Abstract
The Cube Houses of the Netherlands are some of the most prominent architectural achievements in Europe. The houses were designed by Piet Blom and constructed in Helmond and Rotterdam in the 1970s and 1980s. Today, the houses are used for commercial, residential, and recreational purposes. Reinforced concrete, steel, and wood are the main building materials that were used to construct the houses. If the houses were to be built today, their design would be changed to reflect the cultural changes and technological advancements that have taken place in the Netherlands in the last three decades.
Introduction
Rotterdam is one of the major cities in the Netherlands that are known for its commercial success and tourist attractions. The city is always reinventing itself by expanding its skyline which already consists of impressive skyscrapers. The ever-changing skyline of Rotterdam makes it a city you can always rediscover whenever you travel to the Netherlands. Generally, Rotterdam is considered the architecture city of the Netherlands that stimulates innovation in housing design and construction.
The city boasts of both old and modern buildings that reflect the rich culture of the country and the engineering prowess of its citizens. One of the structures that define the skyline of Rotterdam is the block of Cube Houses. In this paper, the houses will be discussed in detail. The discussion will begin with a synopsis of when and where the houses were built. This will be followed by a discussion on the methods and materials that were used to construct the houses. Finally, a description of how the houses would be constructed today will be provided.
Location of the Cube Houses
The houses are “situated on Overblaak Street next to the Blaak Subway Station in Rotterdam” (Metz 1). The houses remain a magnificent architectural wonder in Rotterdam due to their unique designs. One of the major features of the houses is that they were constructed on a pedestrian bridge that crosses a traffic artery (Galinsky). The houses continue to be a major tourist attraction both to the citizens of the Netherlands and visitors from other countries.
The houses consist of “thirty-eight small cubes and two large cubes that are attached” (Galinsky). In this respect, the houses are organized into a village where several activities take place. The village comprises small-scale businesses that are operated from small and midsize shops within the complex (Metz 84-89).
Some schools and playgrounds are used by the children of the residents of the village. The houses are also used for residential purposes by the citizens of the Netherlands. Since most of the people who visit Rotterdam are interested in touring the Cube Houses, one of the units is always left vacant so that it can be used for tourism and recreational purposes.
When the Cubic Houses Were Built
The idea of constructing the houses was conceived by Piet Blom who was one of the best architects in the 1970s (Galinsky). Blom’s idea was to design an integrated residential area that combined public and private functions in the urban area. Having refined his design ideas, Blom constructed the first batch of cube-shaped houses, which consisted of 21 units in the town of Helmond (Galinsky). The houses in Helmond were constructed between 1975 and 1977.
Following the successful completion of the first units, Blom was motivated to replicate his new design in other cities in the Netherlands as a way of promoting innovation and creativity in the country’s construction industry. In this respect, he proposed his new design to the Municipality of Rotterdam City, which was looking for an architect to design residential housing units on a pedestrian bridge. Fortunately, his proposal was accepted by the Municipality of Rotterdam in 1980. As a result, “the construction of the houses in Rotterdam commenced in 1982 and ended in 1984” (Galinsky).
Civilization, Culture, and Society
The Netherland has a rich culture that promotes modernity while preserving the traditional values and practices that the citizens inherited from the founding fathers of their nation. The country adopted a strong cultural development policy in the early 1900s to promote its cultural heritage (Besamusca and Verheul 2-10). The government plays only a facilitation role by supporting artists through the development of the infrastructure that they need to promote the country’s culture.
Minimal interference by the government has enabled the country’s culture to evolve over the years as the citizens adopt new cultural practices, beliefs, and lifestyles. In the 1970s, different social groups in the country expressed their ideologies through various means that they considered viable. In this respect, architects chose to convey their ideologies by developing new house designs and constructing them through experiments.
In the 1970s and 1980s, the Netherlands was undergoing rapid modernization. The economic growth and development of the 20th century had brought great opportunities to the cities. Most citizens chose to relocate to major cities such as Rotterdam to take advantage of job and business opportunities. In addition, city life was considered more fashionable and enjoyable, thereby attracting thousands of citizens to urban areas (Besamusca and Verheul 36).
As a result, there was a significant increase in population growth in Rotterdam and other cities. Initially, there was a construction boom as investors focused on developing new housing units to meet the demand for shelter. However, the construction boom created environmental challenges such as pollution and the destruction of vegetation, which had to be addressed through unique designs. This motivated the design of the Cube Houses, which focused on preserving the environment while allowing the residents to live in modern housing units.
As the population in cities increased rapidly, the government prevented the emergence of ethnic informal settlements and industrial wastelands through effective regulation of the real estate industry. City planners emphasized the importance of maintaining the community lifestyle that is central to the country’s culture. In this regard, new residential areas were required to have public places such as parks and playgrounds. Bearing this requirement in mind, Blom included shops, schools, and residential units in his design for the houses.
Early architectural designs in the country were inspired by the Calvinist philosophy that encouraged consistency and modesty. Wealthy citizens constructed fairly modest rather than expensive and large houses that are common in other European cities such as London and Paris. In the 1970s and 1980s, architects combined modern and antique designs to reflect the diverse tastes and preferences of the citizens (Besamusca and Verheul 78).
The Calvinist ideologies and modernism are reflected in the design of the Cubic Houses. In particular, the houses were intentionally built as small units with similar interior and exterior designs to ensure uniformity and modesty. However, the houses were built using modern building materials to improve their attractiveness.
Construction of the Cubic Houses
Design
The houses were designed based on the concept of “living in an urban roof” (Metz 84-89). Blom’s idea was to design several attached houses that represented a forest. This means that each unit was to represent a tree and the entire complex represented a forest as shown in figure 1. In this respect, the cubes were built on concrete piles, which represent tree trucks.
Blom’s idea reflected the country’s commitment to preserving the environment by minimizing the pollution associated with construction and other commercial activities (Metz 84-89). The complex was designed as an integrated village in an urban area where the residents can do different things such as working, shopping, and engaging in recreational activities.
Structurally, the houses consist of two components namely, the cubes and the poles that support them. The poles are mainly used to access the cubes, as well as, to make the houses unique. In particular, the poles improve the attractiveness of the houses since conventional buildings are constructed on wide foundations rather than concrete poles (Galinsky).
“The cubes consist of three floors, which are used as living areas” (Metz). The ground floor consists of the entrance that connects to the upper floors through narrow staircases that were built in the poles. The first floor contains the living room and a midsize open kitchen. The floor is triangular shaped, thereby giving the occupants ample space that can be used as a dining and entertainment area. One of the unique features of the first floor is that its windows open towards the ground since the cube is tilted towards the ground.
Figures 2A and 2B show the floor plan for the second and third floors respectively. The second floor consists of two spacious bedrooms. It also has a bathroom, which includes a toilet and a shower area. The third floor is also triangular-shaped. It has two large rooms that the residents often use as either an additional bedroom or a living area.
The third floor has an apex that was designed as a pyramid with three sides. The floor has large glass windows, which facilitate excellent viewing of the adjacent neighborhood and Rotterdam City. The large windows also allow sunlight to pour into the houses, thereby eliminating the need to use electricity for lighting during the day. The windows also ensure the free flow of fresh air to keep the residents comfortable and healthy.
Materials
Concrete was the main building material used to construct the houses (Galinsky). The concrete was prepared at the construction site by the laborers and engineers who were in charge of the construction process. The engineers had to prepare the concrete on-site to ensure consistency and high quality.
The concrete was prepared using cement and reinforced with steel and iron rods. The use of reinforced concrete was necessary since the poles had to be very strong to sustain the weight of the cubes and their occupants. Apart from the poles, concrete was used to construct the floors and part of the walls of the cubes.
The foundation of the houses was built using bricks, sand, pebbles, and a motor. The bricks were used to raise the foundation above the ground to create a stable and level slab to erect the pillars/ or poles that support the cubes. Sand and cement were used to prepare the concrete used to construct the foundation (Metz 84-89). Pebbles were used to filling excavated spaces in the foundation to improve the strength of the pillars.
Iron and steel were used to manufacture the door and window frames for the houses. These metals were chosen because of their strength and ability to provide aesthetic finishing. The windows were made of glass to reduce the weight of the cubes while improving their attractiveness as shown in figure 3.
Wood was chosen as the main material for constructing the walls of the cubes because of its lightweight. As a result, the engineers were able to tilt the cubes without the risk of compromising the stability of the houses. Rockwool was used to insulate the wooden walls to avoid exposing the occupants of the houses to very low temperatures (Galinsky). Cement and wood fiberboards were used to protect the wooden parts of the walls from the elements of weather such as rainfall.
Zinc panels were used to cover the walls of the cubes, thereby making them very attractive. The internal parts of the cubes were finished using different materials. The interior parts of the cubes were decorated using gypsum boards and plaster of Paris.
Tools and equipment
The Cubic Houses were constructed using different tools and equipment. Cranes with relatively low weight capacity were used to lift building materials at the construction site. The use of cranes was necessary since materials such as concrete are very heavy. Transportation of materials to the construction site was done using midsize trucks. In particular, the trucks were used to transport heavy materials such as gravel, sand, and steel bars.
Wheelbarrows helped the laborers to move light building materials within the construction site. Concrete mixers that were powered by diesel and mounted on trucks helped the engineers to prepare high-quality concrete for building the houses (Metz 84-89). It was necessary to use concrete mixers because of their ability to improve the quality and consistency of concrete. The metallic components of the houses such as windows and doorframes were assembled using electric welding equipment. The wooden components, on the other hand, were assembled using nail guns.
Construction Methods
Following the completion of the design stage, Blom decided to construct the first version of the cube-shaped houses for experimental purposes (Galinsky). Thus, he constructed the first three units, which were used to assess the viability of the new design in terms of its cost, strength, and appeal to the public. The first three units passed all the construction tests, thereby giving Blom the green light to roll out the construction of more units in Rotterdam.
The construction work commenced with the clearing of the site and leveling the ground. After the completion of the ground preparation activities, midsize trucks (Caterpillars) were used to excavate trenches to facilitate the construction of the foundation of the houses. The construction of the foundation lasted for several weeks due to the large number of units that were to be built. After completing the foundation, the next step was to erect the poles that carry the cubes (Galinsky).
The hexagonal poles were constructed gradually to enable the engineers to test their strength and make necessary adjustments during the construction process. The space between the pillars that constitute the poles were filled with reinforced concrete to prevent the poles from collapsing due to the weight of the cubes or natural disasters such as high magnitude earthquakes. Inside the poles, a flight of staircase was constructed to enable users of the houses to move from the ground to the third floor (Metz 84-89). In addition, an extra space was created within the poles so that the occupants of the houses could have ample storage space.
The floors of the cubes were constructed at the top of the hexagonal poles. The walls of the cubes were constructed with the aid of wood frames and small concrete pillars. At this stage, the role of the pillars was to reinforce the wood frames and the overall strength of the cubes. Instead of constructing the walls vertically, they were tilted by nearly 45 degrees to give the houses a unique appearance. However, the process of tilting the walls was very challenging since the cubes were likely to collapse if they were not adequately reinforced. The last stage of the construction involved decorating the houses using zinc panels and painting the walls using high-quality paints.
Labor force
The workforce that constructed the houses consisted of skilled laborers, casual laborers, and professional engineers. Apart from designing the houses, Blom supervised their construction to ensure that the engineers and constructors had a clear understanding of the design. Civil engineers were responsible for the technical aspects of the construction process (Metz 84-89). This included erecting pillars and selecting the right building materials for the houses.
Skilled laborers included artisans who specialized in different areas such as carpentry, masonry, painting, and welding. They were responsible for assembling the various components of the houses under the supervision of the engineers. There were hundreds of casual laborers who performed routine tasks such as operating machines, mixing concrete, and assisting the artisans to construct the various components of the houses.
If it was Built Today
Design
If the Cubic Houses were to be built today, their design would be significantly different. The design would be inspired by post-modernism rather than Calvinist ethos. In the last three decades, modernism and post-modernism have greatly influenced the art and culture of the Netherlands. Thus, current architectural designs are greatly influenced by modern culture (Forbes and Ahmed 23-56). However, the concept of the design would still reflect the importance of protecting the environment.
This perspective is based on the fact that the citizens of the Netherlands are still more concerned about their environment than commercial activities. In this respect, the design concept is likely to be inspired by an aspect of the environment that is very important to the citizens.
Since modernity is mainly characterized by capitalism and conspicuous spending, the size of the houses is likely to be larger if they were to be constructed today. The houses are likely to have several rooms with huge spaces. The bedrooms would be designed as master ensuites to improve the comfort of the occupants of the building. Whirlpool bathtubs would be included in the bathrooms so that the occupants can enjoy a relaxing and therapeutic bath experience. The staircases used to access the cubes would be replaced with high-speed lifts to enhance movement within the houses.
The use of green technologies would play a critical role in the design of houses. In particular, the designers are likely to incorporate solar panels and water heaters to reduce the use of hydroelectricity whose generation is detrimental to the environment (Forbes and Ahmed 84). Large glass windows would still be used in the houses to enhance viewing of the city and the use of sunlight during the day. In addition, the concept of designing the houses as a village in an urban area would be preserved.
This perspective is based on the fact that in contemporary society people prefer to live in areas where they can access all social amenities while maintaining a healthy and unique lifestyle.
Building Materials
A variety of building materials would be used if the houses were to be constructed today. Undoubtedly, concrete would still play an integral role in the construction process. This perspective is supported by the fact that there are no viable substitutes to concrete when constructing the foundation of large and complex buildings such as the Cube Houses. Over the last three decades, technological advancements have enabled chemical engineers to develop high-quality cement (Harvey 91-93).
In addition, the tensile strength of the steel and iron that are currently being used in the construction industry has significantly improved. This means that the quality of the reinforced concrete that would be used to construct the houses today would be much better than that used in the 1980s. For instance, the engineers would use self-consolidating concrete to eliminate the costs associated with mechanical compacting when building pillars using ordinary concrete.
The walls of the cubes would be built using adhered manufactured stone masonry veneer (AMSMV) instead of wood, concrete, and zinc panels. AMSMV has become very popular in the construction industry because of two reasons. First, they are cheaper than natural stone, steel, and wood. Consequently, they would be used to reduce the cost of constructing the houses. Second, AMSMV provides significant design freedom that cannot be achieved easily with the use of concrete and wood.
In particular, AMSMV can be cast into different sizes to suit the constructors’ needs (Harvey 95). In addition, they can be produced in different colors, thereby eliminating the painting costs that have to be incurred if wood frames are used to construct walls. AMSVM would significantly improve the aesthetic appeal of the houses because they can create the texture of a natural undressed stone or cleft stone.
The interior parts of the houses would be decorated using stylish and modern materials. These include engineered stones, high-pressure laminate, and molding materials. Although materials such as engineered stone and high-pressure laminate were available in the 1980s, their use was limited due to high costs and lack of awareness among homeowners.
However, the popularity of these materials has increased in the last two decades as their costs reduce. In this respect, an engineered stone would be used to decorate benchtops in the kitchen because of their durability and stain resistance. Terrazzo would also be used to create an excellent multi-colored decoration of the interiors of the houses.
Tools and Equipment
The tools and equipment used to construct the houses would not be very different if they were to be built today. The last three decades have been characterized by piecemeal improvements on existing construction tools and equipment rather than a discovery of new ones. Therefore, automatic concrete mixers would still be used at the construction site to prepare concrete.
However, the constructors are likely to use super high-pressure mixers that are better than their predecessors because of their ability to pump concrete to various floors of a building. Trucks would still be used as the main means of transporting building materials to the construction site. In addition, simple tools such as power saws and nail guns would be used in the construction process.
Labor force
The size of the labor force is likely to be reduced significantly if the houses were to be constructed today. Currently, the use of machines to perform simple routine tasks is commonplace at construction sites because of the need to reduce labor costs. This means that machines would replace part of the workforce. However, the number of professionals in the workforce would increase to improve quality standards and compliance with construction regulations.
Specifically, the construction process would be supervised by an independent consultant rather than the designers and construction engineers. Real estate developers are increasingly employing independent consultants to provide an objective view on the various aspects of the construction process. This helps in avoiding cost overruns and poor quality standards that might arise if constructors are not closely supervised by a professional (Forbes and Ahmed 52).
Apart from employing a consultant, different construction processes would be subcontracted to reduce the time required to complete the houses. For instance, plumbing and installation of electrical equipment would be done by different contractors who have the desired expertise.
Works Cited
Besamusca, Emmeline and John Verheul. Discovering the Dutch: On Culture and Society of the Netherlands, Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press, 2010. Print.
Forbes, Lincoln and Syed Ahmed. Modern Construction, New York: CRC Press, 2010. Print.
Galinsky. Kubuswoning: Cubic Houses 2013. Web.
Harvey, Ken. Fundamental Building Materials, Florida: Boca Raton, 2009. Print.
Metz, Tracy. “Reinventing the Cube.” Architectural Record 1.1 (2014): 84-89. Print.