Two dynamic apartment buildings right next to the station

On the outskirts of the Frisian town of Hurdegaryp, Stasjon Hurdegaryp is rising. The name gives it away: although these are apartment buildings, they are located next to Hurdegaryp station along the Leeuwarden-Groningen railroad line. Now that the former intersection with traffic lights has been modified and a viaduct has also been created, the apartment buildings form the missing pieces of the puzzle for an attractive enclosed square.

The two small-scale apartment buildings were developed by Lont in cooperation with Montagne Advice and Development. Residential Building South on the Reidroas will house 16 spacious owner-occupied apartments. Residential Building North, right next to the train station, will house 16 rental apartments. On each floor there are four apartments with a surface area of 80 to 84 m². The apartments are accessible by stairs and elevator. 

Innovative anchoring balconies

For the dynamic appearance of the apartment buildings, the architect designed the balconies in a windmill swing around the building. The first-floor balconies are on the front facade, the second-floor balconies on the front facade, and so on. Wytze Nicolai, Lont's project manager, explains that this did have considerable structural engineering consequences. "If we were to place the prefabricated balconies before the pouring of the floor - as usual - this had major consequences for the use of the scaffolding. The underpinning of the balconies would be a major obstacle in the scaffolding. This is why we now use the Schöck Isokorf® IQlick system. In this innovative anchoring solution, balconies are fixed to the structure by means of IQlick elements."

Effects of war

Like many other construction companies, Lont was still struggling with the effects of the war. The project was delayed as a result, and in the meantime, prices rose. But for Stasjon Hurdegaryp, Lont is both developer and builder. "So we can only look at ourselves. To stay within budget, we simplified some details slightly. Of course without affecting the look and feel of the building. All the spaces are well utilized and the look is beautiful and contemporary. The designers really pulled out everything possible within the budget and existing laws and regulations."

Montagne Advies en Ontwikkeling, Heeren 3 Architecten and Lont realize that with this they have developed a concept, which can also be of interest to other municipalities. In particular, the combination of affordable apartments and rental apartments in the middle sector makes the concept unique. Precisely these homes respond to a market for which there is enormous demand, both from municipalities and future residents.