Romanov, Zaandam | Green pearl in Zaans city center

Zaandam is known for its green cottages and world-famous buildings like the Inntel Hotel and the wedding tower of the city hall. In a few months, another gem will be added to that. Indeed, in the middle of the Zaan city center, HSB Bouw is constructing the striking, stylish Romanov apartment building.   

Romanov is an in-house development of HSB (HSB Ontwikkeling) and forms the head of the Noordsche Bos urban plan. This elongated site in the center of Zaandam is surrounded by a beautifully designed area including bridges and quays with stores and terraces. In turn, Noordsche Bos is part of architect Sjoerd Soeters' master plan Inverdan. Characteristic features include the narrow streets, the return of water (canals), the many height differences in buildings and the special sightlines.

Contemporary translation of Zaanish architecture

The design of Romanov fits seamlessly into the urban plan and was created by architect Neelu Boparai of Boparai Associates in Oostzaan. The architect studied old-Zaan architecture and translated it into a subtle, contemporary and appropriate design for Romanov. For example, the facades are executed in three shades of green and feature white, pawn-like frames with angular neck gables. At the center and corners of the building are cantilevered balconies with classical railings, which contribute to the lively facade appearance.

Structural highlights

"The building is not only an architectural, but also a structural masterpiece," says project manager Arian van der Lee of HSB Bouw. "The bottom two layers of the tower are retail layers. The lower retail level is on the quay and under a retail bridge, to which the second retail level connects seamlessly. Using BIM, we drew and calculated the structure in detail. We also performed bottleneck checks on site." On top of the commercial substructure, consisting of the ground and second floors, two separate building volumes were created. Between them is a communal roof garden on the second floor. The building volumes consist of a low small volume with seven studio apartments (two storeys) and a main volume on the corner with eighteen apartments (seven storeys on the substructure).

At the center and corners of the building are cantilevered balconies with classic railings, which contribute to the lively facade appearance.

Traditional construction method

Construction of Romanov began on Feb. 1, 2018. "We build quite traditionally," says Van der Lee. "First, we brought DPA screw piles into the ground. Then we placed the foundation of concrete beams and piers. The first floor consists of hollow-core slabs. For the storefront, we applied five-meter-high walls. We fabricated the apartments using traditional steel wall formwork and wide slab floors. The elevator cores, stairs and balconies were delivered and assembled prefabricated."

Completion in full swing

On January 22, 2019, HSB Construction reached the highest point. From then on, the finishing work is in full swing. Van der Lee: "From top to bottom, we are making the facades wind and watertight. We provide two sides with wood frame elements, with vertical and horizontal low-maintenance facade parts on top. The other two sides are concrete facades. We provide these with a framework on which the low-maintenance facade elements are mounted. On the roof will be bituminous roofing and roof tiles." In addition to the facades, HSB Bouw is also completing the apartments on the inside. The first apartments will be completed starting this summer.

Prime location with logistics challenge

"During construction, logistics pose the biggest challenge," Van der Lee continued. "We are building in a tight location right in the center of Zaandam. In doing so, we have to deal with large flows of pedestrians from the nearby bicycle parking facility toward the station. To ensure public safety, we are taking several measures. For example, our scaffolding is equipped with wall cloths. We have also built a temporary footbridge for pedestrians and passers-by, under which freight traffic can pass." Despite the challenging logistics, Van der Lee is delighted with the location. "For the future residents this really is a top spot, a beautiful building in the middle of stores, restaurants and public transport. Consequently, all the apartments and studios were sold before construction even started."