Rio de Janeiro

Almere, NL

Can architecture conform to a dune landscape?

Almere

Rio de Janeiro

The existing situation
Almere DUIN is a new residential area on the IJmeer with high dunes and its own beach. As a joint project of the municipality of Almere and the developer Amvest, 3,000 homes will be built here. Some of these will be in new apartment buildings named after major coastal cities.

The architecture blends in with the dune landscape designed by ZUS and BVR, offering plenty of space for living, recreation and doing business. Our Rio de Janeiro residential tower is located in Kop Zuid, in the heart of DUIN. It stands out not only because of its design, but also because it is located on the same site as a primary school and childcare centre. In addition, the tower makes use of the differences in height to highlight the different functions on the site. This allows for a safe play area for children and a ground level entrance.

Rio de Janeiro is thus a unique combination of social housing and other functions in an environment that combines city and nature. In addition, the 82 social rental apartments offer a beautiful view of the IJmeer and, on a clear day, you can even see Amsterdam.

Unique combination, striking design
Rio de Janeiro is characterized by its strong and distinctive volume: a sturdy and solid block that will stand the test of time. The municipality is building a primary school on the adjacent site, which will be built next to the school, so that both buildings are connected to the schoolyard.

The design is in keeping with the special environment of DUIN: a new dune landscape with real dunes up to 10 metres high. This landscape, designed by ZUS and BVR, integrates a number of components. Because the volume surrounds a dune hollow (or trough), the day care centre on the ground floor has a sheltered place for the children to play and at the same time an entrance at ground level. The pergola surrounds the dune trough and the nursery, making it completely safe.

Unique combination, striking design

Beautiful details blend into the landscape
The entire façade is made of sand-coloured, hand-moulded bricks. Produced by Klinker Maastricht, they have a distinctive marl finish. The different shades of these bricks give the building a varying appearance, depending on the weather. The gables have a simple grid of square recessed windows set in strong, one-piece prefab frames. The prefabricated concrete elements are relatively slender in detailing, simultaneously softening and accentuating the heaviness of the building. In contrast, the west and east elevations are more open, with generous glazed façades providing access to cantilevered balconies.

A building for the long term
De Zwarte Hond has designed a robust and simple building with an emphasis on symmetry. We have not opted for conventional standard details, but rather for buildable uniformity and materials that will age beautifully. The building is designed to be efficient and has no built-in parking. This left more budget for the nursery, housing quality, robust materials and unique details.

The sturdy tower connects clearly and coherently with its immediate landscape and neighbours, the school and the schoolyard. Its integration into the dune landscape and the combination of residential accommodation above a kindergarten in one building make it a unique project.

1 Aluminum window frames
2 Precast concrete frame
3 Precast concrete canopy at entrance
4 Brickwork wild bond with white joint
5 Masonry column under canopy

Cross section

First floor

Rio de Janeiro

Almere DUIN is a new residential area on the IJmeer with dunes and a beach. A joint project of the municipality of Almere and the developer Amvest, 3,000 homes will be built here. Rio de Janeiro is an imposing apartment building with 82 social housing units and a beautiful view for residents, who can even see Amsterdam when the weather is good.

The landscaping, designed by ZUS and BVR, consists of several components. Because the volume surrounds a dune hollow (or trough), the day-care centre on the ground floor has a sheltered place for the children to play and at the same time, because of the height difference in the landscape, an entrance at ground level. The pergola surrounds the dune trough and the nursery, making it completely safe.

The entire façade is clad with a sand-coloured hand-moulded brick from Klinker Maastricht. Because of the different shades of the bricks, the building looks different in every type of weather. The gables have a simple grid of square recessed windows set in sturdy one-piece prefabricated frames. The west and east façades have a more open character with generous glass fronts and balconies.

De Zwarte Hond has designed a robust and simple building with an emphasis on symmetry. The integration into the dune landscape and the combination of residential accommodation above a day-care centre in one building make it a unique project.