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How to renovate a historical property to accommodate a young family.
Case Study: The Berlage Building | House Renovation in Den Haag.
A Private Monumental Reconstruction.
To move into a new home when you just had your first baby is definitely not an easy task, let alone when the new house needs a complete renovation. If you are considering buying a property, renovating it, taking care of the architectural, technical and interior design parts while also adapting into a completely new lifestyle, you will need all the (professional) guidance and help you can get.
Like many new parents, this couple from Den Haag decided to move into a larger home when they found out they were expecting their first baby. We were honoured to share that special moment in their life and have the opportunity to help them renovate this Den Haag multi-storey house to transform it into their family dream home.
Architectural Value
One of the major aspects of this particular renovation is the great historical and architectural value, not only of the property but of the entire area. The Bennordenhout area in Den Haag, was developed in 1911 by the architect Hendrik Petrus Berlage, who is considered to be one of the fathers of architecture in the Amsterdam School and to have shaped Dutch Architecture. For AKKA, this was a very exciting challenge.
The special features of the house specifically were its high ceilings with moldings, its large windows and its characteristic interior layout with its most indicative example: the en-suite living room.
The total of 230 square meters consists of the basement, the ground floor, the 1st floor and the attic, in addition to a front and a back gardens.
Needs & Lifestyle
Because both our clients work remotely, one of their most important request was to create two separate home-offices for them to focus on their work without distractions or interruptions. At the same time they wished for extra flexible spaces to accommodate guests, friends and family. In addition, as this home is at the beginning of their family life, we also designed this house to be able to grow as the family grows and adapt to their changing needs in the future.
AKKA’s Services
Because the building is of great architectural and historical value, we decided to be respectful of its original character and we wanted to accommodate all of our clients wishes and needs while preserving the building’s unique identity, which our clients also loved!
This is the approach we took throughout the entire project.
For example, we succeeded making the necessary structural changes to the house without disrupting its charm and identity. The changes allowed the kitchen to be better integrated with the dining area and take full advantage of the space. Upstairs, on the attic floor, the structural changes allowed us to create a more open space and improve the previous rooms layout, in order to host the home-offices and the guest room.
At the same time, we took care of the special permits for new windows, technical adjustments like HR++ glass, and new heating systems with underfloor heating. Of course, as is customary in our end to end scope, we coordinated the entire permit application, the communication with the municipality, the supervision of contractors and construction, the coordination with suppliers and any other party who had to be involved.
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