Samenvatting

The transformation of an extended urban ensemble along the Karel de Grotelaan in Eindhoven explores the theme of revitalizing social housing in postwar neighborhoods. The original open planning of five repetitive units of ample lawns aligned with 4 to 5 floors high apartment blocks in L-formation is reassessed to become an enfilade of interconnected courtyards, with an extra block along the urban artery. The existing blocks, an early design by H. Maaskant, are revised. While retaining their architectural language, new elements like the social gallery and flexible ground plans are introduced to replace the outdated fixed typology for small families. The apartments become open to the courts and thereby contribute to a collective feel and way of living. The newly introduced block shields the courtyard from the busy road. A transparent plinth and extra volumes placed nearby offer space for mixed functions, like a communal kitchen, kindergarten and workspaces, that also promote use of the open, communal green courts. The old and new housing blocks share the same dynamic approach in programming different lifestyles and attunement to social life. The detailing of the galleries and facades of the housing units offers a variety of interactive elements, that mediate between outside and inside, outdoor and indoor. Through intensive research and research by design this project is an imaginative pilot and a strong argument for the transformation of postwar social housing in the Netherlands into economically resilient, socially inclusive and sustainable living environments by means of cooperative developments and principles of collective design.