Housing the Unexpected: Kruisplein project in Rotterdam by Mecanoo/Francine Houben (1981-1985)

Francine Houben was a student at the Faculteit Bouwkunde, Technische Hoogeschool Delft, when designed the Kruisplein project together with her classmates Henk Döll and Roelf Steenhuis, between the years 1980 and 1983. The youth housing competition “Jongerenhuisvesting Kruisplein Rotterdam” was held by the Projektegroep ‘Het Oude Westen’ and the Maatschappij Volkswoningen, both in Rotterdam, and consisted of two rounds. This research analyses the Kruisplein project regarding the competition process, studying both the first and second versions presented in 1980 and 1982, and considering the academic context to which they were still linked when they designed it. Together they presented their graduation report at the TH Delft “Woning en normering. De rol van het architectonisch ontwerp” on housing and norms in 1984. This was also the year in which they founded their office ‘Architektengroep Mecanoo’, and the realisation of the project began. For them, Kruisplein’s project was their start to pursue “a fundamental renewal of Dutch domestic architecture”, introducing the concept of “neutral dwelling”. This paper shows to what extent Mecanoo’s Kruisplein project was able to offer a different perspective about the competition’s programme itself but ultimately on how the problem of housing “special” groups such as the “youth” was pursued at the time.