Houses in the Middle of the Water Realm

Expensive housing in the center of Amsterdam led the architectural firm Attika to the idea of building family homes on two artificial islands in the middle of water. Thus, a unique project was born in Zeeburgerbaai under the leadership of Susanne Anibová, who worked on the construction from the very beginning together with the future owners. However, products from the brand PREFA Aluminiumprodukte came into play, which Anibová chose for their high quality.

High demand for housing equals high rents. This simple equation unfortunately also applies in Amsterdam, where housing has become an extremely expensive luxury. Fortunately, modern technologies also allow for new construction on the ubiquitous bodies of water. And as we know, water has literally miraculous properties. It can calm, relieve worries, and heal.

Magical Water

It was precisely the magical properties of water that young architect Susanne Anibová from the architectural firm Attika decided to bet on. "We wanted to create a small enclosed world in the middle of water, where its inhabitants would feel far removed from all the worries of everyday life and from the daily hustle of the Dutch metropolis. We ultimately succeeded by creating two artificial islands in the middle of the water, on which we built fourteen houses and duplexes," describes the main idea of the project Anibová. The isolation from the surrounding world is further supported by the fact that the only access to this oasis of calm water is via two bridges. "Once a resident crosses it, they leave the hectic Amsterdam reality far, far behind…"

Hard Life Choice

Susanne Anibová's future career was foreshadowed by the legendary LEGO construction set. She loved playing with it since childhood and it was actually her favorite toy. It was therefore obvious that she would eventually go in a direction related to building houses. However, things did not have such a straightforward path. "In my teenage years, I became fascinated by kitesurfing, and I pondered whether to choose professional sports over architecture. In the end, I pragmatically decided that sports are not quite as certain as architecture," describes Anibová's difficult life decision.

Hand in Hand with Future Owners

"If we wanted each of the houses in Zeeburgerbaai to be different and unique, it was clear that the future residents of the individual houses had to have a say in the project. From the beginning, we created the project hand in hand with them and gave them enough space to express how large they wanted their living rooms, where they desired to have a terrace, or how they envisioned their house overall," the architect continues, adding that she never regretted this decision throughout the project's realization.

PREFA Convincing with Quality

When building houses in the middle of a water kingdom, it is clear that the materials used must meet the highest demands according to the location. "Simply put, we had to choose building components that would withstand the elements and serve their owners well for decades without the need for major repairs. That’s why we decided to use PREFALZ aluminum components from PREFA Aluminiumprodukte for the facade. They are made from recycled aluminum, and the company provides an exceptionally long warranty concerning color stability," the architect lists the advantages of PREFALZ. The growing interest in high-quality aluminum products from PREFA is confirmed by Ruud Sjouw from the implementation company Siris. "In the past, zinc dominated constructions, but it has recently been replaced by aluminum. Moreover, the aluminum from PREFA is renowned for its quality and long lifespan. Additionally, aluminum can be recycled again, resulting in a material that is also very eco-friendly."

About the Project

Project Name: Zeeburgerbaai
Building, Location: housing by the water, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Type of Building: new construction
Architects: Attika Amsterdam, arch. Susanne Anibová
Implementation: Siris B. V., Ruud Sjouw
Facade Type: PREFALZ
Facade Color: P.10 anthracite
PHOTOGRAPHS: Croce & WIR