Leiderdorp, De Waterbies

ALUMINIUM CONTRIBUTES TO LONGER TECHNICAL LIFESPAN

The first thing that stands out about the De Waterbies apartment building in Leiderdorp is the almost organic shape of the building's front. Of course, this is merely the observer's perception. It is certainly unique. It resembles the bow of a ship, with an overhanging captain's deck at the top. Elegant and surprising. Although the complex can be described as quite large in scale, due to the lively design, colour scheme, and materialization, there is no sense of massiveness. This is thanks to the signature of architect Oscar de Blanken from the Van Manen architectural firm in Noordwijk.

The location where De Waterbies was built is, according to Oscar de Blanken, a "sensitive location": "This was previously the site of the Menswording Church. The demolition of existing buildings always impacts the surrounding neighbourhood, especially when it involves a church. Initially, we considered redevelopment, but that turned out to be unfeasible. So, what else? Housing construction was a natural choice given the housing shortage in Leiderdorp."

Peninsula

It is a unique location in several ways. De Waterbies is built on a kind of small peninsula, slightly recessed to create space for a green border around the building. The building's facades follow the lines of the water's edge. This makes De Waterbies dynamic, unpredictable. De Blanken: "The shape of the plot was the driving factor for the architecture. We were inspired by the contours of the site. Hence, the rounded end with the curve at the water's edge. The green frame around the building also adds extra value to the location. The former church had this too. Because De Waterbies is somewhat recessed, the building appears friendlier, less massive, while still being a four-story building."

Use of materials

The choice of materials and the colour palette also contribute to the friendly, accessible character of De Waterbies: "This is the result of a search we went through. The rounded corners give the building more air, just like the roof terraces of the top two apartments, which have been set back. We made sure the curve flows smoothly, not segmented. Otherwise, it wouldn’t feel as organic. The same applies to the aluminium wall caps on these curves. They are custom-rolled. It's truly bespoke craftsmanship. De Waterbies radiates quality because of this. There was also an excellent bricklayer involved who perfectly shaped the curve. The same goes for the wood. We chose a not-too-wide plank so that the curve could be properly realized."

Aluminium detailing

In addition to the aluminium wall caps as a roof edge finish, there is more aluminium detailing to be found in De Waterbies. For example, the water strips. The so-called "spekbands" – the transitions between the wood and the light-coloured masonry – are also made of aluminium. Oscar de Blanken explains: "This is the interruption between the stone and the wood at the top of the facade, using an aluminium profile. You need to protect the stone there, so that water doesn’t run over it." The materials used give De Waterbies a "softer" feel. In this design, de Blanken also considered nature inclusivity, which is visible, for example, on the balconies, where plant boxes are integrated into the woodwork, as well as on the green facades and even the birdhouses.

Balance and unity

The choice of colours, the use of (natural) materials combined with a clear horizontal line in the facades, create balance and unity. At the same time, De Waterbies is a lively building full of dynamism. The longer you look, the more happens: "Yes, that’s right," says de Blanken. "There’s a lot happening in the building. At the same time, unity is created through all these aspects. And that’s okay. It’s a building that will probably stand for quite some time – maybe fifty, sixty, even a hundred years. In that sense, it is also a sustainable building. We didn’t build with a circular mindset, but rather focused on a long technical lifespan. That’s why we chose long-lasting aluminium detailing. I could have chosen zinc solutions, but if you look at the raw materials map, zinc might not be available in a few years. This makes the choice to work with aluminium much easier."