How do urban singles live and could homes be designed to better meet their needs? These two questions are at the centre of the TU Delft ‘Studio Amsterdam’ public presentation in the NRC café in Amsterdam on Friday afternoon, 27 June.
There is no mistaking that singles represent a significant part of the Amsterdam housing market: around 60% of households in the capital are single-person households; people in all age categories and in all income categories.
Many singles choose to live alone, as a way of life. Thanks to their exceptionally individualistic living situation they actually have strong connections with their environment. These 'new singles' work on their laptops in the coffee bar on the corner, eat out in restaurants more often and meet up with friends in the park on a Sunday afternoon. A single-person household, therefore, is part of a much wider social trend of shared use, flexible living, more informal etiquette and easy-going relationships.
But can the Amsterdam housing actually market cater for this large group of households? Homes are traditionally designed for multiple-person households. They provide facilities that singles don't need, resulting in monthly living expenses that only double-income couples can afford, and traditionally important neighbourhood facilities (car park, children's playground) are less relevant.
In contrast, singles do want social facilities in or near the building they live in, and would preferably like to a large yet efficient and affordable home. So what would be the ideal home for a ‘new single’, with their specific living requirements and income?
During a public final presentation, architecture students at TU Delft will present their study of the living requirements of single-person households in Amsterdam. To place this phenomenon in a broader contest, a comparison is made with other European cities and international reference projects of single-person homes will be presented. Finally, designs will be presented for new single-person homes in various parts of the city; a development intended to provide a boost to both the singles and the area they live in.
Dates
‘Solo in the city’ presentation TU Delft ‘Studio Amsterdam’.
Friday 27 June, from 15:00 to 17:00.
NRC café, Rokin 65 Amsterdam
Admission free, please register here beforehand
The presentation will be in English.
TU Delft ‘Studio Amsterdam’
Through 'Studio Amsterdam' the TU Delft Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment aims to enhance the interaction between the department and the city of Amsterdam. Studio Amsterdam focuses on current issues in the capital. Guest professor leading the studio in the 2013-2014 academic year is Jacob Rijs (MVRDV). Subjects: 'The Overhoeks strip' and ‘Studio Amsterdam goes Solo’.
Studio Amsterdam's theme for the 2014-2015 academic year is the Plantage district. Guest professors will then be Anthonio Cruz and Anthonio Ortiz.