The KNSM Island in Amsterdam is an interesting mix of leftover dockland industrial units, and redeveloped and repurposed buildings, all orientated around a late 1980s masterplan by local architect Jo Coenen. One of these preserved buildings is an old canteen, which has since been transformed into a number of individual housing units
Photography: Marcel van der Burg
Marc Koehler architects' 'House Like Village' project attempts to capture the zeitgeist of the island by imagining the residential space as a set of many microcosms
These have been manifested in the design as smaller 'clusters', cube shaped volumes within the main residential unit
Storage spaces are hidden in the same style behind white painted or wooden doors
Koehler worked closely with the clients (a young couple with one new-born) and established a design that can be easily extended if needed by way of additional volumes
A fireplace helps to heat the main living area
