Kruitfabriek Muiden

Design
The building is multi-faceted with a recognizable square, street, and end facade. Classic elements have been used as inspiration for the modern industrial architecture of brick and steel. The facades are transparent, light, and open towards the square. A brick base has been chosen, above which a steel grid contains the residential program. The entire ground foor is occupied by the Albert Heijn supermarket. The half-sunken parking garage houses 50 parking spaces and all the storage units.

The apartments are located on the frst to third foors around a courtyard and are accessed via a continuous gallery. The two- and three-bedroom apartments range in size from 75 to 110 m². The goal is to position the residential units as much as possible along the exterior facade, so that residents can fully beneft from the green and partially historic surroundings.

The outdoor spaces of the apartments create a rhythm in the facade; balconies are staggered and vary in size and position. The third foor ofers spectacular views of the IJmeer. Within the steel grid, green accents contribute to a friendly facade towards the town square, while the greenery on the square-facing facade provides additional privacy.

Connecting to the Historical Context
The brick base of the Albert Heijn supermarket connects with the scale and material of the existing buildings. The prominent roofines refer to the industrial past of the site, with characteristic shed roofs. In this way, the Kruitfabriek building forms a bridge between the historic buildings and the new development of De Krijgsman. Furthermore, its distinctive crown creates a recognizable silhouette in its surroundings. 

Crown
The quality control plan specifed that the building should have a special termination. This resulted in a crown of shed roofs and right angles. Due to the unique shape of the plot, each corner has a distinctive character, sometimes sharp, right-angled, or with a gentler angle. At the location of the apartment entrance, the shed roofs are interrupted by a straight “section” with vertical planting to accentuate the entrance.

Living Experience
The goal was to create apartments with a unique living experience. Upon entering through the main entrance, one frst encounters a special green interior world. This intimate green interior space of the building forms the transition to the apartments. The apartments are accessible via a gallery surrounding this green courtyard. The building is multi-faceted, but each facade takes a diferent approach to the outdoor spaces. This is achieved by subtly varying within the strong industrial grid. Particularly special are the apartments on the third foor, where the shed roofs are also well-experienced on the interior. 
This enhances the industrial character of the residential building and creates a loft-like feel. Towards the forecourt, the double facade acts as a bufer where greenery in the facade and wide outdoor spaces meet, providing a smooth transition between indoors and outdoors. The glass parapets in the apartments make you feel like you are living in the treetops.

Materialization
The base consists of robust brickwork with sintered areas, forming the foundation of the building. The brickwork aligns with the existing buildings at the forecourt. This base serves as the starting point for the clear articulation of the upper structure. The brick sections are flled with either fat infll or vertically laid brickwork. This vertical pattern in the brickwork also leads to the vertically ribbed dark brown cladding of the upper structure. At the Albert Heijn, combinations of skylights and brickwork are used. The upper structure is primarily concrete, with a steel skin clad in dark brown sheet metal. The balconies vary from slatted railing fences on the south side to glass balustrades on the east side. These also serve as sound barriers from the roundabout and the highway. The outdoor spaces also vary in width depending on the facade.