IMPROVISED HOMES IN AMSTERDAM INDUSTRIAL SQUATS

© DAVID CARR-SMITH 2005 : all images & text are copyrighted - please accredit text quotes - image reproduction must be negotiated via dave@artinst.entadsl.com

Key F11 for full-screen on/off.

Click on images to enlarge.

BOOK: DAVID CARR-SMITH - IMPROVISED ARCHITECTURE IN AMSTERDAM INDUSTRIAL SQUATS & COLLECTIVES

"TETTERODE" SQUAT 1981-/COLLECTIVE 1986 to-- - p7(of 13)

DACOSTAKADE: HARTCAMP APARTMENTS in process

< TETTERODE - p1: INTRODUCTION <
< TETTERODE - p2: PUBLIC-USE & WORK-SPACES <

< TETTERODE - p3: DACOSTAKADE BUILDINGS: MERKELBACH & HARTCAMP <

< TETTERODE - p4: DACOSTAKADE: MERKELBACH APTS <

< TETTERODE - p5: DACOSTAKADE: MERKELBACH APTS <

< TETTERODE - p5-1: DACOSTAKADE: MERKELBACH APTS <

< TETTERODE - p6: DACOSTAKADE: MERKELBACH APTS <

TETTERODE - p7: DACOSTAKADE: HARTCAMP APTS

> TETTERODE - p7-1: DACOSTAKADE: HARTCAMP APTS >

> TETTERODE - p8: DACOSTAKADE: HARTCAMP APTS >

> TETTERODE - p8-1: DACOSTAKADE: HARTCAMP APTS >

> TETTERODE - p8-2: DACOSTAKADE: HARTCAMP APTS >

> TETTERODE - p9: BILDERDIJKSTRAAT BUILDINGS >

> TETTERODE - p10: BILDERDIJKSTRAAT APTS >

> TETTERODE - p11: BILDERDIJKSTRAAT APTS >

> TETTERODE - p12: BILDERDIJKSTRAAT APTS >

> TETTERODE - p13: BILDERDIJKSTRAAT APTS >

HARTCAMP DACOSTAKADE FACADE

(pic 8-95 / to NW)

Hartcamp 'domestically-styled' his 1921 building's Dacostakade facade. Each of its 6 bays includes twinned windows.

At its far end are two entries: 158 into the private mb/dc central foyer and 160 into the public Dijk Theatre (former Co Library) whose big rectangular volume fills the centre 3 bays to level-2 height and half the building's depth. At the near end are two more entries: big vehicle doors at 162 lead under the building into the central Courtyard; 164 is the residential south-stair.

HARTCAMP COURTYARD FACADE

(pic 4-5-08 / to EEN)

The Hartcamp building's 6-bay facade and 'penthouse' are visible from the Courtyard.

The courtyard level L0, through L1 (the "Entresol"), L2, L3, L4, L5, and finally L6 the Merkelbach penthouse.

Hartcamp's south bay overlaps the S-side workshops.

Tetterode's vehicle-entry tunnel runs under one of the L1 'entresol' bays.

Hartcamp's north bay serves Tetterode's circulation at L2 and L3, where central stair landings extend into it as bridge foyers.

DACOSTAKADE BUILDING: HARTCAMP (hc)

(Architect-Drawing: 19## / Section WWS to EEN)

A section through the centre bays (and central support pillars). Through the big Theatre volume that rises past the L1-entresol floor, reducing it to half the building's depth. At level-5 the sloping roof's rafters cut diagonally into the east side. At level-6 Merkelbach's 1963 'penthouse' tops the west flattened portion of the Hartcamp roof.

HARTCAMP HOMES & STUDIO-APTS ... in process (2008)

[Written: mid 1990s]
[NB: a Hartcamp "window-bay" constitutes a large single window on the west courtyard side and paired narrow windows on the east Dacostakade side - the building is six of these bays long]

In this section we will move upwards through Hartcamp's six living-space levels. Many apts (especially on L2 and L3) will typify Tetterode's smaller 1990s living-spaces: one window-bay single-volume with a 'platform' mezzanine. There are however two apts in Hartcamp that have achieved unusual size and complexity: one, that has partly engulfed the upper S-end stair, is completely private and cannot be shown, the other is the L4 GER & INA apt.

The 1921 Hartcamp building has little of Merkelbach's sophistication and scale - its constructional technology and its architect's espousal of a 'domestic' style on its Dacostakade front possibly influenced apt development; it certainly reduces ones fantasy expectations of 'domestically invading a factory', from 'pioneering grandeur' (cf. the best Merkelbach apts) to a rather 'familiar appropriateness'.

As in Merkelbach the Hartcamp floors branch from the centre stair landings, each a locked enclave, with apts entered from a centre corridor. [re 1990s] However, in general they are divided into smaller simpler and more similar spaces than Merkelbach's. [re 1990s but still trueish?] Hartcamp enclaves tend to be more 'social' than Merkelbach's - [re 1990s but NB 2008-L3] especially on L1, L2, L3 most apts are less self sufficient, their occupants relying on the floor's shared kitchen, bath/wc, and even telephone facilities; affording a 'hostel-like' atmosphere.

Rising through every level at Hartcamp's SE corner is a large (2-bays long and almost half the building's width) enclosed lift encircled by a stair and room-sized landings with locked doors to enclaves. Thus each Hartcamp floor may be accessed at both ends, and the south directly from the street - unlike Merkelbach, whose enclaves' corridors wind between the walled in studio/apts like 'leftover space' and would be truncated cul-de-sacs if regulations had not required them to reach its external fire escape.

Hartcamp enclave-levels 1 / 5 / 6 are compromised in width. Level 1 loses all its E side to the double height (6m) Dijk Theatre (the old Co. Library) except for a single 1-bay apt at its N end. On level 5 the Dacostakade facade's dormered half-roof has apparantly disrupted the convention of a central-passage plan: the passage winds along the east perimeter around small store-spaces in the dormer bays, serving on its west side 2 vast studios/apts. On level 6 Merkelbach's rectangular penthouse (the directors' dining suite) is now a single huge living-space.

This Section shows 18 of Hartcamp's 23 living-spaces:

THEO [hc-L1] - [recorded: 1993]
ROB v d BOSCH [hc-L1] - [recorded: 1993 / 2008]
HANS d JONGE [hc-L2] - [recorded: 1993]
NADINE CARMIJN [hc-L2] - [recorded: 1993 / 2008]
ED HOLLANTS [hc-L2] - [recorded: 1993 / 2008]
BRAD [hc-L2] - [recorded: 1993]
REINHILDER [hc-L2] - [recorded: 1993]
RUUD v d HELM & WANDANA HOPPNER [hc-L3] - [recorded: 1993 / 2008]
DORATHEÉ [hc-L3] - [recorded: 1993 / 2008]
(UNNAMED) APT [hc-L3] - [recorded: 1993]
MARIANNE THEUNISSEN [hc-L3] - [recorded: 1993 / 2008]
RADBOUD [hc-L4] - [recorded: 2008]
GER BERGEVOET & INA v d HEUVEL [hc-L4] - [recorded: 1990 / 93 / 2008]
MIKEL VAN GELDEREN [hc-L4] - [recorded: 1993 / 2008]
GASTON [hc-L4] - [recorded: 2008]
(UNNAMED-1) [hc-L5] - [recorded: 2008]
(UNNAMED-2) [hc-L5] - [recorded: 2008]
FRANK APRIL [hc-L6] - [recorded: 1993 / 2006 / 07 / 08]

Notable as typical of 1990s living-spaces are:

THEO / ROB [hc-L1] exemplify the L1 Entresol's low ceilinged yet laterally spacious 2-bay west-side apts.

NADIA / ED / BRAD / REINHILDER - [hc-L2] // RUUD & WANDANA / DORATHEÉ / MARIANNE - [hc-L3] all exemplify the most common type of 1990s Tetterode living-space. In its factory-height floors (which average around 4m) the 'basic' type of small apt is a one window-bay wide cuboid room - its simple open space most commonly differentiated only with a half-height mezzanine-platform (usually for sleeping) at the inner entry-end, reached via more or less substantial steps. In the 1990s most of Hartcamp's and Bilderdijk's L2 and L3 apts are of this type.

HANS [hc-L2] is a 1½-bay space with its inner mezzanine hidden behind its own facade wall. This is the most common way of dividing these spatially simple living-spaces into two volumes.

Typical of 2008 living-spaces are:

RUUD & WANDANA / DORATHEÉ which (with just as notable examples in Bilderdijk) typify the enlargement and complex differention of 1990s apts to accomidate multiplying/growing families.

MARIANNE - [ hc-L3] // MIKEL VAN GELDEREN [hc-L4] // (UNNAMED-2) [hc-L5] though exhibiting different personal styles, exemplify the ambitious remodelling of their living-spaces by individuals///???consequent on ////???the example and energy spread via the establishment of large family apts????

HARTCAMP: hc-L1 ENCLAVE (the "Entresol")

On this page are shown two of level-4 enclave's three living-spaces:

Merkelbach's low-ceilinged 'entresol' floor [mb-L1] is used for work-spaces - this Hartcamp version is domestic. The 2.6m height floor seems oppressively squeezed by the huge ½m beams, and laterally by the vertical intrusion of the Dijk Theatre (the old Co. Library), which claims three of the four east bays behind its butressed wall. The remaining space accomodates 4 apts - a small space north of the theatre (over the Dacostakade street-entries) and 3 big W-side spaces.

HARTCAMP: PLAN - LEVEL 1 'ENTRESOL' ENCLAVE [hc-L4]

(Architect-Drawing 1986 / top is EEN)

HARTCAMP: PLAN - LEVEL 1 'ENTRESOL'

ENCLAVE [hc-L4]

(Plan: Mikel van Gelderen 2006 / info 2008 / top is EEN)

hc-L1 ENCLAVE: PASSAGE FROM N-ENTRY

(pic 8-93 / to SSE)

Just inside the enclave's north entry a single-bay apt opens to the east; for the rest of its length - unlike the three enclaves above - its east side is a butressed blank wall encumbered with storage, telephone table, etc [pic: lft] - behind this is the upper portion of the Dijk Theatre's double-height space. On the west the passage's serves three large 2-bay apts - the nearest open door is Theo's [see below], beyond the big beam is the centre apt, the door of Rob's south apt faces us at the far end.

THEO APT (1988 --) [hc-L1 (Entresol) / 'ED02' - W-side N-end - 2 bays]


THEO APT (pic 8-93 / to WWN) A single-level apt space - this low floor (approx 2.6m) allows no mezzanines.	THEO APT KITCHEN - SOUTH WALL (pic 8-93 / to S) The beauty of 'direct-statement' - design without style: the order of convenient use.

ROB VAN DER BOSCH APT (c1984 --) [hc-L1 (Entresol) / 'ED04' - W-side S-end - 2 bays]

'ED04' SPACE (in 1993) - ROB APT

This living-space was recorded in 1993 when occupied by Rob van der Bosch and again in 2008 when occupied by Theo - this latter version is shown below.

This is the largest of the enclave's spaces. Situated at its south end where the enclave passage bends around the intrusive bulk of the Dijk Theatre, it occupies the extra space to the east.

ROB APT FROM ENTRY

(pic 9-93 / to SW)

The floor's most spaceous apt - wrapping the south end of the enclave passage & posessing L1's only full-height window.

ROB APT

(pic 9-93 / to NW)

ROB APT

(pic 9-93 / to NNE)

View towards the kitchen area. The corridor's S-end narrows the apt beside the kitchen; the pillar blocks our view of the apt's entry.

'ED04' SPACE (in 2008) - THEO APT

Theo moved into Rob's larger southern space in August 2007 (I recorded it in May 2008). ... in process

Theo changed Rob's layout, screening with a large 'storage-wall' a narrow portion across the north end for music and sleeping space. Replaced the floor ///nb cold over veh-entry/// and began to make a garden terrace on the roof of the courtyard south-end workshops, accessed via the entresol's uniquely large south-end window.


THEO APT (pic 1-5-08 / to WWN) The apt entry door [pic rt] is set in the north wall of the eastern extension of this large space and faces down the enclave passage.	THEO APT (pic 1-5-08 / to NNE)	THEO APT: 'STORAGE-WALL' (pic 1-5-08 / to N)

THEO APT: DINING AREA (pic 1-5-08 / to EES	THEO APT: SOUTH WINDOW & TERRACE (pic 1-5-08 / to SW)	THEO APT: BED SPACE (pic 1-5-08 / to NNE)

HARTCAMP: hc-L2 ENCLAVE

On this page are shown five of level-4 enclave's six living-spaces, plus the enclave's shared kitchen:

Between the L1 'entresol' and L6 'penthouse', the height of floors is between 5m (L2) and around 4.5m (L3 to 5) - enabling full-height mezzanines. Many of the apts in Hartcamp L2 & L3 exemplify a very basic stage of the typical means of spacial and functional differentiation: a mezzanine platform at the inner windowless end - employed in almost all Tetterode's high (4m+) yet small-area spaces (typically ½-floor depth and 1 or 1½ window-bay width).

On this floor the first example, Hans' 1½ window-bay apt is one of the largest and (probably) the most developed, with a glass-fronted mezzanine-room and a depth of accumulated complex personal use.


HARTCAMP: PLAN - LEVEL 2 ENCLAVE [hc-L2] (Architect-Drawing 1986 / top is EEN)	HARTCAMP: PLAN - LEVEL 2 ENCLAVE [hc-L2] (Plan: Mikel v Gelderen 2006 / info 2008 / top is EEN)

HARTCAMP hc-L2 ENCLAVE: CENTRE PASSAGE FROM S END

(pic 8-93 / to N)

The enclave's centre access passage has apt doors each side. the open door is the communal kitchen [re: next pic]; just outside it is a shared telephone. At the far end is the enclave's entry door from the central stair/lift.

HARTCAMP hc-L2 ENCLAVE KITCHEN [E-side / S-end - 1 bay]

(pic 8-93 / to NE)

Apart from the expression of a need for 'aesthetic comfort' which affords it a 'domestic-personalness', this communal kitchen is very similar to L3-enclave's communal kitchen.

HANS DE JONGE APT (1990 --) [hc-L2 / E-side N-end - 1½ bays]

HANS APT:

(pic 8-93 / to N)
[NB: These photos were taken during my 3 day residence. Unfortunately the whole pattern of Hans' order is compromised by my couch towel].
A space 1½ window-bays wide (a structural anomoly), with a walled-in mezzanine.
This apt is more differentiated spatially and more 'home-like' in its degree of investment in fittings, than the 'bed-sit' simplicity of many of the L2/L3 apts.

HANS APT:

(pic 8-93 / to NW)

HANS APT: S-HALF OF INNER SIDE - ENTRY & MEZZANINE

(pic 8-93 / to WWS)

HANS APT: VIEW FROM MEZZANINE PAST BOOK SHELVES

(pic 8-93 / to NE)

HANS APT: ON MEZZANINE

(pic 8-93 / to SSE)

NADINE CARMIJN APT (1993-96) [hc-L2 / E-side centr - 1½ bays]

NADINE APT
(pic 8-93 / to SSW)

ED HOLLANTS APT (c1983 --) [recorded 1993 and 2008] ... in process

ED HOLLANTS APT (in 1993) [hc-L2 / W-side N-end - 1 bay]

ED APT
(pic 8-93 / to EEN)

ED APT
(pic 8-93 / to WWS)

ED HOLLANTS APT (in 2008) [hc-L2 / W-side N-end - 1 bay plus N extension over hc-L2 bridge-foyer] ... in process


ED APT (pic 5-5-08 / to NE)	ED APT (pic 5-5-08 / to W)	ED APT (pic 5-5-08 / to SSW)

ED APT (pic 5-5-08 / to S)	ED APT (pic 5-5-08 / to SE)	ED APT (pic 5-5-08 / to SSE)

ED APT (pic 5-5-08 / to SSW)	ED APT (pic 5-5-08 / to E)	ED APT (pic 5-5-08 / to SW)

ED APT (pic 5-5-08 / to WWS)	ED APT (pic 5-5-08 / to WWN)	ED APT (pic 5-5-08 / to NNW)

ED APT (pic 5-5-08 / to EES) In the mezzanine extension over the bridge-foyer, looking back into the original living-space. It took Ed about 3 days to cut the access through the landing wall and three weeks to make the new mezzanine floor.	ED APT (pic 5-5-08 / to NNE)	ED APT (pic 5-5-08 / to SW)

ED APT (pic 5-5-08 / to SW)

BRAD (c1988 to 1992) [hc-L2 / W-side centr - 1 bay]

BRAD APT: NOW OCCUPIED BY A VISITOR
(pic 8-93 / to EEN)
Brad made this apt in c1988 & left in 1992, it is now temporarily occupied by Alfonso, a visitor.

BRAD APT: NOW OCCUPIED BY A VISITOR
(pic 8-93 / to W)

REINHILDER APT (1992 --) [hc-L2 / W-side S-end - 1 bay]

REINHILDER APT

(pic 8-93 / to EEN)

REINHILDER APT

(pic 8-93 / to SW)

REINHILDER APT

(pic 8-93 / to NW)

^ Top > Next Page >