Lariks

The Houthavens in Amsterdam-West have recently gained a special building block: Lariks. A residential building entirely for young Amsterdammers and inspired by the Amsterdam School architecture.

There are a total of 102 homes, the majority of which will be 'Friends homes'. A housing concept by Lieven de Key, in which three starters share a home. Each starter rents a room with a private bathroom and toilet. The rooms are 20 m2 in size. In addition, the three residents share a spacious kitchen. In total, the house is approx. 92 m2 GO.

The design of the building is a contemporary translation of the Amsterdam School architecture. It refers to the adjacent Spaarndammerbuurt, which is known for its iconic buildings in this style. All street facades of Lariks are composed with the same facade elements, masonry, washed gravel concrete and aluminum frames in a ton-sur-ton color scheme. Yet each side is different, each facade has its own character that responds to the urban space to which the facade borders. The beige-grey nuanced masonry and the 'white-wash' wooden facade cladding, together with the balconies and pergolas, provide an informal atmosphere.

With the special Friends housing concept, starters can share homes with each other and take the first steps in their housing career together. Rent is affordable because of the sharing concept. The houses are accessed in various ways; there are gallery, corridor, portico and ground-access homes. Due to the different orientations of the houses, there are different types of outdoor spaces in different positions. Together with the different accesses, this ensures a variety of house plans.

For the next 25 years they will be Friend homes. After that, it will be reviewed how and to whom to allocate the homes. We have taken future scenarios into account when designing the floor plans, so the homes are prepared to be easily adapted to a regular apartment.