Designing the Social
This 17th-century house in an alley between the Amsterdam canals was neglected by its owner and was squatted twice for a longer period of time.
Wijde Heisteeg 7 is a small house in Amsterdam's historic centre. Despite being listed as a national heritage site, it has been in a rundown condition for years. The owner's intentional neglect of the building forced the original tenants to leave and has created tensions with the city authorities and heritage preservation groups alike. These groups have repeatedly lodged objections against planning applications by the owner, arguing inadequate consideration of the building's heritage status. Their claims have prevented a full-blown renovation and the conversion of the building into luxury apartments.
In an effort to counter its persistent vacancy, the building was squatted from 2007 until the 2011 enforcement of the squatting ban, and later again for almost all of 2016. On both occasions, the squatters carried out renovation work to prevent further deterioration, including repairing leaks and mending the roof structure. Coinciding with the most recent occupation, a group of collaborating squatters published the 2015/2016 Squatting Manual, prompting questions among both the city council and the House of Representatives about the legality of circulating such documents. Meanwhile, the occupants of Wijde Heisteeg 7 were evicted in late 2016, and it was used as a temporary pop-up store, while the upper floors remained empty for a long time.
Program: Housing for up to five people, a guest room, workshop and give-away store.