Weespersluis, phase 5B1.a

A total of some 1,200 homes will be built ( in stages) in the waterside Weespersluis between historic Weesp and the IJsselmeer, situated at a unique location on the banks of the river Vecht. The Weespersluis development is divided into three districts, each with its own character, namely: Vechtrijk, Lanenrijk and Waterrijk. Kokon was asked by Adriaan van Erk and BPD to design three subareas within Waterrijk.

For the design of the first subarea designed by Kokon, the work of Egbert Reitsma (1892- 1976) served as inspiration. Reitsma was an architect from Groningen who designed a large number of residential houses and churches in the first half of the 20th century, loosely based on the Amsterdam School. One such church was the Reformed Church in Weesp (1928), which was unfortunately destroyed by fire in the year 1968.

The 43 houses in this subarea, many of which have rear gardens right next to the water, can be divided into terraced, semi-detached and detached houses. All houses are characterised by a 'sturdy' appearance, with large, mostly gabled roofs, robust protruding masonry masses, large dormers with integrated benches, and striking bay windows.

Two specials, detached houses positioned diagonally on the water, feature a different zinc roof with serrated detailing based on the church designed by Reitsma in Weesp.

The other houses are either rendered or materialised in various masonry shades within an earthy palette, using beautiful hand-formed bricks by Vogelensangh. The houses are alternately thatched-roofed or slate-coloured ceramic tiles, creating a richly mixed shade of materialisation. In the detailing, much attention has been paid to the use of low-maintenance and high-quality materials, such as zinc and copper. Window frames are characterised by their rod divisions, which were so typical of Amsterdam School architecture.

The homes in this project are already fully prepared for a gas-free future and feature sustainable technologies and installations such as ground-source heat pumps, underfloor heating, solar panels and a heat recovery system.

The homes in this phase are 90% sold by Q1 2024.

Impressions and interior by: De Beeldenfabriek