Exclusive living along the river Zaan

Ir. Michel Richter of the renowned architectural firm MIES Architectuur reveals what inspired him and how the design of De Industrieel came about:

Inspiration
An industrial gas factory from 1859 was once located at this location. During this period, factories were often designed with a special sense of sophistication and detail. Large brickwork surfaces were divided by means of wall fields in a more human scale. As a result, the factory found a connection with the surrounding buildings at ground level. More to the top the openings and ornaments were larger. This special design approach has inspired us when designing De Industrieel. 

Apartment building with penthouses 
The 9-storey apartment building is situated on top of a semi-recessed parking garage with storage spaces. The design with dark-colored brickwork creates a tough and sturdy building. The industrial character is enhanced by carefully positioned large living balconies on the facade. The color scheme of the façade openings is dark and will reinforce the industrial character. The facade with a structure of wall fields, masonry detailing and a masonry frame also refers to the industrial past of the location. We have designed the inside of the apartment complex in a light color scheme, creating a friendly environment here. On the roof of the former gas factory there used to be technical rooms that were built like houses. These have been the starting point for the beautiful large penthouses on the roof of the apartment building. Around the penthouses are large terraces that offer a fantastic view of the river Zaan.

Combination of apartments and townhouses 
The historic architecture from the Zaan region is world famous and has been our inspiration for the design of the townhouses. They have 4 floors and are situated on a semi-sunken parking garage. The large townhouses are located on the Westzijde and all have their own entrance to the slightly higher ground floor of the house. Each townhouse has its own special appearance and identity, which in turn refers to the typical facade architecture from the region, but then interpreted in a modern way. The rear facades have a view of a large garden with a broad perspective on  river Zaan. Each townhouse has its own materialization and design, creating 7 individual residences. The second apartment building is perpendicular to the Westzijde and stands on a raised plinth to take full advantage of the view. The storage areas and parking spaces are located under this raised plinth. These apartments also have large living balconies and large window openings. The facades are made of a light color masonry with contrasting frames. The open gallery is designed in a steel grid, which in turn is a reference to the industrial history of this location. In this way this apartment complex gets its appropriate distinctive identity in a beautiful green park layout with a relationship to the river Zaan.

Detached villa 
For the detached villa we have chosen for a classic look that refers to the stately villas which are situated further down on the Westzijde. The plinth and large staircase give a stately entrance and access to the villa which is reinforced by the green roof element that refers to the Zaan identity.

If you decide to come and live with your children in De Industrieel, you naturally want to know what the possibilities in Zaandam and the surrounding area are in terms of education, leisure activities and care for kids. That is why we have listed a few things for you here:

Nurseries
In Zaandam and the surrounding area you can choose from no fewer than 43 children's day care centers. If you want to see what the possibilities are and read the reviews of other parents, go to the website beste-kinderdagverblijven.

Primary education
Zaandam has 27 primary schools, including 2 for children who need extra support and attention and 1 for children who need specialist supervision. There is 1 Dalton school and 1 Vrijeschool (Free School). Regarding conviction the choice is: 1 general special, 14 public, 5 protestant Christian, 3 Catholic and 4 confessional others.

Secondary education
Together with your son or daughter, you can choose from 9 secondary schools, 8 of them for secondary education and 1 for secondary special education. Conviction: 5 public, 2 confessional others, 1 Catholic and 1 cooperating. Homework supervision and tutoring: your daughter or son can join from the first year of secondary school to the final exam. For instance at Studiekring Zaandam. Studiekring Zaandam is within cycling distance of St. Michael College, Zaanlands Lyceum, Pascal College, Zuiderzeecollege and Compaen VMBO.

Pediatrics
It is a reassuring thought that the Zaans Medical Center has its own Pediatrics department with doctors with different sub-specializations. The department has set itself the goal of recovering the normal family situation as quickly as possible. The Zaans Medical Center is also located near De Industrieel: you only have to cross the Prins Bernhardbrug.

Sport and leisure
After school and during the weekends and holidays, your children naturally want to enjoy themselves and do sports.  Sportstimulering (sports stimulation) is part of the Zaanstad Sports Department where almost all information about sports in the Zaan region is available. The department organizes and provides a large part of the after-school sports offering at primary schools. Children and young people can participate in the fun and sporting activities. At Kidsfit of the Sports Department, the emphasis lies on health and exercise. The exercise lessons include parts of boot camp, running exercises and play activities. In addition, attention is paid to healthy food and how important it is to drink water instead of energy drinks. Resilience/self-assurance when dealing with peers is also a topic at Kidsfit, which is available for groups 5 to 8. 
And look for the best outings, parties and clubs (from nature clubs to science and technology) in the region at 
go-kids zaanland

Nature
Close De Industrieel lies the natural monument Wormer and Jisperveld. In this bird paradise you can spot all kinds of birds with the children. Rent a canoe in the marina or enjoy a wonderful walk or bike ride through this vast nature reserve. The Poelboerderij is the visitor center and the natural access to the Wormer and Jisperveld. In the summer the children can play in a fantastic water playground and adventure park with a ferry and lookout towers. You can of course go there for a cup of coffee or tea. You can also view current exhibitions and discover what lives in the water of this nature reserve in the aquariums. 

Building materials used in the realization of a building play an important role with regard to the character and appearance of that building. This certainly applies to De Industrieel.
From 1859 until the 1950s there stood a gas factory on the building site of De Industrieel. Industrial buildings such as this gas factory were often designed by well-known architects with a special sense of sophistication and detail. Large brick walls were divided by means of wall fields to create a more human scale. The factory found a suitable connection with the surrounding buildings at ground level. More upwards the openings and ornaments became larger. Inspired by this design approach, the architect who designed De Industrieel has chosen materials for his design that strongly emphasize the industrial character of the buildings.

Tough yet friendly
In order to further express the industrial character of apartment building A, industrial materials have been chosen. That is, a robust dark red-brown brick, steel balconies and steel fencing. The colors used are dark gray and refer to the natural color of the steel that was used in the past.
For the inside of the building, lighter materials have been used that create a more friendly atmosphere. The reference colors used here are white and natural wood.
For the slightly smaller apartment building B, a light brick with a mixed character in red/orange has been chosen. Here too, an industrially inspired pattern has been designed that has been applied in a light color. The two roof structures are given an industrial, dark zinc appearance.

The townhouses: industrial and Zaans
For the large townhouses, an industrial and Zaan region look has been chosen within the total concept. For each townhouse, different materials are used. Partly brickwork and walls with a horizontal lines that strongly remind of the construction of the former ‘Zaan houses’. The color green which was used for these houses will play a major role, although modern variants of green will also be used.

Detached villa
The detached villa is the actual transition to the existing villas on the Westzijde. With regard to the material, a search was made to match the appearance of these existing buildings. A red mixed brick was chosen as brickwork with a different plinth, overhanging parts and ornaments made in white and partly filled in with the abovementioned ‘Zaans green’.

Thanks to these well-considered building material choices, De Industrieel will not only be a wonderful place to live, but also a living environment that will look pleasant and varied.

Perfectly located, perfectly accessible
The location where De Industrieel will be built is perfect in many respects. You live right on the banks of a beautiful, lively river and close to the roads to the north and to Amsterdam and beyond. In addition, many options for spending your free time are also perfectly accessible.

Stadshart Zaandam  - 5 minutes
From the Westzijde it is only a few minutes' walk or bike ride to the Stadshart (city center) of Zaandam with no fewer than 188 stores, 31 cafés, 48 restaurants and 6 department stores!
You can catch a movie in the large Pathé cinema and in the Zaantheater you can enjoy concerts, theater, ballet and musicals.

Beaches - half an hour
According to many inhabitants of Noord-Holland, the most beautiful beaches in the Netherlands are to be found here. Choose a cozy family resort or one of the cooler beaches with many lounge bars.
No fewer than eight beaches above Amsterdam have a blue flag, which means that they are proven clean and safe.

Haarlem - half an hour
Haarlem is a wonderful city with lots of historic buildings, monuments and museums, the impressive St. Bavo church and a variety of nice shops (open on Sundays) and restaurants.
Stroll through the wonderfully green Haarlemmerhout forest and visit the impressive Teylers Museum with exhibitions in the fields of art, natural history and science.

Amsterdam - 15 minutes
The Prince Bernhard Bridge gives direct access to the Amsterdam ring road A10 via the A7 and A8.  From De Industrieel it’s only 15 minutes by car to Amsterdam.
This makes De Industrieel's location so attractive. Whether you want to go there every day to work or go shopping and having a fun time, the capital of the Netherlands is always nearby!

Schiphol - 20 minutes
The national airport is also nearby. Going on a city trip, on vacation or flying for work? By car or by train (from Zaandam station) you can be at Schiphol airport in about 20 minutes. There are four trains per hour, so you won't have to wait long either. 

Nature!
The nature reserve Wormer and Jisperveld is located close to De Industrieel. You can spot all kinds of birds in this bird paradise. Rent a canoe in the marina or enjoy a wonderful walk or bike ride through this vast nature reserve.
The Poelboerderij is the visitor center and the natural access to the Wormer and Jisperveld. Your children can play in a fantastic summer water playground and adventure park with a ferry and watchtowers, while you’re having a nice cup of coffee or tea. You can also visit exhibitions and discover in the aquariums what lives in the water of this nature reserve.

One of the biggest advantages of living in De Industrieel is of course the direct location along the river Zaan. This 13.5 kilometer long river is navigated by vessels that transport goods to and from the Noordzeekanaal and beyond. But the navigable river Zaan is also popular with skippers of pleasure yachts. So there is always something to watch from your home or when you enjoy sitting on the waterfront of De Industrieel.

Lifeblood
The winding river with its naturally rolling banks and branches to ditches and ponds in the area has long been the lifeblood of the Zaan region. The many shipyards and sawmills brought a lot of work and therefore a relatively better life for the residents of the Zaan region. And since factories used to be much better supplied by water than by the still often defective roads, the banks of the river Zaan were also the place to start all kinds of industrial companies which produced paint, varnish, tea, coffee, cigars, edible oil and all sorts of other food and stimulants. One of the best known is of course the Verkadefabriek, where the ‘Girls of Verkade’ started making chocolate and cookies for the Netherlands and the whole world later on.

Industrial architecture
Many of those factories and warehouses from the 19th century were designed by prominent architects with a special sense of sophistication and detail. Of course, some buildings from this time have disappeared, but if you take a bike ride-or rather a boat ride - along the river Zaan, you can still admire many of these architectural beauties. They were an important inspiration for the design (and the name!) of De Industrieel.

View over the river Zaan
One of those architectural wonders on the river Zaan is the complex of the Zwaardemaker barley mill. Barley used to be an important component of the daily diet. From De Industrieel you can look diagonally over the water of the river Zaan at this imposing monument, which currently houses apartments. Also on the other side of the river you can see one of the houses which was painted by the world-famous French impressionist Claude Monet (1840-1926) in 1871. Together with his wife and child, he fled the Franco-Prussian war and continued to live in Zaandam for 4 months, where he was inspired by the typical wooden style and the use of colors in the Zaan region.  On the left side of De Industrieel you can see the Prins Bernhardbrug. This bridge is one of the most important links in the municipality of Zaanstad. The design of the bridge emphasizes the symbolism of access and its prominent place in the city. For this design, the creators received a nomination for the 2006 National Steel Award in 2006.

Living directly along the river Zaan. Who would not want that?

Zaandam originated when two parallel dikes, the Oostzijde and the Westzijde, were constructed along the river Zaan. The Industrieel will be built on the Westzijde, where a gas factory used to stand until 1952.

From oil lamp to gas lamp
The need for gas increased during the mid-nineteenth century. Oil lamps disappeared from public roads and gas lighting was installed. More and more people exchanged their oil lamps for the much cleaner, brighter and safer gas light.
In Zaandam the municipality decided on August 1, 1859 to build a gas factory. The exploitation of this factory was outsourced to a gas manufacturer from Utrecht.

Gas factory on the Westzijde
The contract with this gas manufacturer expired in 1890 and the city council decided not to extend the contract but to start producing its own gas.
The existing gas factory was demolished and rebuilt on the Westzijde. On August 10, 1891, the first gas flowed from the gas taps of a rapidly increasing number of users. This increase in users also led to expanding the factory in 1899.

The flood of 1916
In the night of 13 to 14 January 1916, a devastating flood occurred around the Zuiderzee (the current IJsselmeer). A storm flood coincided with high water levels in the rivers caused by continuous rainfall. Many dikes broke. There were casualties and the damage to houses and dikes was enormous. The Oostzijde was flooded and the gas factory was also damaged.
During expansions that followed in later years, gas holders were built to maintain the gas supply and a huge complex was created at the Westzijde.

Centrally produced gas
The gas production at the site came to an end in 1952 when the Gas Company Zaanstreek- en Waterland was established. The gas was now produced centrally. The industrial buildings on the Westzijde were demolished, only the director's house remained standing.
In addition, the site remained in use by the municipal energy company (later NUON) for storage, gas distribution and offices.

Clean up and construction of houses
To make housing possible, the soil of the site was cleaned up between 2010 and 2012 under the direction of the province of Noord-Holland. In total, around 29,000 tons of soil were removed making the entire site suitable for building homes.

If you live in De Industrieel, you also live in the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area (MRA). The MRA is a partnership between the provinces of Noord-Holland and Flevoland, 33 different municipalities and the Amsterdam Transport Region. The MRA stretches from IJmuiden to Lelystad and from Purmerend to the Haarlemmermeer and focuses on diversity.

Strong economic region
The MRA belongs to the top five of economically strong regions in Europe. Not surprising when you know that this region contains two airports, seaports, the financial center of the Netherlands (the Zuidas in Amsterdam), the flower auction in Aalsmeer (the largest in the world), the Mediapark in Hilversum, Tata Steel in IJmuiden and many innovative and creative companies.In addition, historic cities such as Zaandam, Haarlem and Amsterdam, the various seaside resorts and tulip fields attract many tens of millions of tourists from all over the world.

Future vision
In 2016, the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area set up an agenda for the future.
The main priorities on this agenda are: boosting the region’s economy, improving accessibility and building dwellings. Furthermore, the MRA wants to play a pioneering role in the knowledge and circular economies. And, last but not least, sustainability and the expansion of recreational opportunities and nature are having a prominent place on the agenda.

Living in the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area
As mentioned, living in De Industrieel means living in the MRA. What does that actually mean? First of all, you’re living in an attractive region for (international) companies. This not only benefits employment but also ensures diversity. Moreover, there is a healthy debate structure in the MRA. Each municipality has control over matters that are important for its residents, important decisions are taken together.

Figures from the CBS (Dutch bureau for statistics) show that one in five Dutch people suffers from insomnia. Insomnia can have many causes. One of them is poor air quality in the bedroom. Opening a window will surely help but also plants can provide a better night's rest. We already knew that plants provide oxygen, but a study by space agency NASA shows that certain, very ordinary, houseplants also remove toxic substances such as benzene and formaldehyde from the air. Some suggestions:

Aloe vera
Welknown from all sorts of creams for wounds, dry skin and sunburn. But studies show that this plant also contributes to the air purity of your bedroom. Additional advantage: when having a dry or burned spot somewhere, just cut off a small piece of leaf and rub it on the spot.

Anthurium
The Anthurium originally comes from tropical America and has up to 600 species. According to the NASA study, the Anthurium is one of the most air-purifying plants on earth. This is partly due to the fact that this plant remains in bloom for a long time. 

Sansevieria
The Sansevieria belongs to the Asparagus family. In Holland it had the image of ‘Grandpa and grandma plant’ for decades, but it has enjoyed a successful come-back in recent years. And rightly so, since during the night it converts carbon dioxide  to oxygen. 

Ivy
Maybe not a plant you consider having in your bedroom, but NASA also gives this plant high grades when it comes to air-purifying qualities. Besides that, Ivy also removes allergens such as fungi from the air. 

Draceana
NASA considers the Draceana to be one of the most efficient plants to purify the air of formaldehyde. There are many species of the popular Draceana so you will always find one that suits the your bedroom interior!

Living in De Industrieel will offer you many advantages. You’ll live directly along the Zaan, near the cozy city center of Zaandam and just 15 minutes from the center of Amsterdam. But there is also a lot to do in and around Zaandam. How about spending your day off in a natural reserve, for example? The Natuurmonumenten association takes care of more than 100,000 hectares of Dutch nature. Existing natural areas are maintained, new areas are developed. The Wormer and Jisperveld is one of those existing nature reserves. And it’s close to De Industrieel!

Het Veld
The Wormer and Jisperveld, or 'Het Veld' (The Field) as it is locally called, comprises about 2000 hectares. Natuurmonumenten manage nearly 650 hectares of this vast area together with farmers who live and work there. The nature reserve is situated between Wormer, De Rijp, Purmerend and Wormerveer, just North of Zaandam. Originally, the area is a peat bog that was mined from the year 1000 AD.

A bird paradise
The Wormer and Jisperveld is a patchwork of water and land and is therefore an ideal sanctuary for meadow birds. During spring the birds return from Africa. First the godwits will arrive, then the lapwings and the redshanks. Almost every specie of Dutch meadow bird finds rest, food, a partner and a safe breeding ground in this area. Follow the trail through the Schaalsmeerpolder and discover what a bird paradise the Wormer and Jisperveld really is.

Take a canoe
A wet nature reserve like this is best visited by canoe which you can rent in the marina. Paddle through the vast area and enjoy watching the meadow birds and breeding colonies with black-headed gulls, common terns and spoonbills. The length of the entire canoe route is 9.46 kilometers. If you prefer to stay on dry land, the Wormer and Jisperveld also offers several walking and cycling routes.

The Poelboerderij
The Poelboerderij is the visitor information center and natural access to the Wormer and Jisperveld. During summer, children can romp around in a water playground and adventure park with a small ferry and watchtowers. You’re welcome for a cup of coffee or tea and can visit exhibitions as well. 

De Industrieel will be built in a region with a very rich history. A history of entrepreneurship and business. Of innovators and visionaries.

First residents
The Zaan region has long been a wet and soggy place. Nevertheless, archaeological finds show that as far back as 500 BC people built huts on the banks of rivers and lakes and other dry places. Due to the rise of incoming seawater (there were no dikes yet) they had to leave the area in the first and second century AD. But since man is stubborn, they came back in the eleventh century and tried again. During this time, huge amounts of sand were flowing into the area. Due to this high dry ridges emerged on which permanent dwellings could be built. The bog now lay lower than these ridges and could be developed for agriculture. Around the year 1200 AD the first dikes were constructed on both sides of the Zaan river, the Oostzijde and the Westzijde, the future location of De Industrieel. At the end of the 13th century a dam was built that separated the Zaan waters from the IJ river. Zaandam owes its name to this dam.

City rights
The city of Zaandam only came into being in the Napoleontic era. On the Emperor’s orders, the towns of Oostzaandam and Westzaandam were merged in 1811 and the newly formed municipality received city rights. This meant, among other things, that the city could have a market, levy a toll and build city walls. Even more important was the fact that the city could have its own jurisdiction. This allowed citizens to argue in a fair way before a court.

Economic growth
Until the beginning of the Golden Age, the inhabitants of the Zaan region earned their meager wages with simple agriculture, fishing and bird hunting. This changed drastically at the beginning of the 17th century. Due to its location on the Zaan and the favorable connection with nearby Amsterdam via the IJ river, inland shipping developed. A lively trade with Amsterdam emerged where the first stock market in the world was founded and where many merchants earned treasures from trading with The East. From the Baltic Sea area a lot of wood was transported to the Zaan and processed on the spot. The many sawmills and the wood trade resulted in a great economic boost that made it possible to build shipyards. They were so well known and successful that in 1697 the later Czar Peter the Great came to Zaandam to learn the craft of ship carpenter. At the Krimp 23 in Zaandam you can still see the Czar Peter House, a wooden house from 1632 where Peter spent the night. In the wake of shipbuilding, all sorts of companies emerged that served as suppliers to the shipyards. Since the shipbuilders also started shipping companies, many more products other than wood came to the Zaan. Mills were needed for the processing of whale oil, grain and spices. So more than a thousand of them were built at a fast pace.

Industrialization
During the French period (1806 - 1813), international trade was no longer possible  and much of the Zaan industry came to a standstill. The entire region was confronted with high unemployment and poverty. Due to the industrialization in the late 1800s, these bad times came to an end. In the many factories which were built along and around the Zaan river, steam-driven machines processed enormous amounts of raw materials into foodstuffs and stimulants such as rice, biscuits, oil, cigars, coffee, tea and chocolate. Products like paint and varnish were also produced in large quantities. Well-known brands such as Duyvis, Wessanen, Honig, Lassie, Albert Heijn and Verkade have their origins in the Zaan region, the first real industrial area in Europe.