Kramatweg: moving up in the neighbourhood

Kramatweg is a residential building with 42 homes for elderly people and large families in the Indische Buurt neighbourhood in Amsterdam. It meets an enormous need for suitable and affordable rented homes. The objective was to build modern, comfortable homes where people can continue to live independently for life.

The homes for elderly people are accessed through a south-facing gallery, with a private zone for each home. Private and collective overlap and therefore contribute to encounters between the residents from each gallery. There is also a meeting place for residents on the ground floor.

The new building follows the contour of the demolished building and jumps at the head to mark the corner. The masonry facade alludes to the architecture of the 1920s-’40s. The serrations of the masonry plane are subtly applied at the junction of the head with the main building and at the connection to the adjacent building. Characteristically, the plinth has a distinct plasticity and darker masonry. Niches have been created at the entrances on the street side.

Kramatweg is truly a building for the Indische Buurt. For the elderly people who can live there comfortably and meet each other in the communal space. And for large families with homes on the ground floor, where the children can play on the pavement. The characteristic sculptural brick facade also ties in well with the context. The design received a nomination for the ARC22 Architecture Award, BNA Best Building of the Year 2023 in the Residential Experience category, and won third place in the election of the Amsterdam New Building Prize 2023.

This recognition from the Amsterdam public shows that even with social renting, it is possible to add attractive housing quality to existing neighborhoods in a time of gentrification and rising construction costs. Our project, Kramatweg, serves as living proof that creating valuable living spaces is not reserved for mega-projects for Amsterdam’s very rich.

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