The Brandaris is an extremely large residential block next to the A8 motorway, measuring 360 metres in length and containing 368 dwellings. The building had an unattractive appearance, but the apartments inside are spacious, affordable, and enjoy a wonderful view of the Twiske nature preserve. The renovation improved the original qualities and gave the building a new identity.

The Brandaris is earmarked as a model project for generating energy in existing buildings. For this a solar collector with a collector surface area of 750 m2 was installed on the roof. This provides all the warm-water and heating requirements of the building. Further, the insulation standards have been upgraded significantly. As a result, this is the first apartment complex in the Netherlands to achieve a very high energy performance level even before the A-label ranking system was introduced. Together with the collector, the visitor pavilion makes for a new eye-catcher on the roof. The renovation resulted in a new overall quality in which the upgrading of the main entrances, staircases, sun lounges, and a newly designed outdoor space all make a significant contribution to an attractive contemporary living environment.

Editorials featuring Housing