Upon receiving rejection by council to extend the building, I proposed a new design. Keeping in line with historical requirements along the canal, I designed an INDUSTRAL WAREHOUSE, in a contemporary way. Applauded by council, I was given the green light and started construction in March 2019.  

The front facade is typical of Amsterdam design, incorporating:

- Plinth, the base of the building, h=4,0m1

- Middle, evenly divided levels, h=3,0m1

- Roof, an angle of max. 60 degrees

To make it contemporary, I chose a contemporary brick but also choose a standing brick called roll layer masonry.

Normally the roll layer is variegated in a fan-like form, but to make it contemporary I designed it straight. This meant it does not hold any weight, but because of the span of the roll layer, the fan type wouldn’t cope anyway, I then suggested to make it prefab out of concrete and glue 30mm thick strips of the brick onto the concrete. 

Warehouses are known for small windows. A view is usually not required. Because of the conversion to apartments, a view was definitely important especially when overlooking a canal. So, I designed large windows but divided them with rods to prevent a big glass surface which was not suitable to the overall design. To keep the industrial aesthetic, I chose steel frames. 

The interior is more contemporary in design. To strengthen the aesthetic of a warehouse, I designed wooden beamed floors. Because of strict modern requirements for sound and fire protection, I engineered a floor in which the acoustics and fire protection met the standards of the updated building code.

I met these standards by over dimensioning the wooden beams, so in case of fire it keeps it strength for at least 60 minutes. I also created ‘floating’ ceilings between the beams to reduce noise transport in combination with a 60mm thick anhydrite floor on insulation.

In this way, looking from outside and being in the inside, it feels like a WAREHOUSE.