Adopt + Adapt = Adept

[Margaret and Rijk Rietveld]

We are involved in two different studies with outdated office buildings. In the Netherlands, the crisis has hit older office buildings hard. 6,000,000m2 (60MM SF) office buildings are currently unoccupied, while the absorbtion rate, even in a recovered economy, is no nore than 1,000,000 m2 per year.

This makes it difficult to get office buildings from the 70's and 80's occupied again. Not only are these buildings often "inefficient", compared to current designs, they are very energy-inefficient. So it is hard to invest in these buildings again.

Tearing outdated office buildings down, is not very sustainable. We have named our studies:

Adopt + Adapt = Adept

[Piet Meijs]

Here is the study model that we made last week to demonstrate how we can take an old office building and turn it into a residential building.

I will leave it to Rijk to share all the details.

[Koen Eykhout]

The floors of these new "cores" are already a bit higher that the floors in the rest of the apartments, aren't they?
I suppose that you could raise the floor right next to the window to the same level so that below that you'd get room for all the plumbing/sewage and so.

[Piet Meijs]

The idea is that all the pipes for sewage, water, gas, electricity etc are in the new "cores". Even the wall sockets, kitchens and light points can be prefabricated in the "core". That way, minimal work is needed on the existing building.

The floor is something Rijk and I have a discussion about. The core floor is definitely higher since it holds all the piping etc. But the rest of the apartment needs a floating floor for sound proofing anyway, so this could be used to bring the entire apartment to the same level.

I however wonder how important it is that we do that. Why can't you have a step in your apartment?

I really think that if we want to re-use these older buildings we have to think in a more freer and creative way. So not every apartment has to be completely wheelchair accessible, rooms don't need a minimum size and height etc...

This moves towards a larger discussion where I think that the building code should be more about results rather then ways of construction. Why can't people decide if a bedroom has enough daylight for them? I guess that's the dutch way of thinking versus the US way of thinking.

[Koen Eykhout]

Originally Posted by Piet Meijs

The idea is that all the pipes for sewage, water, gas, electricity etc are in the new "cores". Even the wall sockets, kitchens and light points can be prefabricated in the "core". That way, minimal work is needed on the existing building.

What I meant was: you can have a sewage pipe in the core, but you still need a way to get it out of the core. Of course you could do that by drilling into the floor but that sounds too much like work to me, and also rather risky. You could hide it in a wall somewhere I suppose, but that too doesn't sound very optimal.

The floor is something Rijk and I have a discussion about. The core floor is definitely higher since it holds all the piping etc. But the rest of the apartment needs a floating floor for sound proofing anyway, so this could be used to bring the entire apartment to the same level.

I however wonder how important it is that we do that. Why can't you have a step in your apartment?

In my opinion, it depends. A step between sitting area and dining area would be a nice separation to me and actually an improvement, a step between bedroom and bathroom would be less welcome, and one between kitchen and dining area would be downright dangerous in my case.

This moves towards a larger discussion where I think that the building code should be more about results rather then ways of construction. Why can't people decide if a bedroom has enough daylight for them? I guess that's the dutch way of thinking versus the US way of thinking.

Do bedrooms need daylight?? o.0

[Piet Meijs]

Originally Posted by Koen Eykhout

What I meant was: you can have a sewage pipe in the core, but you still need a way to get it out of the core. Of course you could do that by drilling into the floor but that sounds too much like work to me, and also rather risky. You could hide it in a wall somewhere I suppose, but that too doesn't sound very optimal.

Who said anything about keeping the vertical pipes "inside" the building.... if you catch my drift.

[Koen Eykhout]

Aren't you going to have problems with frost on the outside?

[Piet Meijs]

If that's the only problem we encounter with this solution then I am not to worried. I am sure we can solve that.

At this moment it's a concept. Once we have a specific project and we can bring consultants on board all the other issues will come to light.

It's a challenge, but also super fun to solve all these questions that will arise.

[Piet Meijs]

Originally Posted by Koen Eykhout

Do bedrooms need daylight?? o.0

Yep, all "verblijfsgebieden" need daylight. So that's usually the living room and the bedrooms.

[Koen Eykhout]

Originally Posted by Piet Meijs

Yep, all "verblijfsgebieden" need daylight. So that's usually the living room and the bedrooms.

....

The place where I sleep is a verblijfsgebied and needs daylight (what in the...), and a place like the kitchen where I actually do things does not?