The two apartment complexes on the Erasmusveld in The Hague are distinguished by a special feature: the brick facades are self-supporting!
Located in the sustainable new-build Erasmusveld district, a testing ground for future-oriented urban development, you will find different types of living atmospheres. For
example, there is a double residential block with 71 mid-priced rental apartments. This double residential block is characterized by its sustainable and fragmented facade composition, located on a prominent corner of the district.
The layered brickwork of the Brick BENG facade is laid in traditional bonds and gives the facades a robust and distinctive appearance. In combination with the deep reveals and solid parapets, this building is a real masterpiece, in which aesthetics and
functionality have been carefully considered.

Architects
The design comes from Workshop Architecten, an architectural firm that focuses on modern, contemporary living environments. Founder and partner Ivan van der Zwan won the first prize of the prestigious Archiprix in 2015 and was selected that same year as Young Innovator to conduct research into the densification of post-war residential areas. The inevitable further densification of the country and at the same time the preservation of healthy living and living quality are central to the firm. The firm strives for innovation and experimentation, but within existing traditions. The designs should have a layered quality and seduce the user, without dictating the use. The design approach is contextual, user-oriented and material-conscious.
‘’We aspire to buildings that are generous to both their context and their users: timeless buildings that can absorb changes, that naturally fit into their environment and add an extra layer to it’’ -Workshop Architecten B.V.

The role of brick & sustainability
According to the urban development regulations, it was desired to design the residential blocks with a robust and stony character. Also to take into account the possible noise pollution from the surrounding sports fields, and to be able to absorb this with the soundproof bricks and the robust volume.
The brickwork itself is worked out in a grid, of a repetition of 3630mm wide fragments, laid in cross bond with klisklezoor in header layer and a recessed filling in klezoor bond. This alternation on the one hand for strength and construction, but on the other hand also for the varied patterns in the bonds. The subtle offsets and variation in brickwork bonds provide a playful and tactile facade image. The vertical parts in the brickwork are not load-bearing, these are the parts where the facade transitions into the loggias.
The vision has even been worked out in such a way that the building is almost completely energy neutral. The use of loggias and the clear grid made it possible to work out this design with self-supporting outer cavity walls, and the need for a steel construction is reduced. This means that no facade supports or lintels are needed, which means that no other reinforcing (steel) elements were needed for the construction, which also prevents cold bridges.
In the central part of the west facade, where there are no loggias, the filling is provided with nesting boxes, another way to attract nature to the homes and add ecological value to the living environment.

Vision & design
This double residential block is part of a large-scale development plan for which the
architects participated in a competition in 2016. The central design vision was to develop a new type of residential area that is somewhere between the scale of a Vinex district and a city district.
With extra emphasis on healthy urban life and community building. Despite the fact that the design appears to be two-part, it forms one large whole for the residents due to the communal garden. The two buildings are two orthogonal volumes that are rotated and separate from each other with a connecting communal garden in between, a kind of park-like public outdoor space towards the access and the private spaces of the homes.
By positioning the homes at an angle, this results in a positive effect on the view
from the homes over the surrounding water. This effect is reinforced by the use of a loggia on the corner, or in the middle of the blocks, which brings nature into the home.