Almere Homeruskwartier, the Largest Self-Building District in Post-War Netherlands Post-War in District Self-Building Largest the Homeruskwartier, Almere

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126 Almere Homeruskwartier, the largest self-building district in post-war Netherlands post-war in district self-building largest the Homeruskwartier, Almere

PHOTO: ADRIENNE NORMAN Phantom Urbanism – No Choice The Ghost Towns of Angola over our p 52 Impressions from Almere Heads – p 134 Self-building

Better than in Almere It Was – The 127 Make Architecture Remarkable Great Again – The Transformation Architect as Developer of Tirana p 66 p 86

Simple Jacqueline Answers to Simple Questions – The Architect Tellinga as Client p 118

The Land Belongs to the People – The Battle for Munich p 94 Building one’s own house may have become an exception in the West, but in the Nether- lands this practice has made a serious comeback since the crisis of 2008. In the city of Almere, founded a mere forty years ago and currently the country’s seventh largest city, self-building has come to

128 represent a viable alternative within a developer-led market. Jacqueline Tellinga, board member of the Profes- sional Association of Dutch Urban Designers and Planners (BNSP), argues the case for self-building. 129 ------fordably and led to extensive cooperation and a vibrant Everybody spirit. community cy is still very much ques tioned. For those interested in the cor self-reli between relation engage social and ance ment, I would briefly like to discuss three examples of self-built developments: the projects of Walter Segal, ‘Bau gruppen’, andallotment gar dens. During the 1970s and 1980s, twohundred families in the single-hand Kingdom United edly built their homes, using thesystem of pioneering ar chitect Walter Segal. What was people these connected that they were all entrepre neurial, but none of them had enough moneyfor privatea Segal’s for opted They home. prototype design – a wooden frame,with insulation and a weatherproof shell – which was a quick and economical way of building. None of the people had technical skills, but they simply rolled up their sleeves, went towork in their own time and acquired the along knowledge necessary construction Segal's way. the system was a way to build af pleorganised themselves from the bottom up. In such socie equal exceptionally ties, in which power is no longer exclusively in the hands of a king, nobility or any elite, a truly open market can flourish. Currently,how he ever, argues that we are in a time of declining freedom and equality. “We must pre serve the good of markets, but we must counteract the domi nance of the elites.” and models Utopian micro-societies Having extensively worked on the development of self-built neighbourhoods, see I ten a dency to increasingly push self-buildersout of the 'so- called’ market. Their legitima everyone to participate and acquire wealth. In his view, non-freedom inequality and are the norm, which have only broken successfully been downin societies where peo ------In this book 2 ly modern period, and then drawsparallels with England and the United States in the period. modern The process is invariably the same: in their early phases, tend economies market these to generate growth, reward initiative entrepreneur and ship and increase labour pro ductivity. During this early technological major phase, leaps takesplace. But then, withthe emergence of new elites – inevitably a conse quence of the initial success – the rules of the game change. The new elites become a self-serving political force, in equality increases and the develop earlier economic those Once stagnates. ment elites get hold of two of the three factors of production – landand capital the– rest of the population is left with only the ability to provide work – the third factor of production – and falls behind. Bavel’s Van observations clash with the neoliberal idea of the market asneutrala mechanism, which supposedly allows planted those by better or ganisedand more powerful, which in turn has led to pleas to open upthe housing mar individual small-scale, to ket participants. In this context, reference should be made to thebook 'The Invisible Hand? Have Economies Market How Since Declined and Emerged AD 500' by economic histori an Bas van Bavel. heargues that importantmar after initial economies, ket periods ofemergence and prosperity are inevitably fol lowed by a period of decay. He proves his point with three exam pre-industrial major, ples of successful market Eurasia: western in economies Iraq in the early Middle Ages, Italy inthe high Middle Ages, and the Low Countries in the late Middle Ages and the ear creasingly concentrated in in concentrated creasingly the hands ofPower few. a is hands. same the in inevitably Nowhereis this felt more acutely than in the housing market, in which the energy of people who want to invest in their own homes and living environmentis routinely sup

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Even more problematic vate equity has become in In China, the point has been reached that the government not only finds it bad for the housing market, but also im moral to speculate with hous ing rather than living in it. Pres ident Xi Jinping is committed to a mandatory cooling of the housing market. Hand? Invisible The In the twenty-first century, pri cause tenants could be a diffi cult obstacle to quick a resale. come has become the prime motive generally suffer from a inhabitants of turnover high and therefore slowly lose their connection to the area. Buy- to-let leads to a housing stock owned by the wealthy, who do not live there themselves and push up prices in the mean time. phenom ‘buy-to-leave’ the is enon, where investors deliber ately do not want to rent out and cause vacancy rates be toph Gröner, who trades in real estate with the sole pur pose of ‘making capital work’ on behalf of the anonymous wealthy. Developmentssuch as those in Berlin and in Amsterdam changes imply fundamental interms of the quality oflife and general affordability of neighbourhoods in these cit where Neighbourhoods ies. themaximisation of rental in tivelycheap. Berlin is known amongstinvestors as the Aldi of the housing market and, as a result, home prices have pressure. serious under come The German situation is de scribed clearly in the ARD re fol which port 'Ungleichland', investor multi-millionaire lows and project developer Chris

Urbanism – The Ghost Towns Angola of p 52 Phantom ------

(The re 1

ticularlybecause their real estate, compared to cities like London and Paris, is still rela tate, have been discovered as profitable piggy banks for capital-seeking yield, par Inone 2017 of every eight homes in Amsterdam was bought by investors searchinto major property owners in Amsterdam is based information public the on from Registry). Land Amsterdam is not the only place affected by this trend. German cities too, with their comparatively cheap real es ments – is firmly entrenched. nitiesfor third parties. phe The buy-to-let, of nomenon through which investors buy up existing homes with the aim to rentthem outexpensively – generally after having split them up into separate apart stance, were built by private individuals for private use. To prosperousday, cities like Am radar firmly the are on sterdam ofinternational capital and thesame houses primarily serve as investment opportu selves. Most of the houses canals Amsterdam's along fromthe century, 17th forin In ancient times we did not know any better than that cit ies were built by citizens them

p 66 tect as as tect Developer Again – The Archi- Great Architecture Make Make 130 eration almost by definition. bydefinition. almost eration coop intensive implies phase early an in together sions deci several make to have residents that fact The tion. construc of costs and prices land the both of sharing The ic: log economic valid in rooted was argument Their dam. Amsterdam, and Rotter Delft as such cities in a foothold gained even groups building During the financial crisis, opment. devel urban of form stream amain into itself forming trans Tübingen, and burg Ham Berlin, in groups other by copied was and successful proved soon living, of form tive an alternative, more collec for model, This Freiburg. of city German the in organised was (also called Baugesellschaft) Baugruppe German first the 1990s, the In idea. asimilar are Germany in Baugruppen The private developments. as or housing social as – either signs never went mainstream de these why explanation a good with up come to able been has one no To date, help. and together come would group whole the house, gle asin for frame main the erect to time was it when but homes, individual their on work would en gebiedsontwikkelaar’ Homeruskwartier 2006 – 2015. –2015. 2006 Homeruskwartier ‘concept been has gebiedsontwikkelaar’ en Tellinga Jacqueline build. and invest to continued builders developers self equity, private of alack While suffer to crisis. began financial the before just market the on came plots 350 first The 2016. Homeruskwartier ------spirit and far-reaching self- far-reaching and spirit Another form of community Baugruppen and the allot the and Baugruppen the projects, Segal's Walter speculation. of possibility the out ruling of membership,termination commission uponattending bythe determined are houses garden of prices selling ly, the Hedges are joint maintained them. enforce ranks own bers’ fromCommittees the mem books. neat in down laid are regulations building and duct con of Rules detail. last the to down arranged is collective the towards individual the of agement and accountability man The basis. a voluntarily on conduct of code extensive an to adhere members ty, the communi asmall As lective. acol as organised also are micro-societies These unique century. 20th the of beginning the to back dating gardens regulation are the allotment and sense of community. community. of sense and cohesion social agreater is there examples specific these in that conclude might One together. for paid and tained main are aspects common and apply, rules common whenanother necessary, one with consult People eties. mini-soci are gardens ments ------

Houses and gardens are pri are gardens and Houses well-being, pride and owner and pride well-being, of asource inevitably is which of thousands of hundreds or tens of power thinking the and means the mobilises it that in economic logic it unleashes – the in is essence The munities. com social closer creating of merit the on judged be marily pri not should Self-building the group. within shared not are which of rights property the vate; Duivesteijn, to sell its land di land its sell to Duivesteijn, Adri alderman of person political administration, in the fundamental choice of the the was it Instead, munity. com social aclose or rades com of byacore started not was It era. building Dutch war post- the of district building self- largest the is kwartier Homerus- the plots, 1,400 With social-economic context. abroader in self-building of meaning the places and level next the to things takes mere in Al- the Homeruskwartier logic, economic represents that self-building of terms In self-building for plots 1,400 Homeruskwartier: invest. who people of sands thou or hundreds the for ship ------

p 118 p Client as Architect The Questions – Simple Answers to Simple dom to do so. do to dom free the given really are they once themselves for build and live to want they how mediaries. inter the without houses own their produce to people nary ordi of part the on keenness developers and indicates the professional and cities tween be collusion the of macy legiti the question into calls firmlyThe Homeruskwartier 2006. of programme mijnhuisinAlmere Ikbouw the with motion in set was and citizens, its to rectly ‘plot passports’, those inter those passports’, ‘plot and brochures to Thanks plots. of a variety on achieved been has ideas living of mix A rich freedom. The result is aper is result The freedom. people enjoyed complete envelope, that Within it. on erected be to structure the of height and depth width, mum maxi the indicated that vised de was envelope building a plot, each For result. the been have would do-variety’ a‘pseu architects, particular more or one with work to dents resi future the forced had we If self-builders. the them: those who had commissioned of choice the be to homes the considered the aesthetics of We control. aesthetic any out in building alternatives, with diversity great its is plan ment of theCharacteristic develop market. the on put were plots. Ultimately, 1,400 plots 300 another of sale the with 2009 in continued and 2007 of end the at started plots 350 detached homes. The sale of to terraced from and tures, struc low to tall plots, small to large from –ranging choices their make to able were ested Here, people show

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PHOTO: TOP-SHOT.NL sonal collection of canal As soon as the plots came on activity is in the granting of Western societies are based houses, terraced houses, mul- the market, they bought land building permits to guarantee on prevailing common sense, ti-generation homes and gar- and built their houses. The the right measure of hygiene, which dictates the qualities den houses commissioned by identity of the neighbourhood construction standards, safe- that ought to be protected by hundreds of 21st century en- is in its diversity. Sceptics ty and sustainability. law, and how individual free- trepreneurial citizens. The might call it chaos, but the fi- Oosterwold focuses on low- doms can be reined in for the smallest house is less than nal judgement will be made density urban agriculture: collective good. Should citi- 50 m2, while the largest is more by future generations. More than half of each plot zens now be left to settle their than 1,000 m2. The money in- must be used for urban agri- own diverging interests? Oost- vested ranges from 100,000 to Oosterwold, culture, with only 12.5 per cent erwold has tried to offer a more than 1.5 million euros. a 4,300-hectare being used for construction of framework to make this possi- One-third of the self-building development a building. The question Oost- ble – be it in a model of con- plots have been built upon erwold raises is whether soci- sensus or in dispute, it is up to through the “I build afforda- Another example of self- ety still needs the safeguards citizens to decide. The way bly” scheme. building is Oosterwold, a new provided by governments. the area has developed thus The exceptional thing about 4,300-hectare development, far reveals a creative energy the Homeruskwartier is that a also located in Almere. Here, that would otherwise never cross-section of society has not only the construction of have seen the light of day. been actively involved: low, homes, but also the entire Better than From experience, I must add middle and higher incomes; planning of the area is in the that not everyone is able or singles, families, multi-gener- hands of the residents. People It Was – The willing to debate and cooperation families; young and el- draw their desired plot on the ate at this level. The low densi- derly people; a mix of cultural map, build and manage the Remarkable ty which inevitably seems to backgrounds, with (hardly) roads together with their Transformation emerge from the approach any background in the con- neighbours, and arrange for hardly qualifies as an answer struction industry or architec- the provision of their own wa- of Tirana to global urbanisation. But, ture. Many residents are em- ter, sewage and energy. The with 600 lots sold, and a long ployed in the service sector. main remaining municipal p 86 waiting list for 9,000 more,

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13 Fragen - 291 Teilnehmer Alle Antworten und Fachwissen im Whitepaper - Jetzt anfordern! 132 dows. dows. win without ahouse or house, cardboard perfect the build to aim others while stove; specific that find to just rope Eu throughout travel to pared pre are people motive; riding ‘independence’ is the over and ‘well-being’ ‘security’, but money, not whom for and old grow to want they which in houses' 'smart build people Elderly live: to ways different of a kaleidoscope become has city the developments, new these of addition the With tive extravagance’. ‘crea of form any or diversity no have that houses row cal identi endless, its for known mainly was Almere cently re until since remarkable, more the all –is 1970s the from town new –aDutch Almere in are both that fact The stock. housing in variation larger a create can and wants tion popula the of section cross a that proof compelling fer of developments Both dents. resi of energy and creativity choice and honouring the of freedom about are wold Homeruskwartier and Ooster choice of Freedom ment. environ living own their mine deter to freedom of extent impressive an have do people cultural backgrounds. of amix as well as people elderly and young families; multi-generation families, singles, incomes; higher and middle low, society: of cross-section involved actively an of power thinking and means financial mobilises it that –in unleashes it logic economic the in is self-building of essence The ------p 94 p Munichfor Battle The – People to the Belongs The LandThe private entities, there is asub is there entities, private by obtained is ownership land advantageous Once position. an in is one land, acquired has one Once commodity. able market afreely not are nities ownership. are obtained through land rights building words, other In possess. they which land the develop to ones the marily pri are landowners that sense common is it all, After ing. land available for self-build make to decision a political reach to difficult it makes This land. no or little possess lands in the Nether municipalities however, general, In velopers. de to only not and residents its to directly land its sell to chosen has Almere of city The land to Access choice. and rationale ual individ of amatter are ences Seemingly irrational prefer market. housing the over hold stantial

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secured in advance. By con By advance. in secured be can way, production this In This basic democratic princi democratic basic This trusting its citizens’ creativity? stop government did When actual demand and needs. with line in are that emerge would costs and production of housing variety edented unprec An participate. could anyone which in free, truly is that amarket Imagine on. so and companies tom-build cus small contractors, tects, individuals, collectives, archi of thousands of hundreds for transparent market property a in sale for land Imagine self-building of aform in interested legedly spective home-buyers are al pro of cent per 50 than more Amsterdam in i.e. while areas, rural the in mostly cent, per 10 is it Netherlands the in ing, self-build is housing of cent 4per Britain In prematurely. land buy ever would citizens, of group or citizen, no trast, ties, the discussion should be be should discussion the ties, par of ahandful byjust hand before secured prematurely are rights these case, the ently pres is as When, charge. in developers and investors ised rights, leaving better-organ development of allocation the to comes it when stick the of end short the draws mostly still self-builder The ised. material actually has that of little yet, And choice. of dom free the accommodate to was neoliberalism of policies the of idea the hindsight, In cities. of production the in agents valuable as them tention, let alone mobilise at people's hold cannot that terms appeared, have icy' pol of 'co-production the and 'inclusive decision making' as such terms many too izens, cit and government between relationship the In blocked. been has market housing the to access because frustration, even or alienation, is There teed. guaran means by no is land to access free yet and ager, man floor afair-trade as role a have governments land, of allocation the to comes it when that, accepted widely is it planning, urban In peared. disap have to seems ple 3 . ------about the legitimacy of hav of legitimacy the about 3 2 1 disputes. user. It calls to mind historical end an as oneself, it using without land of piece or tract owned an over authority ing BD2017-013356. no. 2018, 17 januari welzijn, Wonen, Wijkaanpak en Dieren- commissie voor Bouwen, Raads- Amsterdam, Gemeente Press, 2016. University Oxford 500, AD Since Declined and Emerged Have Hand? How Market Economies Invisible The Bavel, van Bas 2017. 4 november Parool, eigenlijk? stad deze is wie van woningmarkt: de Dun, Groeiende op ongelijkheid van Maarten Couzy, Michiel

ILLUSTRATION: SALES BROCHURE CITY OF ALMERE, 2013 Restaurant Golden Phoenix by Gekko Group, Foto © Steve Herud

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SCHLUSS 134 ‘Plot-shop’ in Almere Homeruskwartier, 2015 Homeruskwartier, Almere in ‘Plot-shop’

PHOTO: ADRIENNE NORMAN 135 136 Aressstraat and Hermesstraat under construction, 2010 Almere Homeruskwartier

PHOTO: TOP-SHOP.NL 137 138 The house without windows, Almere Homeruskwartier Almere windows, without house The

PHOTO: ADRIENNE NORMAN 139 140 Kaatje in her living room, Almere Homeruskwartier Almere room, living her in Kaatje

PHOTO: ADRIENNE NORMAN 141