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Architects: dare to experiment!
Paul Kierkels is an architect and project manager at Orange Architects. In 2023, the Jonas project was named BNA Building of the Year.

Architects: dare to experiment!

In early 2017, we got a call. Whether we wanted to participate in a tender? "Just send in the pieces, and we'll look into it." It turned out to be an ambitious request from the City of Amsterdam. It asked for high spatial quality as well as sustainability, which of course appealed to us as architects immediately.

In the second round, we were expected to translate our vision into a design. As will be known: to win, you have to stand out. In terms of sustainability, everyone would have the same high ambition, so we had to make a difference with spatial quality.

"An ensemble with a mixed program for living, working, amenities, lodging and parking." The title on the front of the selection brochure was still little fun. Yet ideas soon began to bubble up. We created a "bead necklace of experiences": a Square, a Living Room, a Movie Room, a Canyon with Mountain Trail, a Forest and a Roof Beach. We were lucky: the client was open to our wild plans and saw their potential. Even the cost expert proved creative enough to make the budget fit.

After weeks of hard work, we presented our book work and figured out how to distinguish ourselves even further. 'Let's set the atmosphere of the Roof Beach,' we developed an idea for the presentation. So we added beach chairs to the VR presentation and let the jury convince themselves from an easy chair. And it worked: we won the assignment and got to go and fulfill the promise!

Challenges and experiments: does quality hold up?

After winning, we encountered some skepticism. People said it would be difficult to keep all those qualities, because in construction, an ambitious design often turns into a rectangular box. But our team was determined. Full of energy, we set to work to develop the plan and ensure quality.

The biggest challenge lay not only in financial feasibility but also in social experimentation. Would tenants accept the compact studio apartments in exchange for collective facilities? Would residents make good use of these amenities or would it end in chaos? Would the building form a community or would people stay on their own? And how would potential buyers react to the sometimes extreme housing typologies?

Nearly six years after the first phone call, the homes, collective spaces and outdoor space were completed. Despite challenges along the way, the original promise stands. This is thanks to tenacious designers, solution-oriented consultants and a client who dared to experiment.

I come to the heart of my appeal in this guest column: dare to dream and set the bar high. Stand behind your vision and include others in it. Yes, you have to compromise now and then, but the big story must remain intact. Only then can we make the quality we want - we must - make. 

So: keep dreaming about a better future! And, act accordingly.    

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