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Petting Farm Almere Holland

Den Uyl park Petting Farm Development design by 70F in The Netherlands, Europe

20 Nov 2010

Petting Farm Almere Award

Location: Den Uyl park, Almere, The Netherlands

Design: 70F architecture

After the nomination for the World Architecture Festival 2009 in Barcelona, and the second price in the SAIE Selection awards 2010 in Bologna, the petting farm in the Den Uyl park (Almere, the Netherlands), designed by 70F architecture, was recently nominated for the 2010 Almere Architecture Award.

Photos : Luuk Kramer

“Since 1999 every two years Casla organizes the “Architectuurprijs Almere” (Almere Architecture Awards). Projects finished no more than two years prior to the contest are eligible to be designated as the winner.

A professional jury is set up to look at the nominations. In addition, Almere residents are invited to vote for their favourite project. In 2006, a special edition of the Architecture Award was held within the framework of the thirtieth anniversary of Almere. In 2010 Casla picks up the tradition and the current edition spans the period of building activity between 2006 and 2010.”

Motivation nominating committee:

“A simple cube-shaped building in wood and acrylic, with ingenious ventilation hatches that also form the entrances to the animal enclosures. The facades, clad with western red cedar, let the light through in the evening.

The layout, with a central walkway between the stalls, provides an optimal functionality and clarity. The form, in which access and ventilation hatches disappear when they are closed, is special. When the hatches are open, the project surprises by a completely different view. The building, with its robust cube shape and the changing facades according to the opening or closing hours of the petting farm, is an asset to its environment. ”

Petting Farm Almere

2009

70F architecture – interior design – design

Most city parts of Almere, a city with almost 190.000 inhabitants, have a petting farm. In the ‘den Uyl’ park there used to be one, but it burned down in the early 80’s, leaving only its concrete foundation. Early 2005 we were commissioned by the municipality of Almere to design a new petting farm on the exact location and the remaining foundation. The building was finally built using almost only sponsored money, and finished late 2008.

We designed a wooden box with an open facade system for the upper half of the building, allowing the wind to ventilate the whole farm continuously. Half of the building is stable; the other half consists of toilets, storage and on the second floor an office and storage.

The stable itself has no second floor. As you walk lengthways through the building, you will pass the animals that are contained to the left and to the right behind fences. There are no doors in the building, but there are six shutters, two for the public on the short ends of the building and four for the animals, two on either long side of the building.

These shutters will open manually or automatically in the morning, reacting on the upcoming sun, as they will close again at the end of the day, when the sun goes down. The animals will easily learn to be inside again on time, if they like. At night, the building becomes a light beacon in the park.

One could say that the box, a building extensively reduced in aesthetic violence, wakes up and goes to sleep every day.