and ending at the roof garden and terrace create the spatial sequence of the building. These collective spaces are materialized by matte blue tiles that will be harvested from the to-be-demolished Belcanto Building in which the tax office used to be accommodated. The roof has two collective spaces, a garden on the North-East and a terrace on the South-West. In the garden, the people are the guest – whereas, on the terrace, the greenery is the guest. The selection of planting for the outdoor spaces is simple and able to stand both heat and shadow. The installation roof is treated as the fifth facade and will be adorned with a green cover of sedum and herbal vegetation.