Landsmeerderdijk

The Landsmeerderdijk in the north of Amsterdam is an old village road running along one of the historic dykes. Two families bought two attached houses that were built on the dyke in 1910. These houses were very small and in a poor technical state but building laws allowed for the realization of two-floor extension on the backside.

The design for the renovation and extension of these two houses differs. In the left house the kitchen and living room have been placed at the level of the dyke. The kitchen is equipped with a large skylight above the dining table. From the kitchen and the attached balcony there are great views of the green and rural surroundings. In the right house the kitchen and the living room have been realized at the level of the garden. To bring enough daylight into this space, a large void with a skylight has been placed in the center of the house. The stairs have been constructed by reusing the existing wooden elements from a former office building.

In the facades it was important to clearly articulate the original building and the new extensions. For the extension on the backside black wooden facade elements and white window frames have been used. At the street side two modern dormers with strong white window frames were integrated into the historic facade.