seeing seeing==believing believing
seeing = believing
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aequo architects open space mind ear eye communication approach team for cooperation for change for sharing for future for you are invited
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living
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Barnhouse Eelde, Eelde NL, 2001
conceiving a private home in the countryside south of Eelde raises the question as to what extent the existing typology is suitable, without resorting to historicist architecture; due to the departure of farmers from the
countryside and the arrival of urban dwellers that desire space, many old farms are being used as and reconverted into residential farms, without altering this typology; however,
when the need for replacement arises for this new function, the question is whether or not a private home can be conceived within this traditional description by incorporating modern-
day demands with comfort, privacy, and a subtle transition from exterior to interior; the design responds to this by embracing the classical typology on the one hand and developing the new living
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demands on the other; a layer of wooden blinds covers both interior and exterior spaces: a house is situated within a wooden barn; by
creating covered exterior spaces at essential positions within this layer, a subtle transition from interior to exterior is created [ensuring privacy and comfort], without abandoning the prominent image of the historic barn;
in this way, the new art of living is seamlessly incorporated into the classical countryside, and the visual character of the countryside remains intact; the plan also envelops a landscape
design, which manifests and brings to life the transition from nature to culture; the barn house is placed on a large wooden platform on the border of the designed garden and the agri-
cultural countryside, acting as a connecting element of the land’s old and new functions; by introducing this contrast, a new harmony is created, naturally anchoring the history of the countryside’s changing
function at this location; nominated for building of the year 2006 and the Dutch national steel prize 2006; winner Drenthe architectural prize 2007
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Design is simple, that’s why it is so complicated. Paul Rand
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Van Iddekinge Housing Project, Groningen NL, 2010
a beautiful collective area presents itself as an inviting public area to the city, as a result of the grouping of all components of this housing project
on a half-sunken basement with storage and parking facilities
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Van Iddekinge Housing Project, Groningen NL, 2010
competition-winning project, located in a 1960 extension of the city of Groningen; a small former school is removed to facilitate an much more intensified use of the area, in order to maintain
the population to be able to maintain existing social and commercial networks in the neighbourhood; the 6.500 sqm site now contains 38 apartments, 2 penthouses,
and 24 single-family houses in different configurations; all components are grouped on a basement containing storage and parking facilities; all houses are directly
connected to these facilities; the beautiful collective area presents itself as an inviting public area to the surrounding cityscape
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Barnhouse Donderen, Donderen NL, 2001
a barn house as replacement of an old farm; due to planning requirements the design is limited to the silhouette and footprint of the old farm; the main shape is defined in this way, and it is constructed as
simply and inexpensively as possible: a hall with metal rafters, covered with corrugated plates; aequo basically reincarnated the old Dutch farmhouse 100 years later, as construc-
tion economics are still dictating the aesthet- minimal means yet offers a spatial treat with lots of ics; within the overall volume there is space aesthetic privacy for an interior house in which all the serving functions are situated; the house is made with
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Nieuw Buinen Housing Project, Nieuw Buinen NL, 2001
housing project of 2 compact volumes and a large L-shaped building in agricultural area; the footprint of the compact apartment buildings is relatively
small, in order to preserve the surrounding green area; the L-shaped building is equipped with a large metal structure that
contains stairs, galleries, and balconies to stimulate social encounters and interaction with the activities in the park; the complex
consists of 12 different floor plans; designed in cooperation with Hennie Smit at Klein Architecten, Groningen NL
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Work in progress, 2010 26
overview of housing projects currently being worked on at the aequo studios
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Barnhouse Eelderwolde, Eelderwolde NL, 2009
residential home with a large programme on a narrow, under one large roof that is supported by an yet deep plot of land at the Southside of Groningen city; expressive wooden truss structure; the house the various functions, including an office, are collected is located between new homes and an existing
farmhouse and builds a bridge between these two contrasts; the barn’s traditional typology, reflected in the construction, offers a unique
and spatial connection with the location’s past: a long, narrow, wooden barn was once situated here before it was hit by an airplane at WW II
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Elderly Housing Project, Odoorn NL, 1994
the project consists of housing in combination with care the elderly; an existing building with the same function built in 1975 had to be demolished: it’s concept, in terms of construction and technical
infrastructure, blocked possible changes over time; the analysis of the old structure resulted in a new and vital concept for the new building; the layout of the constructional
and technical design [fire system, electricity, communication, data, heating, water, gas, sewerage, etc] is integrated in the building as an invisible structuring layer; emphasized
is the visible quality, i.e. warm materials and colours, internal “streets�, balconys, many places to meet and wander
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Residential house, Groningen NL, 2004
straightforward, minimalistic house at the edge of the ful surrounding beautyful landscape; these city of Groningen; the main areas [dining and livingareas can be connected or divided by integratroom] are oriented with corner windows on the beauti- ed sliding doors at both sides of the entrance
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Intense Lowrise Housing Project, Groningen NL, 2009
concept for the area ‘Oosthamrikkade’ in Groningen as part of the Intense Low-Rise Manifestation, an initiative of the community of Groningen to research how to ‘densify’ the city; the existing neighbouring blocks
are 3, 4 and 5 storeys high; the residents are immediately confronted with 2-layer walls behind their gardens, which block the view and sunlight; the design improves this
situation; the proposed project begins on a low level and rises gradually, as a sloping green roof; the houses are ground-based with exception of 4 penthouses and are linked in
3 blocks and mutually distinguished by balconies; the parking is situated beneath the deck; the section shows the principle of the gradually sloping volume of the new building
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Residential house, Groningen NL, 1990
a house like an abstract sculpture in a residential area; volume; the house is clad with Corten steel 270 sqm, strictly organised in served and serving panels [3000x3000x6 mm], invisibly attached spaces, respectively in a closed and an entirely open with an aequo-designed hanging principle
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There are only two mistakes one can make along the road to truth; not going all the way, and not starting. Buddha
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public
Hier is ruimte om korte teksten te plaasten over hetgeen je ziet op de foto’s boven deze balk. Bovendien is deze ruimte bedoeld om de icoontjes te plaatsen die
Aat mogelijk inmiddels aangelverd heeft. We moeten nog even nadenken over de indeling van deze tekst. Hoe gaan we bijvoorbeeld aanduiden waar welke foto staat?
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Lelystad City Library, Lelystad NL, 2009
the library conceived as a warehouse of knowledge; the introduction of retail-like communication, storage and signing combined with moving displays,
video messages and interactive customer approach creates an environment unlike a common library; the variation of open and
intimate spaces guarantees a true adventure matches the with aequo-designed aluminium shelof discovering knowledge; high-tech book ving with integrated CCFL lighting handling with RFID-directed sorting perfectly
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Iets grappigs
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DOK Library Concept Centre Delft NL, 2007
transformation of a former supermarket and office complex into an award-winning library; the building receives daylight by a large characteristic glasshouse
in front of the building and by the introduction of a void that interconnects three floors; bright colours and expressive lighting is used for
orientation and the estabilishment of different rooms and atmospheres - designed in cooperation with Dok Architects, Amsterdam NL
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Rustm It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see. Henry David Thoreau-Iddek
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Informationsquare Culture Campus Vleuterweide, Utrecht NL, 2009
total furniture sculpture containing five different aspecs of use in a monumental space; in order to maintain open space and open minds the
combination and interaction of carpets, chairs, tables, stools, pc’s, magazines is grouped on a single stage; the use of one
material - oak - underlines and reflects the interaction of the different users
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Nesselande Cultural Centre, Rotterdam NL, 2008
integration and interaction of spaces, functions and usage is accomplished by coherent expressive interior desgin; as always: all inhabitants fought for
the best seat in the house; the introduction of privacy levels as a parameter resulted in an innovative mix of public services based
on this privacy level; fragmented groups of inhabitants are brought together regardless their nature
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Amstelveen City Library, Amstelveen NL, 2001
trend-setting and price-winning project: approaching interacts with the Hans Ruijssenaarsa library as an inviting environment for visitors to designed building, and is one of the first spend time to browse, discover, meet, gather and high-end library interiors of The Netherlands learn in a self-evident way; the interior design
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Masterplan and urban development, Capelle aan den IJssel NL, 2009
strategic study in progress for intensification of traffic, shops, public services, and parking in a mid size Dutch town; the enlargement of a sub-way
station results in digestion of the main city square; the introduction of a new architectural typology together with a multi-layered lay-
out of the urban space provide solutions for growth and identity
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Huizen Cultural Centre, Huizen NL, 2001
who’s afraid of red, silver and blue? the interconnection of the libary and its neighbours [cafÊ, bar, cinema and discotheques] is emphasised by the use
of colour, light and expressive materials, thus making the library a distinguished part of a coherent leisure centre
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Utrecht City Library++, Utrecht NL, 2009
competition entry for a library/leisure/living centre at the heart of Utrecht; spanning both an old waterway and local street cars, this building fits elegantly into the cityscape of Hollands 4th city; the
relative set-back provides urban space for recreational and restaurant use; the building contains a 45.000 sqm-layered composition of restaurants, parking, library, cinema and
accomodation in an expressive and iconic shell; designed in cooperation with Dok Architects, Amsterdam NL, Arup Structural Engineers, Amsterdam NL
and Lodewijk Baljon Landscaping Architects, Amsterdam NL
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Antwerp City Library and Public Services Building, Antwerp B, 2006
design contest-winning plan for a rehabilitation of an old car garage and its transformation into a public service building; in accordance with the City of
Antwerp’s strategy for urban renewal, this project embodies the cultural impulse for a former deprived area by introducing a bright,
open and characteristic service concept that consists of offices, a public service centre, a library and a cafĂŠ; the humble and yet power-
ful interior design respects the local history and characteristics of the existing industrial monument; designed in cooperation with Ronald Costeris
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Antilope Canyon USA
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Hoorn City Library Children Dept., Hoorn NL, 2001
characteristic spatial furniture for the children’s department of the Hoorn City Library; due to the aequo-designed renovation of the main local library, the children’s area was at risk of disappearing; the
architectural solution was to create an intimate world in its context; designed in cooperation with Petra te Morsche
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Optiek Maginifiek Optician, Groningen NL, 2010
renovation of a modest store in the heart of the old city of Groningen into a spatial environment for a high-end shop in eye optics; the characteristics of the eyewear diplay units of the interior are echoed
into an enlarged eye-catching element in the facade; designed in cooperation with Marcel Dijkstra, JMD Design, Zuidhorn NL
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Floriande Town Library, Hoofddorp Haarlemmermeer NL, 2004
reinterpretation of the library in order to make it an attractive service for youngsters; this library is interconnected with a local highschool and therefore
focuses mainly on customers aged 12 to 18; the colour of the illuminated ceiling can be changed according to the required atmosphere
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Steenwijk Bridge, Steenwijk NL, 2009
competition entry for a characteristic bridge as an eye-catching yet modest town entrance; the integrated design of bridge, banks, pillar, road
deck, and illumination, results in an attractive image both during day and night; solar power is used for lighting and machinery;
designed in cooperation with Advin Engineering, Steenwijk NL
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Leeuwarden City Library, Leeuwarden NL, 2010
innovative and inspiring libraryconcept for the Leeuwarden City Library, which is located in national monument De Beurs; the design proposal is to remove all old interior and installations of the
’80’s and add a number of new autonomous objects; these blobs are placed within the monumental space, in different shapes, colours and functions, and house
the collection in different rooms and atmospheres; an essential and beautiful part of the plan is to add new environmentallyfriendly, durable and sustainable heat and
ventilation units, that provide a long-term 0% emmission building by using a combination of solar power and energy contained in earth and water sources
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working
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Design is a plan for arranging elements in such a way as best to accomplish a particular purpose. Charles Eames
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Furniture 102
Aequo-designed furntiure for living, office, public and hospitality purposes; high-end materials with basic design embody unexpeted functionality
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K02 104
aluminum extruded shelving system for professional use; wireless integrated CCFL lighting in every shelf for unsurpassed product display; system enables
practically unlimited dimensions due to extruded profiles
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Office environment 106
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Dental Practice, Bovensmilde NL, 2009
iconic dental practice right next to century-old farmhouses; the metal shell embraces the spacious interior that stands out as a house within a house;
Corten steel body both red when dry and black when wet corresponds perfectly to the red and black atmosphere of the existing
context; tooth-shaped entrance entrance reflects the purpose of the building
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Rabobank Office Building, Den Helder NL, 2009
office building designed for NAM [the biggest producer in natural gas and oil in The Netherlands] in 2003, recently expanded for the Rabobank; the blue-glazed brick wall in front of the building forms
a plinth containing entrance, central reception area and auditorium, and provides the building with a human scale for the visitor; building and installations are based on the
Trias Energetica principle; [1] reducing energy use by means of high-quality insulation; [2] energy induction by sustainable techniques; [3] remaining
energy-need will be supplied through traditional means; the building saves up to 50% of electricity and 15% of gas compared to a traditional office building
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CreaBea Office Interior, Amersfoort NL, 2009
office and small warehouse for a creative company on graphic design, web design, web development, public design, and merchandise; in a standard two-
storey industrial unit all necessary functions are housed in separate units carrying the first floor as a balcony for the office; the spatial
quality of the original building is preserved as much as possible and compromises the spine of the activities on both levels
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A design isn’t finished until somebody is using it. Brenda Laurel
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Lichtreclamegroep Office and Factory, Groningen NL, 1994
showroom, offices and production facilities for a market leader in lettering, especially in neon; the production consists of glassworks, graphic design,
and construction design; these processes, which are attractive for the visitor, are made part of the showroom; in the industrial area,
the building is conceived as a pivot with reception, stairs and conference room in a central glass brick cilinder
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DOK Library Concept Centre Offices, Delft NL, 2007
transformation of a former supermarket and office complex into an award-winning library and office complex; the building receives daylight by a large
characteristic glasshouse in front of the building and the introduction of a void that interconnects three floors; bright colours and
expressive light are used for orientation and the estabilishment of different rooms and atmospheres - designed in cooperation with
Dok Architects, Amsterdam NL
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Office Building, Groningen NL, 2001
iconic office building at one of the main access roads to the city of Groningen; the oversized entrance adds character and provides interior daylight and orientation of the building; a
regular pattern of square windows insures timeless monumentality; designed in cooperation with Hennie Smit at Klein Architecten, Groningen NL
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Office Building, Groningen NL, 1988
office in combination with apartment in a monumental setting; the traditional elements of
the facade - plinth, brickwork, trichotomy and cornice - are translated in a modern
approach respecting the scale; much approved by the Dutch heritage institution
guarding the quality of the city-area
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If you think it’s expensive to hire a professional to do the job,
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wait until you hire an amateur. Red Adair
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INFO Aequo Team
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Aequo BV Architects
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Jan Bartelsman Tine Eelman Erik Hesmerg Stijn Poelstra Aequo archive
www.dokarchitecten.nl www.baljon.nl www.kleinarch.nl www.creabea.com www.artmiks.nl www.quadraarchitects.co.in
Marco de Boer Ronald Costeris Svend Eric Panjer Mario Servodidio
PO Box 701 9400 AS Assen the Netherlands
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artwork by CreaBea printed by Biblionet © 2010, Aequo Architects bv
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never stop asking
seeing = believing