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The near future ? as well as a terrace on the roof, is offered. Furthermore, one
Within a number of decades The Netherlands will lose half of could think about having a water garden, reaching over a plank
its land surface to the sea. The map shown on the panel is a bridge, in front of the living area, which should contain water-
prediction of the geographic decline of the Netherlands if and purifying plants.
when the sea level rises 1 meter. Due to serious flood problems
during the nineties, the Netherlands are flooding many its pol-
ders to create buffer capacities for rainwater. Autarchy is sustainable
This is a self-sufficient house. It has no connection to the main
The law of Archimedes land other than a bridge towards a dry infrastructure (for pe-
Our contemporary house ‘Archimedes’ is, therefore a floating destrians, bikes, cars etc.). It can also be reached by boat.
house, capable of surviving any sea level rise. It could be pro- There are no electricity cables, telephone cables, water-works
duced in shipyards, which is a highly developed and innova- or sewage works. This contemporary house processes its own
tive Dutch industry. The materials and building techniques are energy from solar- and wind power. Drinking water is made
derived from the process of handling thick steel (8-20mm!), from rain and surface water. The 2 kW wind turbine is sufficient
SLEEPING SLEEPING
resulting in strongly sculptural shapes and silhouettes. to accommodate a comfortable way of living. ‘Archimedes’ is a
sustainable solution for future living.
Quality of living WATER HEART WATER HEART
The house has a total floor surface of about 200m2. The spa- For flexible people
cious rooms are located around the ‘water-core’ or ‘water- Moving is easy; a towboat brings you to your new location.
heart’, which is seen as the central point of the house. The The house only needs to be connected to mooring-buoy. This
WORKSHOP WORKSHOP
rainwater being collected on the roof and running through that is made possible with the patented floating sleeves that were
pipe should not only be used for functional issues, but also developed by a shipyard near Rotterdam (photo).
for optional acoustic or light-plays. Living, dining and cooking SLEEPING
section Archimedes
E-E
Filtering Filtering
Heat exchange
Water use Water use
Boiler
autarchy diagrams
A
B C D
VARIATIONS WATER LOFT + WATER BABY WATER TOWER WATIO WATER VILLA WATER HOUSE
elevations
Archimedes 'The Contemporary House'
Drost + van Veen architects is a successful architectural practice in Rotterdam, The “Design is thought and decision. We strive for a stable, de-
Netherlands, with a large and varied portfolio. Originating from two ambitious archi-
tects, Drost + van Veen architects still has a strong and forthgoing attitude which over
cisive and visual process.”
the past 18 years has expanded to a middle sized office with a broad expertise.
Each commission and client is unique for us. A close communication with clients creates
“We design tangible architecture in innovative forms, as decisive decision-making and execution. The search for solutions in the design process
clear answers to complex architectural situations.” allows unseen possibilities not to be overlooked. This idea forming process is visualized
through means of sketch and model making. Each phase of the design process is docu-
mented in a summarized book form.
Drost + van Veen’s buildings are characterised by: their strong relations with the envi-
ronment, cohesive adjustments to the existing context and pronounced usage of con-
trasts. With each commission Drost + van Veen architects searches for apparent con- “An intensive dialog and a good relationship with the client
tractions through transforming recognizable familiarities to contemporary forms. These is a prerequisite for an optimal design process. Drost + van
variables, together with precise detailing in contrasting materials, allow Drost + van
Veen architects are, therefore, involved from beginning to
Veen architects to find inventive spatial solutions and innovative constructions that pro-
duce architecture with a strong identity. end with every project.”
SLEEPING
WATER HEART
WORKSHOP
E-E
A
B C D
VARIATIONS WATER LOFT + WATER BABY WATER TOWER WATIO WATER VILLA WATER HOUSE
elevations
ENTRY WINDMILL
5 m2
INSTAL-
LATIONS
CARPORT TERRACE
SLEEPING 20 m2
STORAGE 20 M2
WATER COLLECTOR
WATER TANK KITCHEN
C 5 m2 A STORAGE
VOID
TERRACE
E
1 2 3 4
B
floor plans