Armada,’s-Hertogenbosch, NL
Distinctive designs and many-sided usable free spaces have made the “Armada” project by the British Building Design Partnership popular with the public. In 2004 the ten apartment buildings received the Dutch Architectural Association's “Publieksprijs”.
The “Armada” project is part of a large-scale investment into changing of use of the former industrial facilities near to ’s-Hertogenbosch central station. Alongside an artificially constructed water tank, the architects from the London-based Building Design Partnership designed pairs of buildings, whose curved metal facades are reminiscent of the sails of a fleet – and named the accommodation accordingly. They were positioned in such a way that they blocked out as little of each others' sunlight as possible. They alternated between two building types: the low “long houses” with wood-covered front walls and the high “tall houses” with brick covering.
Conservatories spanning all storeys of the buildings serve as communication areas and climate buffers, whereas unloaded southern balconies expand the open-air living room.
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