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Bad news: the characteristic little building on Spoorstraat of the The former Verfaille bakery is being demolished. Good news: the The baker's cottage returns, just as characteristic, in the Spoorstraat. But like new. And equipped with three sustainable rental properties.
Housing Foundation/Helder Vastgoed recently completed the housing project. Palmhout: a daycare center and seven owner-occupied homes, of which by now A large number has been sold. The houses have a warm, contemporary feel. appearance with brick and many details. Spoorstraat 73, in recent years especially
known for eatery Johnny's Burgers, stands in stark contrast to that. Not least due to the very poor condition of the property.
Small patch of grass
After years of difficult negotiations about the purchase, it succeeded. Housing Foundation/Helder Vastgoed finally reached an agreement with the owner in 2023
to reach an agreement. Preservation is not an option, as the facade and are in such a state of disrepair. the rest of the building is in deplorable condition. So it will be demolished. But not to to turn it into a very expensive little lawn.
The facade of the building, which once housed a bakery for three generations of the Verfaille family. had, returns in the form as conceived in 1945. A very deliberate choice, says Pelle Poiesz of HP Architects in Rotterdam.
,"When we designed the seven houses around it, we assumed that Spoorstraat 73 would remain standing. Simply because it was not possible to buy. That is why we consciously chose the new homes in terms of appearance and to let the use of materials contrast strongly with that one quirky little building.’
Logically
After Helder Vastgoed was finally able to acquire that stubborn little bakery building, a new situation arose. "In conversation with Edzo Bindels from
urban planning firm West 8 (which is the supervisor for Helder Vastgoed for the urban renewal in Den Helder, ed.) came up for discussion that we that contrast wanted to preserve the houses between Spoorstraat 73 and the other properties. So, it was necessary come up with something stubborn again. And actually, with that, we already had the logical solution at hand: rebuilding the current building with its characteristic facade.''’
The question then is: which design is the starting point? Because of the bakery shop It turns out that several construction drawings exist in the archive: from 1921, 1945 and 1980. The 1921 design was rejected because the roof was far too low. sat. In 1980, the distinctive curved shop front was replaced by the current modern one. Straightforward. So that was ruled out too. That left the 1945 design. With a characteristic bay window on the first floor and a curved facade on the ground floor, plus a slightly recessed front door. Exactly as was common at many pre- and post-war shops in Spoorstraat and Koningstraat.
Challenges
There were challenges as well. After all, restoring a charming historic facade is one thing. thing, but also giving three apartments a place and meeting all The contemporary requirements of the Building Decree are different. Poiesz notes with satisfaction. that it succeeded. And also the municipal advisory committee on environmental quality (the former aesthetics committee, ed.) recently had many words of appreciation for the design. There will be a rental apartment of 50-60 square meters on each floor. meters, naturally fully furnished with bedroom and bathroom.
Moreover, at Woningstichting/Helder Vastgoed, they do like special things. details. "If you look at the current building at Spoorstraat 73," says Poiesz, "you see on one of the side facades the outlines of walls of the demolished adjacent buildings. In the new construction, we retain those same contours. come back.''’
HP Architects is now developing the drawings into a final design. After that... Housing Foundation/Helder Vastgoed asks the municipality the
applied for an environmental permit. When construction will actually begin is so not yet known.
