Rotterdam in development

54 R O T T E R D A M I N D E V E L O P M E N T | 2 0 1 8 The first construction activities in Vreewijk began in 1916 when some Rotterdam dignitaries joined forces to bring about new accommodation for their company employees. They were following the example of the English garden towns, where workers living in – for the time – spacious accommodation in a village environment had better life prospects than they had had in the inner-city slums and hovels where they had previously lived. By World War II, Vreewijk garden village had grown into a beloved place to live, an oasis of peace in the city, where everyone had enough light, air and space. Vreewijk is still a much-loved neighbourhood, but most of the homes are too small. “They are old houses, characterised by limited facilities that no longer meet today’s standards,” says Henk Rotgans, Development and Maintenance Director at Havensteder. “Thanks to its past, Rotterdam no longer has a lot of history, but this unique piece of pre-war Rotterdam and its close-knit community have survived,” adds Divisional Manager André Köster from Dura Vermeer. It has been clear for some time that something must be done with Vreewijk. But what? Henk Rotgans: “In the past, people saw demolition and rebuilding as the best solution. That caused a lot of resistance. In hindsight, we can say that was a good thing too, and now we’re aiming to conserve the neighbourhood.” After a not entirely straightforward process in which the corporation, residents, municipality and central government were in negotiations, and after much of Vreewijk was declared a protected cityscape, a new course was set. “That new course is: preserve; provided,” Rotgans explains, “that we can future-proof the homes in Vreewijk, in addition to meeting current standards, which means we devote enough attention to the colours and to some defining features.” LOVELY IMAGE It began with a pilot project: carrying out improvements to around 100 homes on the Weimansweg and the Reigerpad. André Köster: “That intervention gave the area a lovely image. The projects also added a lot to our knowledge, but the operation was very expensive.” Too expensive for all of Vreewijk to undergo this treatment, so new inspiration was needed for the LIVING WITH TODAY’S CREATURE COMFORTS, BUT STILL MAINTAINING VREEWIJK’S MONUMENTAL CHARACTER: THAT IS THE KEY IDEA OF THE HAVENSTEDER HOUSING CORPORATION AND DURA VERMEER CONSTRUCTION IN THEIR HERCULEAN IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMME IN VREEWIJK, THE HISTORIC GARDEN VILLAGE IN ROTTERDAM SOUTH. FOLLOWING A PILOT PROJECT WHICH GAVE AROUND 100 HOMES A MAKEOVER, THEY ARE STILL FACING THE CHALLENGE OF ADAPTING 1,200 HOMES TO MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE MODERN WORLD. A CHALLENGE WITH A TIME LIMIT: ALL THE PLANS MUST BE MADE ‘PERMIT READY’ IN 2019, AFTER WHICH THE PARTNERS WILL HAVE FOUR MORE YEARS TO IMPLEMENT THEM.