De Zwaan apartment complex undergoes major renovation

At atelier PRO, our goal is to design buildings that are worth preserving, and this something that goes a long way back – as shown by our 1985 project De Zwaan in Voorburg, which was already sustainable at the time and which has recently been renovated by its owners.

Apartment complex De Zwaan consists of two building sections: an elongated, low and light volume with social housing, which changes into a nine-storey tower with owner-occupied flats. In 1986, the iconic building designed by architect Hans van Beek was voted one of the best buildings in the Netherlands, but in recent years, time began to take its toll. In particular, the stucco of the tower gradually started to show signs of wear, and fire safety and insulation also had to be re-examined.

The entire shell of the high-rise was replaced - including the windows and window frames - by a better insulating version, - and fire safety and sustainability have also improved significantly in general terms. What is special about this project is that the renovation was completely supervised by the owners' association - and where such a project is already quite a task for a housing association, it is a huge feat for a medium-sized association with limited resources.

Credit therefore to the catalyst of the renovation, VvE Corbulokade, who together with the 36 owners, contractors and a financier put in the effort to develop a plan. The process also came about through the efforts of Focus Vastgoed Groep, Warmtefonds, Dibotherm B.V., BANQ geveltechniek BV, Gemeente Leidschendam-Voorburg and the old and new VvE board.

Click here for more information about the project