Background information:
Around 1950, there was a significant housing shortage. Porch flats had already existed for several decades, but in the case of this large example, the development steps can still be traced in the building as it stands. This means that construction began in 1950 on the first porch, no. 109. Two years later, construction of no. 121 concluded. However, in the meantime, the set of construction drawings, and therefore the final result, had completely changed. Where they began with a dark, internal porch with three apartments on top of each other, the later porches have plenty of daylight and six apartments in a two-by-three-unit structure. As experience progressed, much was improved, streamlined, or made more efficient.
Construction details:
The houses are constructed with chain-bond masonry walls. This type of brickwork bond is not often used in Dutch buildings, especially from the 1960s onwards, irregular bond was widely used. Decorative elements can be found in the details. In porches 109 and 111, segmental arches can be found above the window frames, while in the later porches, decorative elements can be found in the brickwork above the large porch window.
The houses have ceramic roof tiles, type Nieuwe Hollander. The gutter and ridge heights are the same across all porches. However, there are some porch-segment-specific extensions, particularly at the rear. The building at Markenburg is divided into segments for each porch. This, of course, makes it very easy to create the complete building, but partial situations or a different porch configuration are also possible in the model.
