After 6 years of negotiations, we now have the chance to purchase an old school building in the Pieter Nieuwlandstraat. Here, an active group of people will establish a space for living, working, and a social/political neighbourhood centre. There are many ways you could get involved and bring in your interests - become a member, participate in the working groups, donate or invest. Or, if you'd like to know more first, come by our weekly info evening.

Pieter Nieuwlandstraat 93/95 is a school building from the late nineteenth-century, and a municipal monument. The building consists of 2 wings and is 3 floors high. Altogether it has 1.155 square meters and another 130 square meters back yard.

 

The building has approximately the same age as the Dapperbuurt neighbourhood itself. In the direct surrounding it's one of the few original buildings left.

 

In the course of 'city renewal' in the 1980ies, the neighbourhood underwent massive changes. Around that time the left part of the groundfloor was rebuilt and adapted for use as so-called 'multifunctional center'. As such it was used as neighbourhood center 'De Werf', which was later absorbed by welfare organisation Dynamo. The other parts of the building were used as offices, interim school and child day care center, without any bigger changes to the construction. Since Dynamo and the day care center left, the building is used for temporary rent out of office spaces.

 

As soon as the building is purchased, it will have to be adapted to the new way of use by renovation and rebuilding work. This will be mostly done by volunteers involved in the project and their friends, always in cooperation with competent architects and construction workers to ensure proper and save course. This way, costs are kept low and skills and knowledge within the group will be used and shared. It will also enhance the feeling of personal ownership over the project, and physically express the collective involvement of the community.

 

The building will offer space to a living group of eleven people, a social/political/ public space and some office or workshop spaces.

The members of the living space will play an active role in the public space and cooperate with other volunteers and enthusiasts around the PN project.

 

With the public space we are aiming to create a horizontally organised place where residents, neighbours, and other involved people feel comfortable to take initiative and to bring in their ideas.

Creating a sphere of respect is essential for the day to day running of the space but also for working on the future vision. 

 

We are encouraging you to get involved, to become a member and/or to support the project financially.

 

"Woningbouwvereniging Soweto",

IBAN: NL06 TRIO 0786 6799 21

BIC: TRIONL2U

KvK-nummer 34278166