Architectural reflections on residential buildings and their renovation: destruction or preservation of the architectural language

This paper is about a study of Dutch residential buildings in the 20th century and the architectural means that were used to create an appearance towards the neighbourhood. The study shows how this appearance changed after renovation. More than 80% of the Dutch housing stock was built after World War II. These post-war buildings are, for a large part, renovated or waiting to be renovated. Often this happens without taking care of the once elaborated appearance of the building. The story the building told in its original form disappears during the renovation.
First, the paper will elaborate on the visual perception of architecture. Then it will build up a framework of analysis for the chosen cases. Different examples will show the architectural means that originally created the appearance of the building and how it was dealt with during the renovation. The paper derived from the conclusions of a PhD research about the presentation and representation of the Dutch residential buildings towards the public domain. It is meant as a starting point for further research and discussions in the field of the renovation and transformation of the residential housing stock.