Snouck van Loosenpark
The Snouck van Loosenpark is one of the first social housing projects in the Netherlands. It was opened in 1897 and consists of 50 'workers' houses' and 1 supervisor's house. The construction and construction of the park was paid for from the inheritance of Margaretha Maria Snouck van Loosen, a descendant of a wealthy VOC family who stated in her will that she wanted to build workers' homes: "Every home of decent size and space with three sleeping places and sufficient rainwater tank and rent it out at low prices to families who excel above others through sustainable work and good behavior." And so it happened. The architects Christiaan Posthumus Meyjes and Hendik Copijn designed the buildings and park. And that was something! The homes were much more spacious and more progressively built than any social housing of that time. With a capacity of 410-450 m³, a free front and back garden, sewerage, drainage and with a cellar and indoor toilet. The toilet had a barrel for toileting. This could be removed through a hatch in the wall, so that it did not stink in the house. There were no showers or bathrooms, so residents had to rely on the well near the house. Until the 1930s there was also a playground in the park, which was later replaced by an aviary in which birds and monkeys were kept. The houses in the Snouck van Loosenpark (now owned by a housing association) still fall under social housing.